When you step inside the Hermitage Hotel, you’re stepping into a piece of history. Through its front doors, the grandeur of the lobby will surely stop you in your tracks, but beyond the original marble, ornamental plaster detailing, and stained glass lies a story that changed the course of American history forever.
The Hotel’s Role in History
The Hermitage Hotel opened its doors on September 17, 1910, dripping with timeless style. The Beaux Arts-style property blends classic Italian with French Renaissance architecture. But between 1910 and 1920, the hotel wasn’t just an opulent retreat—it was the backdrop for some of the fiercest debates and strategy sessions in the fight for women’s rights.
The Women’s Suffrage Movement was a global fight to grant women the right to vote. After the Seneca Falls Convention issued the Declaration of Sentiments in 1848, women spoke up and did not back down until they were officially able to vote in 1920. The Hermitage served as a top meeting place for many women during this time.
In 1912, the hotel hosted its first convention of equal suffragists from all across the Volunteer state. Only two years later, the Hermitage Hotel hosted the National American Women Suffrage Association convention and the hotel’s management even provided a rent-free office for the Nashville Equal Suffrage League to meet and discuss.
National suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt came to The Hermitage—luggage in hand—expecting to stay only a few days to evaluate the scene. But her third-floor suite turned into mission control, becoming an essential meeting place for women to discuss and strategize. Catt played a strong role in the movement, and has since become part of the hotel’s lengthy history.
After a long, hard fight, August 18, 1920, became a day that changed history forever. Inside the Hermitage Hotel, a twenty-four-year-old named Harry T. Burn made the deciding vote that won over the Tennessee State Legislature. Burn’s voice favoring women was the tie-breaker, as the nationwide vote came down to Tennessee. Turning a 48-48 vote to 49-47 for the suffragists, Burn’s vote ultimately made the difference when the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed.
Located in the heart of Music City on Sixth Avenue, the Hermitage Hotel is planted right across the street from the Tennessee State Capitol building. During the summer of 1920, the hotel became known as “The War of the Roses.” The name came from voters among the hotel; anti-ratification forces wore red rose pins while pro-suffrage voters donned yellow rose pins to indicate their side. Today, you’ll see bright yellow branding woven throughout the hotel.
The Hermitage Hotel Today
The property has since been named a National Historic Landmark for its pivotal part in the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Over a century later, the Hermitage Hotel celebrates and reflects on its past each August. The hotel named their gift shop Rose, and they raise a glass to leading suffragists with cocktails named after them, each infused with distinct flavors that represent their personalities.
Today, Dee Patel isn’t just running the hotel as managing director, she’s making history all her own: she is the first woman in the hotel’s history to lead the property. Making incredible impact in the Nashville area, Patel has earned several awards for her hard work and dedication to the hospitality industry, and continues to celebrate and embrace the Hermitage Hotel’s monumental impact in history.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of the hotel’s legacy, especially knowing the role it played in securing women’s right to vote,” Patel shares. “This place is a powerful reminder of the resilience and determination of the women who came before us, women who stood their ground, challenged the status quo, and changed history. As the first woman to lead this hotel, I do not take that history lightly.
Stewarding this legacy means not only honoring the past, but also ensuring its impact reaches future generations. It is about creating opportunities, opening doors, and making space for more voices at the table. As a mother, I think about the example I set for my daughter and the world she will grow into.”
The Hermitage Hotel is home to two onsite restaurants: the globally inspired Drusie & Darr and the effortlessly chic Italian café, the Pink Hermit. Both eateries are curated by renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, behind notable restaurants like the Connaught in London and Jean-Georges in New York (which touts a pair of Michelin stars).
For more information on The Hermitage Hotel, visit thehermitagehotel.com.
