Hermitage Hotel named among top 5 luxury hotels in U.S.

There is something special about watching the awe in guests’ faces when they first walk in and absorb the grandeur of our magnificently restored marble lobby.  Our goal is to continue that first sense of wonder throughout their entire stay.  It is that commitment that has kept visitors coming back to The Hermitage Hotel through the decades.  Through the advent of the internet and user review sites like TripAdvisor, igougo.com, Yelp.com etc, many of those same guests have reached out and shared their personal stories, not just with us, but with the world.  So when The Hermitage Hotel is recognized by these guests and the travel sites they visit, we also take a personal satisfaction in it.

That’s why we are honored to announce that TripAdvisor.com has ranked The Hermitage Hotel, the only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond hotel in Tennessee, among its top 10 Luxury Hotels in the Nation; actually, we ranked #4.  The website’s users and travel experts compiled the list, entitled the 2010 Traveler’s Choice Awards.

TripAdvisor.com’s top ten luxury hotels include:

1. French Quarter Inn (Charleston, SC)
2. Harbourview Inn (Charleston SC)
3. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, (Wailea, Hawaii)
4. The Hermitage Hotel (Nashville, Tenn.)
5. EPIC Hotel, a Kimpton Hotel 5 (Miami, Fla.)
6. Dunton Hot Springs (Dolores, Colo.)
7. New York Palace Hotel (New York, NY)
8. Sonnenalp Resort (Vail, Colo.)
9. Four Seasons Hotel (Las Vegas, Nev.)
10. Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows (Island of Hawaii, Hawaii)

For more details about this listing, visit http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoiceList-g191-cLuxury.  When you stop in for your visit, sit back, relax and let us do the work.

Happy Traveling,

Janet Kurtz

Director, Sales & Marketing

The Hermitage Hotel

P.S.–Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date on the latest news, contests and giveaways.  Search “The Hermitage Hotel” on Facebook or find us @hermitagehotel and send us a tweet!

One-on-One With The Concierge

If you’ve been a guest of ours before, I hope you have had the pleasure of meeting Vickie Hudson.  In addition to being our head concierge and one of the nicest people you’re likely to meet, Vickie is also incredibly talented at what she does.

So, what does it take to be a concierge for a five-star, five-diamond luxury hotel?  I sat down with Vickie on Friday to talk about some of her more memorable experiences and she shared her favorite (and not-so-favorite) parts about the job.

Favorite Tasks:

One of my favorite things to do is to help guests plan the perfect proposal.  In order to get it just right, I try to listen carefully and get a sense of the couple and their “story.”  Then I suggest ways in which we can customize the proposal to suit those needs.  To help one groom “pop the question”, I put together a detailed scavenger hunt in one of our guest rooms that ended in the bride finding the queen of hearts card to symbolize how she had captured his heart.   For another couple that wanted total privacy in a natural setting, I arranged for a violin serenade in the forest for just the two of them.  I love that by participating in creating these moments, I’m helping to create memories that will never be forgotten.

Making the Impossible Possible:

The most challenging part of my job is handling requests that must be accomplished in relatively short windows of time.  For example: I had a guest that was dressing for an important event that tore her dress and needed a professional seamstress on site to repair it within minutes.  Another time, a guest called in the middle of the night on a weekend needing a massage as soon as possible.  We succeeded in accomplishing both of these tasks, but it was not without a great deal of behind-the-scenes orchestration.  The bottom line?  We are a five-star, five-diamond hotel and nothing is outside of our capabilities.

Most Unusual Guest Request:

Prior to joining The Hermitage Hotel, I served as concierge for another large hotel and it was there that I was given my most difficult challenge. We were hosting out-of-town guests conducting a medical symposium during which a new suturing technique would be demonstrated.  The guest realized on the day of her event that she did not have the key component of that day’s lesson:  the 40 raw pig’s feet on which the participants would practice the new suturing technique!  Several phone calls to local butchers later and less than an hour later I had the needed trotters—just in time for the show to go on.

This is just a short sampling of the stories that Vickie shared with me.  I wish you could see the passion with which she takes care of each and every guest that graces this grand hotel.  The next time you visit us, stop by the concierge desk and talk to Vickie herself—I’m sure she has a few ideas on how she can personalize your stay.

Best regards,

Janet Kurtz
Director, Sales & Marketing
The Hermitage Hotel

P.S.–Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date on the latest news, contests and giveaways.  Search “The Hermitage Hotel” on Facebook or find us @hermitagehotel and send us a tweet!

The Escoffier Society Christmas Dinner at The Hermitage Hotel

The Friday before last, I was lucky enough to attend a spectacular holiday event at The Hermitage Hotel: The Escoffier Society Christmas Dinner. The annual five-course dinner, with exquisite wines matched to each course, gives Capitol Grille Chef Tyler Brown and his talented team a chance to really pull out all of the stops and create what could very well be the best meal served in Nashville all year.

Capitol Grille Chef Tyler Brown (far left in a white coat) and his culinary team take a bow at the conclusion of the Escoffier Society Christmas Dinner at The Hermitage Hotel.

Officially known as the Les Amis d’Escoffier Society of Nashville, the group of 100 or so friends who annually gather at The Hermitage Hotel – as well as at other local restaurants throughout the year – is named in honor of one of the greatest chefs of all time, Auguste Escoffier. The international society with which the Nashville chapter is affiliated was started in 1936 at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. The purpose of the society is quite simple: to explore and enjoy fine food and drink.

Under the leadership of president Fred Dettwiller, the Escoffier Society of Nashville has grown in recent years and sampled the fare of many of Nashville’s finest restaurants. But the highlight of every year, society members tell me, is invariably the Christmas dinner in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom, which has become a tradition over last five years. As a matter of fact, The Hermitage Hotel is the only establishment that the Escoffer Society regularly visits every year.

This year, once again, the Capitol Grille culinary staff outdid themselves. The full menu and wine pairings is listed below. The hotel wanted me to pass along their special thanks to Damian Serong of Omni Beverge, who selected and provided the wonderful wines we enjoyed with our meal.

First Course:
Maine Diver Scallop: Chestnut, Satsuma orange, magness pear
WINE: Chablis AOC, Francois Servin

Second Course:
Braised Pork Cheeks: Pumpkin and salsify hash, Brussels sprout leaves, mulled cider jus
WINE: AP Vin Pinot Noir, “Rosella’s Vineyard” Santa Lucia Highlands 2007

Third Course:
Palmetto Squab: Persimmon and black walnut bread pudding, mustard greens, cranberry
WINE: Dierberg Estate Vineyards Syrah, Santa Maria, 2006

Fourth Course:
Four Story Hills Dry Aged Striploin: Matsutake mushroom, romanesco, celeriac, sauce bordelaise
WINE: Surh Luchtel Cabernet Sauvignon, Stagecoach Vineyards, Napa Valley 2005

Fifth Course:
Apple Stack: Cinnamon Sucre, Caramel Ice Cream, Vanilla Anglasie
WINE: La Fleur de Pin de Graves, 2005

Jeff Bradford

‘Afternoon Tea With Santa’: A Magical Five-Star Experience (HURRY, ALMOST SOLD OUT!)

Wherever you are and whatever it is you’re doing, stop for a moment and use your imagination with me.

You’re a child again during Christmastime and you’ve come to The Hermitage Hotel.   Your eyes widen as you enter the hotel’s elegant lobby, with it’s gilded décor, stained glass ceiling and elaborate holiday decorations.  A three-tiered tower of holiday treats is placed in front of you along with a steaming pot of comforting tea as Santa Claus himself greets you before discussing what it is you would like for Christmas this year.  I can hardly imagine an event more exciting for a child during the holidays.

We simply cannot wait to see the expressions on the faces of children starting this weekend as we kick off our first Afternoon Tea with Santa event.  This is the first time in our 99-year history that we have been privileged enough to host the jolly old elf himself.

December 6 and 20th are both already sold out, but you can still make reservations for December 13 if you’re quick. Adult’s tickets are $35 and $15 for children under age 12.

Get your seats before they’re gone!  Call (615) 345-7149 to make reservations.

100 Wines Under $100 at The Capitol Grille & Happy Hour Pricing at the Oak Bar

Sharing a bite to eat with friends over drinks and great conversation is one of my favorite pastimes here in Nashville.  If friends and family are coming to visit for the holidays and you’re planning on being downtown, take a break and pop in to the Oak Bar here at The Hermitage Hotel.

The Oak Bar serves drinks and a casual dining menu from 11:30 am Monday through Saturday, starting at noon on Sunday, and doesn’t close until after midnight every day.   It’s a nice little hideaway from the hustle and bustle of Music City that boasts a relaxing quiet atmosphere, perfect for catching up with old friends, winding down with co-workers, or discussing business with your clients or customers.

Need another reason to visit?  We are now offering happy hour pricing and 100 wines under $100.

From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Happy Hour prices include $6 food plates, $6 glasses of wine, martinis for $5 and beers for $4.  Food includes our ever-popular BBQ sliders, fried green tomato & pimento cheese bites and chicken confit spring rolls.

As we hope you’ve all heard by now, we’re in the middle of celebrating our Centennial year as Nashville’s gathering place for locals, visitors and celebrities alike.  To celebrate, we’ve created The Hermitage at 100: 100 wines for under $100 at our four-star restaurant, The Capitol Grille.

Whether your favorite is a Cabernet, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling or Merlot, we’re confident you’ll find a bottle to suit your tastes.

Looking forward to seeing you,

Janet Kurtz
Director, Sales & Marketing

P.S.–Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date on the latest news, contests and giveaways.  Search “The Hermitage Hotel” on Facebook or find us @hermitagehotel and send us a tweet!

The Knoxville Hot 100 Reception

The Hermitage Hotel/Business TN Hot 100 caravan continued across the state last night with a reception for Hot 100 winners in Knoxville. We had a great time meeting with folks at The Orangery in Knoxville, a unique and beautiful restaurant.

It is such an honor for the hotel to recognize Tennessee’s business leaders in this way. Tomorrow, we wrap up the Hot 100 tour with a reception in Chattanooga at the Read House.

Janet and Orme Bradley

Janet Kurtz, Tiffany Midyett, Drew Ruble and Brent Midyett

Janet Kurtz, Tiffany Midyett and Drew Ruble

 

Follow us on twitter at @hermitagehotel or Facebook (search hermitage hotel) for the most up-to-date news.

Business TN’s Hot List: Nashville

Here is a list of Nashville-area companies listed on Business TN’s “Hot 100.”

Scroll through and click on a name to be directed to their individual websites.

Aegis Sciences Corporation
American Music Channel, Inc.
Avondale Partners
C3 Consulting, LLC
Capital Confirmation Inc.
CareHere, LLC
Cell Journalist
CentreSource Inc.
cj Advertising
Community Ties of America, Inc.
Cumberland Consulting Group, LLC
Cybera, Inc
DSi, Document Solutions Inc.
EDAS, Inc
Educational Services of America, Inc.
eMids Technologies Private Limited
Emma, Inc.
Essex Technology Group Inc
Franklin American Mortgage
Froggys Fog LLC
HearItFirst.com
Highways, Inc.
HometownQuotes
IMI Health
inBusiness Services, Inc.
Informatics Corporation of America (ICA)
Iostudio, LLC
Lattimore, Black, Morgan & Cain & The LMBC Family of Companies
MAC Presents
Magazines.com, LLC
Major Commercial Cleaning Co.
Music City Tents & Events, LLC
New Constructs, LLC
OHL (Ozburn-Hessey Logistics)
onFocus Healthcare, Inc.
Optimum Technology Solutions, Inc.
Paradigm Group
Passport Health Communications, Inc.
Perfection Uniforms
PivotHealth, LLC
Pure Safety
RFD-TV
Rustici Software, LLC
Simplex Diabetic Supply, Inc.
SMS Holdings
StudioNow, Inc.
The Buntin Group
The Human Capital Group, Inc.
The Pruett Financial Group of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
TrackPoint Systems, LLC
Uniguest
Universal Safety Response, Inc
Video Gaming Technologies, Inc.
Waddey & Patterson, P.C.

Business TN’s Hot 100

The Nashville Hot 100 Reception

I was privileged Tuesday night to mingle among some of Nashville’s best and brightest entrepreneurial minds.

The Hermitage Hotel is the 2009 sponsor of Business TN’s Hot 100, an annual list of the fastest growing companies across our state that are brimming with promise.  The first of four receptions honoring these talented folks was held Tuesday night in the hotel’s veranda and was attended by close to 100 individuals.  It was a wonderful night spent networking and meeting new friends.

Drew Ruble, Business TN editor, with Hot 100 winners Robert Stewart and Julie Warren of Major Commercial Cleaning Co.

I wanted to send my congratulations once more to the local companies and individuals honored Tuesday night.  In the face of challenging economic times, your entrepreneurial spirit and optimism are a large part of what continues to set Nashville and Tennessee apart.

Pick up the Nov/Dec edition of Business TN for the full list of honorees.

Thank you to all who attended and for demonstrating again that The Hermitage Hotel is the premier gathering spot for the ‘who’s-who” of Nashville.

The Memphis Reception

Our celebration of Tennessee’s fastest growing companies continued Wednesday night when we honored Memphis-area members of the Business TN Hot 100 at the fabulous Peabody Hotel.

David Schuerman and Joey Hagan of Architecture, Inc. with Janet Kurtz and at the Hot 100 reception in Memphis.

More than 20 business leaders joined us for a fun evening. It was wonderful to meet some of the leading lights of West Tennessee’s business community. Just like in Nashville the night before, everyone I met was excited about the prospects for a stronger business climate in the months to come. After all, this is the Hot 100! These folks know how to make things happen even in tough times.

It was also gratifying to hear many of the Hot 100 winners in Memphis talk about how, when they visit Nashville, staying at The Hermitage is one of the highlights of their trip.

Stay tuned as The Hermitage Hotel Hot 100 Caravan travels across the state. Next week we’ll be in Knoxville and Chattanooga.

Janet Kurtz
Director of Sales & Marketing
The Hermitage Hotel

Memory: A Moveable Feast & Our 2009 Fall Menu

We have all heard or said something along these lines before:

The smell of leather makes me think of new shoes on the first day back to school…

Coffee brewing and bacon frying reminds me of Sunday mornings at my grandmother’s house when I was small…

The taste of that spaghetti sauce takes me back to my honeymoon in Venice so many years ago…

In an exceptional way, our sense of taste and smell are intertwined with our memories.  Food not only satisfies our appetites, but also has the power to evoke a sense of place, feelings of comfort and satisfaction that have nothing to do with how full our bellies get.

It is certainly a tall order to provide that sort of experience to our guests, but that is exactly what we work hard to accomplish at The Capitol Grille, The Hermitage Hotel’s award-winning restaurant.

Executive Chef Tyler Brown recently debuted our Fall 2009 Menu and has produced an outstanding menu of finely crafted Southern heirloom cooking.

If we are lucky enough to call you a guest in our restaurant, we hope that the fork-tender short ribs, the cod wrapped in comforting bacon and lentils or the slowly roasted chicken remind you of the comforts of home, evoke a sense of comfort, warmth and the beauty of true Southern hospitality.

A Preview of Our 2009 Fall Menu:

“Pot Roast” of Beef Shortribs, puréed & puffed potatoes, roasted vegetables.

Bacon Wrapped Cod, stew of lentils and wild mushrooms

Roast Chicken, maitake mushroom, acorn squash, Swiss chard

Pork, Brussels sprouts, pancetta, apple butter

Grilled Venison, house-made venison sausage, heirloom field peas, braised romaine

Boneless Rack of Lamb, Anson mills farro, spinach, local radish

Celebration of Fall, chef’s selection of local seasonal vegetables

Make your reservation at The Capitol Grille online via our website: http://tiny.cc/nwrh7 and be sure to find us on Facebook to keep up with the latest news and information.

Janet Kurtz
Director of Sales and Marketing
The Hermitage Hotel

Looking Back on Hermitage Hotel Day

Isn’t it amazing how time flies?  I cannot believe it has been almost a month since we held our two-year centennial celebration kick-off event, a day declared “Hermitage Hotel Day” by Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen.  I wanted to take a moment to reflect on that event with all of you who helped to make it so special.

Even though the rain was steady and the day was unseasonably chilly, business folks from all sides of downtown made the trip to Sixth Avenue North to share an ice cream treat.   We learned that Nashvillians’ ice cream treat of choice is the Nutty Buddy ice cream cone!  It was highly preferred over (my favorite) orange sherbet.

As the ragtime band played old-time standbys like the Star Spangled Banner and everyone stood under the tents to eat their ice cream, I thought about how amazing it is that our not-so-little town can come together, rain or shine, to enjoy a fleeting moment of summer together.

Mayor Karl Dean, actor David Keith and 100 other business and civic leaders were present at the VIP reception immediately following the public ice cream social.  Virtually everyone who has made his or her mark on The Hermitage Hotel over the years attended.

I wanted to take this opportunity as I look back on Hermitage Hotel Day and say, “Thank you.”  If you are a Nashvillian or one of the thousands of guests we’ve had the honor of hosting over the past 100 years, thank you for being a part of the hotel’s success.

Now let’s go out there and start building 100 new years of memories!

Pictures from the event can be found on our Facebook page: become a fan!  http://tinyurl.com/ncw2w6.

Greg Sligh, Managing Director