Destination of the Week: The Tennessean Hotel
Photo courtesy of The Tennessean Hotel
This week, we spotlight The Tennessean Hotel, a refined urban retreat set between World’s Fair Park and the Tennessee River in the heart of downtown Knoxville. To explore how the hotel connects guests to the city’s evolving cultural scene, from its “Maker City” arts community to its growing culinary and music landscape, we spoke with Paul Jordan, Area General Manager of The Tennessean Hotel, Aimbridge Hospitality, about Southern hospitality, locally inspired design, and why Knoxville is emerging as one of the South’s most exciting destinations.
Set between World’s Fair Park and the Tennessee River, how does The Tennessean’s location shape the guest experience and connection to downtown Knoxville’s evolving cultural scene?
The Tennessean's setting between World's Fair Park and the Tennessee River allows the guests to feel purposely secluded in an urban retreat while being just steps from Knoxville's and East Tennessee's most cultural corridors. At the same time The Tennessean is literally part of Knoxville's largest public greenspace at World's Fair Park so their stay naturally blends green space, fountains, river setting, in the shade of the Sunsphere all while having walkable access to the energy of the city including chef driven restaurants, open-air concerts, festivals, and the local art district including museums and the Historic Tennessee Theater.
Inside, The Tennessean amplifies this setting through expressing its surroundings through design details that feature river-inspired elements and Knoxville topographical references, which reinforces a strong sense of East Tennessee place rather than a generic luxury hotel. This continues to flow through curated experiences such as elevated tea service, and other elevated beverage rituals to embrace the guests in a relaxing Tennessee luxury. The Tennessean offers a walkable gateway to culture, city and university energy, boutique shopping, live music, regionally cultured dining and a sanctuary to return to that allows them to watch the sunset while looking at the Smokey Mountains.
Southern hospitality is central to your identity. How do personalized touches like customized concierge offerings and regional tea traditions elevate the stay beyond a typical boutique hotel experience?
Southern hospitality at The Tennessean is less a concept or a slogan and more of a choreography of small, intentional placements and gestures designed for guests to feel anticipated rather than simply accommodated. The Tennessean starts understanding the “why" behind each stay - a leisure trip with the family, a Vol's weekend, an art-focused weekend break or a quiet getaway to read, write, relax or simply be in love. From there, experiences are curated through crafting bespoke pathways to explore our city and region, from under-the-radar restaurants, invigorating outdoor activities, unique art and theater itineraries and personal care and relaxation touches that are offered. The hotel's regionally-rooted tea traditions are also intertwined throughout each stay with elevated tea service events featuring Appalachian flavors and an evening "Last Light" ritual allowing guests to wind down with a cup in a warm, comfortable setting.
Guests are further immersed into southern hospitality with exclusive collaborations including curated bourbon experiences featuring local artist Pretentious Glass Co. The beloved local glass studio adds another dimension with custom glassware created for our signature Smoked Old Fashioned. A part of our new daily ritual experience (experiences and touchpoints available for all guests throughout each day), the beauty of Tennessee Whisky is featured in custom, locally crafted glassware. Moments like the Golden Hour Gathering cocktail tasting in the lobby and our Private Proof in-room option each served in beautifully crafted Pretentious glassware turns classic southern cocktails into a tactile story about Knoxville's local Makers, providing guests a taste of the Tennessee hospitality and culture.
Together these personalized touches and attention to detail transform a stay far beyond a typical boutique hotel experience into a refined, place-driven expression of modern southern hospitality.
The property blends refined design with artisan-created works. How does art and craftsmanship help tell the story of Knoxville within the hotel’s walls?
The Tennessean’s design is born out of a very specific sense of place. From the moment guests arrive the aesthetic feels like a carefully weaved translation of the Tennessee River and its tributaries rather than a generic luxury setting. The design is elevated, thoughtful, and connected to the beautiful setting it honors. In public spaces, guests lean into flowing lines and calming palettes that speak to a refined combination of moody elegance that feels romantic in its connection to the region and its history. Carpets and fabrics reference topographical patterns and contour lines, suggesting river bends and ridge lines. Artwork and detailing throughout provide detailed storytelling with framed pieces, and highlights such as river maps, historic photographs, and subtle interpretations. Coupled with metal, wood, and stone finishes that ground the region's history by nodding to Knoxville’s bridges, rail lines, and historic brick structures. The rivers and landscape don’t just appear in a few artworks; they inform the rhythm, color and texture of the entire property turning The Tennessean into a homage to Knoxville’s geography and history rather than just a stuffy luxury property that has a predicted style.
Art and craftmanship at Tennessean are treated as a narrative thread, honoring the “Maker City” through turning the hotel into a living gallery which quietly tells Knoxville’s story with intentional touches: Furniture that curves like river banks, custom headboards and panels that suggest the contour of Tennessee hills and accent pieces that explicitly demonstrate the historic map of Tennessee rivers and even the view of the Smokies that serve as a natural design addition. At the heart of that approach is our Makers Exchange, a curated space where guests can discover and even purchase locally-created art, ceramics, textiles, and other objects that reflect the region's culture and landscape. It is not just a display; it’s a marketplace of stories, where each piece is literally part of a Knoxville artist, their story and their home. It is a setting that feels intimate rather than museum like. On select days you can find artists literally creating their art in front of your eyes. You can talk to them and get to know and love them along with their art.
The Maker Exchange Hearth Room & Curio Room takes this idea even further: Every single element in these areas including furniture, lighting, rugs, even the pillows by the fireplace are crafted by local artisans. When a guest settles into a chair or warms up by the fire they are literally inhabiting Knoxville creativity and the artist even their studio or garage in which they crafted the piece. This level of intentionality transforms the space from a hotel setting or lounge into a tactile expression of place, where you can touch, feel and see the city’s craftmanship in use instead of viewing in a frame on the wall or in a brochure.
As a whole these carefully selected choices of design, material and settings let guests feel that they are staying in a hotel that could not possibly exist anywhere else. It makes them feel like they are at home for a moment and it invites them back simply to be a part feeling that it provides.
With The Drawing Room and the Tavern at Maker Exchange, how are you reflecting Knoxville’s burgeoning culinary scene while maintaining a distinctly elevated feel?
The Drawing Room and the Tavern at Maker Exchange are designed as two distinct expressions of Knoxville’s creative spirit, both led by local artisans and deeply connected to the Maker Exchange.
The Tavern at Maker Exchange, housed directly within the Exchange, features the same hand‑crafted furnishings, so it feels like a seamless extension of the gallery and its art. The culinary program honors this artistic setting with a whimsical, inventive approach that takes bold liberties with familiar dishes, reimagining them in playful yet deeply satisfying ways. The beverage philosophy is just as rigorous: every cocktail and zero‑proof beverage begins with 100% fresh components—from house‑made juices and extracts to carefully prepared garnishes and customized ice and glassware. Classics are respected, but presented with an energy and precision that feel modern and alive, whether a guest is ordering a spirit‑forward drink or a crafted non‑alcoholic creation.
The Drawing Room carries that same 100% fresh standard into a more intimate, old‑world frame. Here, the focus tilts toward highly elevated spirits and carefully selected wines, with cocktails that are truly crafted in a mood that feels personally tailored, polished, and quietly luxurious. Named for a place of gathering, conversation, and pause, The Drawing Room is where the spirit of The Tennessean comes to the table. Just as rivers once drew traders, storytellers, and travelers together, this thoughtful setting invites guests to connect and savor. Shaped by the rivers of East Tennessee, the culinary experience reimagines Appalachian ingredients. Each dish, including the curated tea service, is guided by a respect for tradition—interpreted with a thoughtful, contemporary hand.
The same philosophy flows through the bar, anchored by the signature Smoked Old Fashioned. Unique libations feel both mythical and deeply rooted, drawing from botanicals, heritage spirits, and techniques that mirror the steady movement of water, intuitive and unhurried. The Drawing Room is a reflection of The Tennessean itself: a timeless, thoughtful gathering place, intentionally connected to the people it brings together. A meeting point where stories are shared and the quiet force of the river continues to guide the experience.
Across both venues, the defining thread is local collaboration and partnership with artists, distillers, brewers, and the city itself. Guests are invited to taste Knoxville and East Tennessee in every bite and every pour, experiencing uncompromising craftsmanship wrapped in a distinctly elevated sense of place.
Knoxville continues to grow as a destination for music, food, and outdoor adventure. What type of traveler is discovering The Tennessean right now, and why is this an exciting moment for the city?
Travelers discovering The Tennessean right now are a diverse mix of ages, but they share a taste for relaxation and luxury, and a genuine interest in experiencing what a region truly has to offer through art, music, culinary experiences, activities, and scenery. They’re curious, sophisticated guests who want the energy of a flourishing, growing city, but prefer to encounter it through a more curated, high-touch lens. Many are cultural explorers visiting Knoxville for its arts and music, business and conventions, ties to the University of Tennessee, or a lifelong connection as devoted Vols fans.
This is an especially exciting moment for both The Tennessean and the city, as Knoxville is moving beyond its “hidden gem” phase into a sought‑after, fully realized destination for music, food, outdoor adventure, shopping, and the arts. The city is soaring in new ways, yet it still feels authentic, accessible, and unpretentious. Knoxville has leaned into its roots and identity, and venues like The Tennessean give travelers a way to experience that story firsthand—through design, local partnerships, and thoughtful service that reflect the character of East Tennessee.
