While Nashville is known as “Music City,” Tennessee’s capital was also the site of one of the most historic moments in women's history: the casting of the final vote that led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, winning American women the right to vote—and local hotels were at the center of it all.
In 1920, the United States was in the process of debating the 19th Amendment to give (or not give) women the right to vote. Tennessee Governor Albert H. Roberts called an August special session for lawmakers to debate both sides of the issue. Both pro- and anti-suffragette leaders descended on Nashville and set up headquarters in local hotels for weeks to gather, protest, and try to influence lawmakers to support their cause.
On August 18, 1920, Republican Senator Harry T. Burns, surprisingly changed his vote and as a result, 27 million women were given the ability to vote.
Now, more than one hundred years later, Hotel Fraye Nashville, Curio Collection by Hilton—which opened 102 years to the day after the amendment passed—continues to celebrate women in a special way.
Enjoli Bahl, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing, has been with the hotel since the planning phase and explains that when the hotel owner worked with designers to create a story that would inspire the overall look, feel, and experience of staying at Hotel Fraye, it was natural to look to the beauty, challenge and strength of a woman’s experience.
Hotel Fraye Nashville, Curio Collection by Hilton - King City View
Hotel Fraye Nashville, Curio Collection by Hilton - Art Detail
“The backstory revolves around a woman whom we refer to as 'Lady Fraye.' She relocates from a horse farm in rural America to Nashville in search of a fresh start. Embracing the abundant opportunities and growth the city provides, she navigates her way through the challenges to discover herself,” she said. “As guests explore the hotel and its various spaces, they will encounter a rich array of décor, textures, and artwork that vividly narrate and embody her story.”
References to Lady Fraye’s childhood are reflected in horsehead door knockers, and in more than 20 unique pieces of artwork commissioned for the hotel in mural, painting, and even sculpture form. One hard-to-miss piece is a pair of oversized antlers that top the lobby’s Antler Café and serve as a visual nod to how children often recall things as larger than they really are. Just beyond the bar, leather patches that form a wall in Gathre restaurant represent excerpts of Lady Fraye’s journal.
Hotel Fraye Nashville, Curio Collection by Hilton - Lobby Cafe
Hotel Fraye Nashville, Curio Collection by Hilton - Gathre Leather Patches
One of Bahl’s personal favorite pieces of artwork is a 13-foot-tall architectural drape made of aluminum chain that occupies a wall in Gathre with an image of a woman that becomes more vivid and colorful as you walk by.
“Much of the artwork and décor throughout the hotel, especially on the seventh floor, showcases themes of women's empowerment,” Bahl said. “My second favorite piece of artwork is a woman who is taming a wild horse.”
Guests staying at Hotel Fraye can enjoy more than just its thematic ambiance; the hotel offers two restaurants—Gathre and Eddie Ate Dynamite—along with a rooftop pool that provides stunning views of the city.
Conveniently located one mile from Broadway, a popular tourist destination, the hotel is also sufficiently distanced to be near local hotspots.
