Union Station Hotel - A Wyndham Historic Hotel

Few buildings on the Nashville skyline stand out more dramatically than the Union Station Hotel (1001 Broadway, 615-726-1001), a glam vintage hostelry dating in the city's former rail station - it was converted into a hotel in 1998, and it completed an ambitious makeover in 2007 (now all rooms have deep tubs, marble bathrooms, plasma-screen TVs, and plenty of other cushy accoutrements). The Union Station, which is part of the gay-friendly Wyndham Hotel brand, is a short drive from Church Street's gay bars, and an easy walk to the honky-tonk bars, restaurants, and music clubs along downtown's Broadway. It's also right across the street from the wonderful Frist Center for the Visual Arts, and it's on the edge of The Gulch, a fast-growing Nashville neighborhood of old industrial buildings that's abuzz these days with condo development and loft rehabs - it's home to the hip Radius10 restaurant. The only quirk about the location is that, for obvious reasons, the hotel sits right near the rail tracks - some guests love the sound of choo-choos chugging by, while others don't appreciate the noise. Otherwise, especially with all the impressive renovations, this ranks among the slickest and most inviting properties in Tennessee.