We thoroughly enjoyed our 2-night stay at Holston House! Everyone at the front desk was incredibly friendly & helpful. I was able to request a record player for our room, & I browsed their very ecclectic vinyl collection in the lobby several times. We also bought a few beverages from the grab & go cooler, and appreciated the convenience.
Our room was a Premium King room, upgraded from a standard 2Q & also a bit larger, and we loved it in spite of the quirky layout. We also had a minimal view but appreciated zero street noise. The love seat was comfy, and we had plenty of outlets AND trash cans. In the main bathroom, we had two substantial towel hooks (metal rods), AND the shower featured a large metal rack on the back wall to hang lots of wet items including shoes.
Speaking of the bathrooms, the toilet in this room was separated from the shower, in what I called the "hall bath". This water-closet was right by the entry door to the room, and included a corner sink. The space with a giant walk-in shower was not adjacent; it was by the bed, and featured a large vanity with a second sink & a sliding door. The vanity also had a 2-sided mirror on it's own stand, so even though the bathroom lighting was mediocre, I was able to sit by the window with this mirror for better lighting.
Our room didn't have a proper closet but this wasn't a big deal for me. I always bring an empty spray bottle to fill with water to de-wrinkle my clothes so the open-air clothing rack worked well for me. This piece of furniture also had a number of shelves behind a cabinet door as well as a large drawer, but I don't unpack like that.
The ice bucket was an insulated stainless steel double-wall container, which was fantastic. I still had unmelted ice every morning! Interestingly, the ice was pre-bagged & stored on each floor in a small freezer at the end of the hall so you could grab a bag or two & go. No ice machine noise, but every bag was frozen solid so I had to break it up to use it. Overall, I think I like this concept!
We also had a minifridge that initially didn't seem to work, but we determined it was working eventually. It had no visible settings to adjust & felt warm when we arrived, so it was confusing. We ultimately decided not to eat any of our leftovers, but our beverages did stay cooler than room temp.
Just a couple of nominal critques:
- We couldn't find any "do not disturb" doorhangers, and housekeeping walked in on us napping one afternoon since we hadn't used the security lock.
- The rooftop pool deck was super crowded but not sure all of the saved seats were for people actively in the pool.
- We really could've used an extra pillow or two, but the four we had were extra long & we made do. It was just late when we realized & never asked for more.
We loved the rooftop pool but it was packed on Saturday afternoon. Luckily, the pool bar had plenty of seating until we found an open cushioned loveseat in the shade facing the pool. After that, we weren't paying attention and/or quick enough to snag any chaise lounges that became free. However, I did enjoy the curvy loungers IN the pool, in the super shallow water. I also enjoyed a few local brews from the bar throughout the afternoon. And the Broadway views from the pool & deck were fantastic!
While killing time for about an hour on our last afternoon, I wandered up to the lobby bar for the first time to take some photos. Completely void of patrons, the bartender was extremely friendly & asked if I wanted to see one of the hiding spots for booze during Prohibition. OF COURSE I DID. She led me to a staircase and slid out the edge of the bottom step to reveal a hollow space with room for a few bottles of liquor. Very cool seeing that history!
The location of Holston House is perfect... literally around the corner from Broadway, and less than a block away from multiple honkytonks, museums & restaurants. So close to the crazy, but far enough to be quiet & relaxing. I can't wait to plan my next visit to Holston House! read more