Nashville doesn’t try to be New York - which is a breath of fresh air.

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By James R. Sanders, Contributor

Huffington Post

Nashville doesn’t try to be New York - which is a breath of fresh air. Somehow, the city has managed to blend big city sophistication with down home southern hospitality and it can be felt in the air. The city has a way of making visitors fall in love at first sight, even when its hot outside - like, super-hot. Chain hotels have adopted a personal Bed and Breakfast curated experience that makes each guest feel like the city and the activities were all chosen with them in mind. This wasn’t more true for me than at The Aertson - a Kimpton Hotel.

A chain indeed The Aertson had all of my favorite big hotel features like hot water and a bed that absorbed my body upon first impact. Sleeping at The Aertson was like taking a break from earth just for a minute to visit heaven. Time goes quickly when you’re having fun. When not, the clock seems to move at a pace that wouldn’t give a tortoise a run for his money. Which is why I had a little bit of an attitude when it was time to check out a day later.

My favorite place at The Aertson? The pool. That day was the chilliest throughout my stay, so it might have been too cold to take a dip but the pool was open and I felt like I had a point to prove. That point was what it always is - in order to write about everything I wanted to experience everything. The pool was straight out of a magazine. With the chairs in the shallow end of the pool you had the ability to sit and read in the water. I brought my copy of The Color Purple mostly because my trunks were purple and I love a good accessory. After dipping my feet in the water and humming a bit of the third volume of the Nashville soundtrack (for obvious reasons), I went back to the room after it became clear that I wasn’t going to get discovered and signed that day.

When I arrived, fresh reese peanut butter cups and Pepsi were waiting for me on a silver platter. The Aertson does aesthetic better than most. The rooms are comfortable with rustic southern decor. But here’s the special part - they bury high tech smart elements under all of that southern charm making the room approachable and comfortable. Alas there were no bison heads over the bed which wasn’t a disappointment.

The staff is super friendly and eager to help, which always makes asking questions easier. They go above and beyond to provide you with food options and directions. Nashville is bigger than it looks - and it looks pretty big.