Comfort Inn Downtown Nashville-Vanderbilt

The entrance to the Comfort Inn Downtown is bright and welcoming, and the lobby has a light, modern look with a cream-colored tiled floor and light-stone check-in desk. There's also a spacious seating area with red and blue contemporary armchairs and couches on a boldly designed area rug. Vibrant local artwork adorns the walls, and guests can help themselves to free coffee and chilled bottled water. The beige breakfast room has white-topped tables and a wall of windows, but doesn't look as fresh as the lobby. Vacationing couples and families make up most of the clientele -- although business travelers are not unheard of -- and the hotel does have a family-friendly vibe.

The Comfort Inn, off Interstates 65 and 40 on the edge of downtown, is conveniently located for guests who want to visit many of Nashville’s sights on foot. A good range of bars and casual restaurants are across the street, and many venues, including Tin Roof, DawgHouse Saloon, and Two Bitsoffer, have live music. Nashville's famous Music Row (where a huge number of record labels and recording studios are located), the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts are all within a 15-minute walk. The Gulch, one of the city's trendiest neighborhoods, is 13 minutes away from the hotel on foot. Nashville International Airport is about 15 minutes away by car, depending on traffic. 

The 145 guest rooms at the Comfort Inn Downtown come with flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, mini-fridges, microwaves, safes, irons and ironing boards, clock radios, desks, and coffeemakers. Decor, however, is somewhat dated, and while rooms are clean, guests have reported musty smells and noisy air-conditioning units. Mid-tone wood furniture, heavy satin patterned drapes, and dark swirl-patterned carpets have a distinct '90s chain motel vibe. Bedding is a bit more fresh and modern, as are the simple armchairs in some rooms, though this isn't a consistent feature. Standard tan-tiled bathrooms are small with shower/tub combos, hairdryers, and toiletries. Suites have larger bathrooms, with separate jetted tubs and have spacious, separate living areas with sofas and additional TVs.

The Comfort Inn Downtown has a small fitness center with a treadmill, elliptical machine, exercise bike, and weights. There’s also a mid-size rectangular swimming pool, which is open in the summer months, with comfortable lounge chairs and partial views of the downtown Nashville skyline. The business center has a computer and a printer. Parking is limited and not free. Breakfast, which includes eggs, waffles, yogurt, and fresh fruit, is included in the room rate, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.