Main building (entrance, lobby, and dining area)
Just 15 minutes from downtown Nashville, you’ll find the Inn at Fontanel nestled within the country setting of Whites Creek within walking distance of the Fontanel Mansion, Cafe Fontanella, and The Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel. This luxury boutique hotel is inspired by the middle Tennessee farmhouse style and is a “five-structure hotel, connected by 2,700 square feet of deck with plush patio furniture overlooks a stunning courtyard of gardens and a view of Porter’s Pond with its bubbling fountain and waterfall.”
Originally designed as the Southern Living Idea House by Castle Homes and opened in 2013, it has been recently turned into a luxury boutique hotel with 6 unique suites to choose from: Double Queen North Bunkie, Double Queen South Bunkie, King Carriage House Suite, two King Guest House Suites, and the Inn at Fontanel King Suite within the main hotel building.
Upon your arrival to the Inn at Fontanel you will enter a private gated area where only guests are allowed to enter after being buzzed in by the hotel attendant, establishing an immediate sense of privacy and security. After pulling around back to park, I was quickly greeted by the hotel attendant who was both friendly and helpful offering to assist with my luggage. After checking in, which was a quick and easy process, I was offered some Goo Goo Clusters to take back to the room (a welcome treat) and a special gift certificate for $10 off dinner at the awarding winning Cafe Fontanella. If you haven’t had a chance to dine at Cafe Fontanella, be sure you do! It’s a nice setting with some amazing authentic Italian food and wine bar. And, on some nights, you can even enjoy live music inside while you dine. You can chose to dine both inside or out.
We stayed in the North Bunkie suite, which was a stand alone cabin within the main courtyard just off of the main entrance of the hotel. The cabin was cozy with tasteful decor, two queen beds, flat screen tv with Direct TV, mini-bar & fridge filled with goodies to purchase, and free WIFI. The modern, tastefully-decorated bathroom was stocked with ESA (Environmentally Sensitive Amenities) products that are both indulgent AND good for the environment by being recyclable. No bathtub, but a nice, spacious shower. You will find everything you need for a relaxing stay inside the cabin, including bathrobes, hairdryer, and iron. Outside was a nice front porch with a table and 2 chairs. Just a quick walk across the courtyard is the main building/lobby area of the hotel with an elegantly-appointed living area for guests to gather to visit and dine in the morning inside. Outside on the front porch, you can chose to lounge on some of the chairs or swing. In the late afternoon/early evening, guests are treated to appetizers here. Unfortunately, we missed out on those. If the breakfast the next morning was any indication, I’m sure it was delicious!
North Bunkie
Speaking of breakfast, included with your stay at the inn, you will be treated to a delectable selection of breakfast dishes off a menu and can chose to have whatever you want at any time between 730am-10am. If you want it earlier than 730am, that can be arranged by letting the inn attendant know, but no earlier than 6am. You can have your breakfast in the main building and dining table of the hotel or you can do like we did, and have it delivered to your room where we enjoyed a delicious breakfast on the porch of our cabin as we took in the beautiful views of the countryside of this property just before it started to get hot. A perfect way to start the day!
Book your stay early as there are only 6 suites to stay at in this lovely, luxurious property. For rates and descriptions of the accommodations available, click HERE.
There is plenty to do, especially if you pick a weekend where a large outdoor concert is going on at The Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel, which is on the other side of the spacious property of Fontanel back behind the trees, but still walkable. You will need to order concert tickets in advance and check the site for details HERE. Looking for something adventurous to do while you are out there? Go zip-lining through the wooded area of the property! Find out details about it HERE. For something a little more tame, but still interesting, you can take a tour of the Fontanel Mansion, originally owned by country legend Barbara Mandrell. Tour information and details for that can be found HERE. You can even enjoy a bike ride to see the whole area by using one of the bikes provided by the Inn at Fontanel. There is plenty to do while enjoying your stay there. Do as much or as little as you like!
I highly-recommend booking a stay at this unique luxury property, even if you live in Nashville! Trust me, I have stayed at many beautiful and luxurious properties all around the world. I am also a well-seasoned travel agent, and not easily impressed. The Inn at Fontanel makes for the perfect weekend getaway to enjoy the tranquil countryside. Everything you could possibly need is right there within easy walking distance and then downtown Nashville is just a short drive in the car from the beautiful Inn at Fontanel.
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