Only the finest materials were used: Italian sienna marble in the entrance; wall panels of Russian walnut; a cut, stained glass ceiling in the vaulted lobby; Persian rugs; and massive, overstuffed furniture.
Downstairs, adjoining the Oak Bar, was the Grille Room (now The Capitol Grille), which was originally planned as a rathskellar. The room was built by craftsmen imported from Germany and emerged as a private club for men only.
As Nashville’s first million-dollar hotel, it was the preferred gathering place for the city’s socialites. It was the national platform for both pro- and anti-suffrage forces, and a national radio program originated from its famous dining room.
The Hermitage Hotel was a symbol of Nashville’s emergence as a major Southern city. For its first 50 years, it flourished in the heart of a city that repeatedly earned its rightful place in the nation’s history books. The hotel became a social center for Nashville and a frequent stop for some of the nation’s most prominent figures, from presidents and war heroes to actresses and gangsters. From the early 20th century through the ’30s and ’40s, "Meet me at The Hermitage" could have been deemed the city’s slogan.