More Green Acres

 

Dear Friends,

Many of you have followed us as we embraced, for quite a few years now, a local, sustainable culture at The Hermitage Hotel by sourcing our food and products and other amenities either from Nashville, Tennessee, or regional vendors.  We incorporated Hatch Show Print into website and décor in parts of the hotel, we sourced local artisans such as Vincent Peach and Linda Twist to highlight in Rachel’s Boutique, and we even went so far as to start our own garden at the Land Trust for Tennessee’s Farm at Glen Leven.  Next year, we will be changing out all of the mattresses in the hotel to beds that are made right here in Nashville.

Today, we are thrilled to announce the purchase of a 245 acre farm in Dickson Co, TN.  Double H Farms, as it will be known, is part of a bigger plan to expand our focus on preservation and sustainability.  The farm will be used to create a sustainable brand of beef that is distributed beyond the Capitol Grille.  It will also grow corn for a future grist mill and will eventually help expand the gardening program.

“The goal is to focus the future of The Hermitage Hotel and Capitol Grille by helping to preserve land, continue sustainable farming practices, and make our product more available to the community,” said Greg Sligh, managing director of The Hermitage Hotel and now also president of Double H Farms, LLC.

Farm operations will be overseen by Greg Sligh in cooperation with Executive Chef Tyler Brown and the rest of The Hermitage Hotel and Capitol Grille team.  Mr. Sligh has a strong family history in farming.  For more than a century his family owned a 600 acre farm in Missouri.  Mr. Sligh spent his summers and school breaks playing and, when old enough, working on the farm with his grandparents.  Today, he and his relatives still own and manage the original farm where he vacations with his wife and sons.

The purchase of the farm has been a long time goal born out of the experimenting with raising cattle at the Land Trust for Tennessee’s Farm at Glen Leven in partnership with farmer Blair Myers.  That project was spearheaded by Executive Chef and Head Farmer, Tyler Brown who will be actively involved, working with Greg to develop an ideal plan for the new venture.  The initial goal for this farm is to develop and increase the herd of grass-fed cattle.  Diners at the Capitol Grille have also been enjoying some of the beef which has been grazing in the sunny pastures at the Farm at Glen Leven.  However, with the increasing demands of the restaurant the larger amount of acreage allows for the herd to be increased significantly.  We also plan to sell the Double H Farms brand of beef to other interested restaurants in Nashville and elsewhere.

“For the past few years we have embraced the culture of locally sourced and sustainably grown food with the Capitol Grille and locally produced items throughout The Hermitage Hotel, with more to come.  This move will enable us to impact a much larger number of people,” said Executive Chef Tyler Brown

Nestled in the hills of White Bluff, Tennessee and bordering Montgomery Bell State Park, Double H Farms is an ideal setting with creeks that are fed by natural springs from the park.  This setting will allow for the rotation of cattle from one pasture to another to allow them to graze on the sweet grasses in the fields through a relatively simple process because of the infrastructure that already exists on the land.  The Farm is protected with a conservation easement and will always be a continuation of the Duke family’s home and farm, founded in the 1930’s.

Visit our Facebook page at The Hermitage Hotel – Nashville for more photos and updates on the farm.

Coming Home to The Hermitage

Featuring Hermitage Guest: Dennis Bailey

There is no one quite as familiar with visiting The Hermitage Hotel than Illinois native Dennis Bailey. Over the last three years, he has accumulated more than 200 stays at The Hermitage Hotel. More specifically, in his home away from home, Room 904.

As vice president of strategic business development for Cardinal Health—a supplier for large hospitals whose biggest headquarter companies are in Nashville—Dennis travels to Nashville for business nearly every week and always stay at The Hermitage Hotel. He enjoys staying at The Hermitage so much that he makes the commute from downtown Nashville to Cool Springs, where the majority of his work takes place.

“For me, coming to The Hermitage is like coming home or going to a friend’s house,” said Dennis. “When you travel as much as I do, it’s nice to walk into the lobby, be greeted by your first name and treated like you’re part of the family. It’s the people that make all the difference.”

It’s the outstanding customer service and impeccable attention to every detail that keeps Dennis coming back. He recounts several instances in which the staff has catered to his every need, such as always finding handwritten thank you notes after every stay; knowing that his bartender always remembers exactly what he wants to drink; requesting off-the-menu meals and never being turned down; the hotel inviting him and his wife to the 100th anniversary celebration; and a staff member going to the pharmacy to fill his prescription and sending chicken soup to his room while he was sick with the flu.

“There is no other hotel like this in the country, and I have stayed in a lot of hotels! I have hosted the COO of my company and many business members at The Hermitage and they all say it was the best experience and service they have ever had,” recalls Mr. Bailey. “I have given up another hotel membership in order to continue staying at The Hermitage.”

Dennis knows that coming to the hotel means first-class, personal treatment along with warm smiles and friendly gestures from every staff member.

“The kind staff truly feels like old friends and family members. I can’t say enough good things about this extraordinary hotel, and the wonderful people and service I experience time after time,” said Dennis.

From the hotel’s perspective, having fans like Dennis Bailey is a goal they set for every guest that comes through the door. “For us, Dennis embodies the experience we strive to create for all of our guests. The idea is that they become more than guests, they become our friends.” said Janet Kurtz, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. “We work hard to get to know each of our guests and it is genuine. This isn’t something that comes out of a training manual, or is a calculated ‘best practice,’ we just take the approach that our guests are real people and we genuinely care about them and their needs.”

Though Mr. Bailey has certainly visited The Hermitage Hotel the most, he represents hundreds of other guests who call the hotel home when visiting Nashville.

It’s a “Hatch” Made in Heaven

The Hermitage Hotel and Hatch Show Print make a perfect match. So much, in fact, that the two groups were recognized with three ADDY Awards for the unique looks used to celebrate the Hermitage Hotel’s Centennial Anniversary.

Creative Director and Designer Bob Delevante’s use of Hatch Show Print’s distinctive style and typography garnered a Gold ADDY for the Hermitage Hotel luncheon menu in the sales promotion category. Additionally, the pair received a Silver ADDY for the hotel menu system in the sales presentation campaign category and another Silver ADDY for the Hermitage Hotel 100th anniversary luncheon invitation in the special event material campaign.

Check out the winning materials below.

Warmest regards,
Janet Kurtz
Director of Sales and Marketing
The Hermitage Hotel

Hermitage Hotel 100th Anniversary Lunch Menu

Hermitage Hotel's menu system

100th Anniversary Luncheon Invite

We’ve “Hatched” a New Website

The Hermitage Hotel “hatched” its new website today: www.thehermitagehotel.com.

Admirers of another century-old institution will recognize the uniquely Nashville look of Hatch Show Print. Both The Hermitage Hotel and Hatch preserve the craftsmanship and cultural heritage that make Nashville what it is.

Take a moment to visit out the new site and, while you’re there, take a peek at our Glen Leven page to see what we’ve been doing in the garden. Hungry? Go to the Capitol Grille’s website and review our new Spring 2011 menu while you’re there.

We can’t wait to see you at The Hermitage!

Warmest regards,
Janet Kurtz
Director of Sales & Marketing
The Hermitage Hotel

January 2011

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Years Day – Edith Lovejoy Pierce

I love January. It’s full of optimism and possibility for the year that lay ahead. The quote above makes me want to buy a new journal, turn the crisp pages and begin filling them up with all my hopes and dreams for this year.

If you follow our Facebook page or our Twitter handle, you’ve seen the accolades for which we’ve linked, tweeted and thanked countless reporters and local media folk. 2010 was a whirlwind year for us but it was a successful and thrilling one to boot!

Suffice it to say, we would not have had the year or century that we had without every one of you, dear readers and followers. We are made better thanks to your loyalty, your reviews and your friendship.

In 2011, we’ll keep on keeping on with what makes our hearts sing. Thanks for being there with us every step of the way.

Happy 2011, Everyone! May this year be your best one yet!
Janet Kurtz
Director of Sales and Marketing
The Hermitage Hotel

An interview with Ron Gobbell, of Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc. about the 2003 restoration of The Hermitage Hotel

What was the most challenging part of the 2003 restoration?

The most challenging part was working on the historic building’s restoration in a delicate way so as to ensure that the façade looked like we hadn’t been there at all. The goal of the project was not to completely rebuild a then-90 year old building, but to enhance its best attributes and ensure its preservation.

Tell us about the interior restoration.

About five or six people from the architecture firm worked on site daily. They put in thousands of hours of work. Everything that a guest sees and touches was worked on by the firm and restored in a very careful manner.

In the ceiling of the lobby there are 28 separate paint colors that were meticulously chosen by an entire team to best enhance the architectural features of the space while remaining as faithful to its history as possible. We brought in a lighting consultant from Washington to consult on how to light what was essentially a very dark, huge space. All the fixtures were custom made. A lot of restoration work went on in the ballroom. We carefully stripped away the old, dark finish and revealed the gleaming burled walnut that you see today.

The central floor is made of three Tennessee marbles found in Knox, Blount and Sevier counties in East Tennessee. The pink marble in the entryway that leads up the stairs to the lobby could never be replicated. Even if it was harvested from the same quarry, 90 years have passed and the marble is different now than it was then. We harvested the Tennessee marble from what materials we could find and then rearranged the existing marble until we found a pattern that we all liked.

The result of the months of hard and dedicated work was magnificent. We remained true to the hotel’s historic Beaux Arts style and were able to restore many of the hotel’s original features.

Additional information about the 2003 restoration can be found in Ridley Wills’ book “The Hermitage at 100.” Interviews with Ron Gobbell can be arranged by contacting the Bradford Group at 615-515-4888.

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I Can’t Stand the Heat So I Am Getting Out of the Kitchen – And Going to the Bar

I learned recently that this summer has broken all of the previously set heat and humidity records.  Though I appreciate the over-achieving spunk of Summer 2010, I am a little tired of it by now.  I mean, let’s face it, sitting around in a constant state of “glow” (that’s sweat for all our non-Southern readers) is beyond uncomfortable.  And, more importantly, my awesome hair loses a good part of its awesomeness in all of this humidity.  All in all, this weather has increased crankiness and general malaise in Nashville and the mid-South.

So, what’s a girl to do to beat the heat and return to a state of calm? Well, visit the bar of course. Not just any bar, mind you, but the Oak Bar at The Hermitage Hotel.   There one will find (in addition to air-conditioning that is set one notch above arctic blast) that we have put a new spin on an old Southern favorite, one that is steeped in tradition.  Booze, naturally.  Not just any, run-of-the-mill inebriant; specifically Jack Daniels whiskey.

So what’s the story?  This summer, Tyler Brown, Executive Chef of the Capitol Grille reached out to his good friend Noel Glasgow of Bravo Gelato with an idea.  In April, Tyler made the pilgrimage to Jack Daniels distillery to choose the perfect barrel of Jack Daniels Whiskey, which would be bottled to commemorate the 100th anniversary of The Hermitage Hotel. Tyler worked with the team to create some great drinks in the bar as well as used the whiskey in some of his menus.  But the question still dogged him on what to do during the dog days of summer.  Soooo, Noel seemed to have the perfect solution.  Make Gelato out of it.

And boy did he ever.  This gelato strikes the perfect balance between an after-work ice cream snack and adult beverage.   It is perfect with our chocolate cobbler but sturdy enough to stand on it’s own two legs. So, with another week predicted to have a heat index of 100-105 degrees, Tyler decided to offer a special to our loyal blog fans and readers.  Starting now through the end of August, Tyler is offering one free scoop of The Hermitage Hotel Jack Daniels Single Barrel Gelato during happy hour, Monday – Friday with the purchase of one of our delicious appetizers.  Please mention code: JDGEL9083 (Only available for guests 21 years and older). So come in and try our Jack Daniels Single Barrel Gelato.  Disclaimer: no refunds allowed for those who try to shoot the gelato and end up with ice cream headaches.

Warm Regards,
Janet Kurtz Director of Sales & Marketing