At 9:45 on a Friday morning, the lobby of the Graduate Nashville was slowly filling up with girls in sparkly skirts, cowboy boots, and perfectly curled hair cascading down their backs. Although there is a cafe in the hotel lobby, none of the dolled-up ladies were there to drink a matcha latte. They were waiting to go to the roof of the hotel, where you can see a giant pink statue of Dolly Parton’s head, views of Nashville, and an ultra-pink bar called White Limozeen.
One woman, an influencer named Melissa Tierney, also known as @MissyOnMadison on Instagram and TikTok, hired a hairdresser, makeup artist, and photographer for the morning so she could shoot some content at the hotel. We happened to meet in the lobby, where she posed in front of an actual vintage motel sign that hangs in the lobby.
“I had always seen this hotel on Instagram and since I’m an influencer, I naturally wanted the aesthetic vibe,” Tierney explains of her early morning shoot. “I travel all the time and I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Tierny wasn’t alone. Just minutes before the roof opened, a line of people waiting for the elevator stretched all the way to the reception desk. One young woman in line was staying at the hotel to receive her graduation gift. She wanted to stay on the property because it’s so pink. Another woman was from Nashville but wanted to bring her family to the hotel – just to see it and take pictures.
The staff explained that this is not a one-time experience. According to the hostess, between 50 and 100 people come every day just to take photos on the rooftop – and the rooftop can accommodate about 600 to 700 guests daily. Instagram is also a testament to the hotel’s popularity; if you search for The Graduate Nashville, you’ll find hundreds of photos of the property. Visitors pose with the Dolly statue, on the gold couches, on the rooftop, in the lobby, and in the hotel beds.
All 33 Graduate hotels, located in multiple cities, are inspired by local history and culture. The Nashville location – opened in 2019 – includes nods to some of the genre’s most famous country music stars. Portraits of Minnie Pearl, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris hang above the beds. The rooftop also features White Limozeen, the Dolly Parton-themed restaurant and bar.
But the design elements go beyond a few paintings and a really huge Dolly Parton statue. Chandeliers made of debutante ball gowns hang in the lobby. There’s this giant motel sign that was originally on the Polk Motel in Columbia, Tennessee. Above the front desk hangs a 15-foot-wide hand-tufted Minnie Pearl rug created by artist Margaret Timbrell. The room keys are the fun vanity ID cars you find in gift shops that feature the names and faces of famous country artists. There are little floral accents throughout, and the pale purple wallpaper has a sparkly coat of paint.
In a city that, for better or worse, is currently full of pink and shiny attractions for Nashville’s never-ending stream of bachelorette parties and girls’ getaways, The Graduate offers a visual experience so good that even locals stop by to join in on the fun. In addition to all the aesthetics the property offers, you can do more there than just take some (very cute) photos. White Limozeen offers cocktails and French food, and downstairs, Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole has an animatronic band to back up all your karaoke performances. Even if you don’t plan on spending the night in one of the rooms, it’s worth a stop on your next trip to Nashville.
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