Some of us are ready to be pampered. We want to check out of our daily routine and shut out the worries. We want everything taken care of for a day or two. You don’t have to run off to a big city that may or may not be open for business: Nashville’s new luxury hotel, The Joseph, is the kind of place you’ll check into and won’t want to leave until they make you check out. I spent one day and night in the hotel and I can promise you, I’ll be checking in again.

Located in the heart of downtown's SoBro district, a short walk from Music City Center and the Nashville Symphony, smaller music venues and a lot of local flair, The Joseph is ideally placed for immersing yourself in what draws tourists from around the world to Music City. But if like most of our readers you aren’t a tourist, the real draw isn’t what’s near The Joseph, it’s what’s in its bubble of luxury.

As part of their visit, guests can connect with iconic tastemakers through signature experiences unique to The Joseph, such as a bespoke boot designing session with premier leathery Lucchese in their VIP design studio. The relationship with Lucchese is built into the unique style of this beautiful hotel: the front desk is faced with a leather sculptural cover, which represents hundreds of hours of hand-tooling by Lucchese craftsmen.

The lobby of The Joseph Hotel Nashville, featuring the Lucchese leather front desk.

The hotel’s main restaurant, Yolan, helmed by Beard Award-winning chef Tony Mantuano and wine and hospitality expert Cathy Mantuano, is truly an experience. Plan to go and stay a while, enjoying one of their tasting menus, paired with their wonderful selection of wines for every budget. The menu indulges every appetite with its house-made and delicately crafted pastas, meat and seafood prepared with finesse, rare specialty ingredients and local produce. I had the eight-course tasting menu (truly a deal at its price, as it gives you a ranging overview of the cuisine), and for every plate I couldn’t finish, I found myself authentically apologizing for not cleaning my plate to an attentive staff who wanted to make sure I was enjoying my food. I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.

Yolan - a restaurant in The Joseph Hotel Nashville.

Even if you aren’t staying, visit Yolan: my dinner there was, hands-down, my favorite dining experience in Nashville in the last few years. If you work downtown, consider popping in for an exquisite breakfast or lunch. Did my Yolan lunch break serve up my favorite chicken sandwich of the quarantine? Oh yeah. And, for local foodies, in the near future, Yolan will offer a regular “King of Cheese” experience—the ceremonial cutting of a perfectly aged, 80-pound wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano, where they’ll share an aperitivo with the Mantuanos while they impart little-known techniques behind producing the cheese and its historical significance.

The luxuriously appointed rooms have fabulous guest beds and bathrooms, with bigger suites including record players and curated vinyl collections, minibars and matching robes. You’ll no doubt find your room immensely relaxing.

At the grand piano in one of the suites at The Joseph Hotel. Photo by Cody Stallings.

But the true relaxation happens on the roof. Relax by or in the rooftop pool, with a snack and a craft cocktail from the adjoining casual rooftop lounge, Denim.

The rooftop pool adjoining Denim - a restaurant at The Joseph Hotel Nashville.

Or, if you are truly ready for a pampering, across the way from Denim you’ll find Rose, described as The Joseph’s epicenter of wellness, a 5,500-square-foot spa and salon. Every service at Rose begins with a foot scrub and soak in an oversized copper tub with signature rose-infused botanicals. Rose’s many services include a highly sought Biologique Recherche Remodeling Face Machine, steam rooms with ice fountains for an invigorating hot/cold enhancement and multi-sensory experience showers. An adjoining 1,500-square-foot fitness center includes hi-tech equipment and captivating skyline views.

Rose - the spa in The Joseph Hotel Nashville.

My husband and I enjoyed 90-minute holistic massages. Confession time: I don’t like to be touched by strangers. I know, I know … who believes that? But it’s true. My experience at the hands of Rose’s therapist was exquisite, comfortable, and seemed to fly by so fast I wished there was an 180-minute option!

Unfortunately, not all of Rose’s services are currently available. The Joseph is intimately attentive to public health concerns, from valets who wipe down the surfaces of your car they touch with antibacterial wipes, to social distancing in the restaurants, to rooms where surfaces are carefully sanitized. Heck, their upcoming speakeasy will be serving bar snacks in packages opened at your table! I have not felt so safe away from home since the beginning of the pandemic.

I don’t generally rave, but I LOVED The Joseph. No offense to the hotel, however, but Yolan was the star for me. No one who knows me will be surprised that a such a perfect dining experience would win my heart.

For more information, visit TheJosephNashville.com—and be sure to check out their package deals for the best values!

Click here for more of the Staycation Issue!