A GIANT glittery guitar hangs next to bright pink awnings and a huge sign that reads: “Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel”.
The 12-storey building was one of the music icon’s final projects — and while she won’t get to see it open following her death at the age of 80 last month, it will ensure her legacy lives on in Nashville.
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Parton was heavily involved in the creation of the 240-room hotel, which is a glittering addition to the Tennessee skyline and an absolute must-visit for fans.
It opens to the public on September 29, and I was one of the lucky few granted a first look.
A number of Parton’s costumes will be exhibited in the lobby in a nod to Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum on the third floor, where interconnected digital screens tell a 15-minute story of her life.
General manager Shannon Foster says: “We are expecting people to walk in even when they’re not staying here. We want everyone to feel welcome.”
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Hotel guests will encounter more moments of magical discovery as they move through the elegant building, where song lyrics are etched on to doorframes.
Guests can choose from four room categories — even the most basic of which has the wow factor. But those with cash to splash can spoil themselves with a night in the Acoustic Suite, which is completely geared up for songwriters.
Its living area comes with a keyboard, while drawer liners adorned with Parton’s famous quotes add a personal touch.
The most heartwarming element of the hotel, however, are the Six Sisters rooms on every floor.
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“When the designers asked Dolly what she wanted most in the hotel, she replied that she’d always wanted to share a room with her five sisters,” Foster explained.
The result is a touching tribute to the Parton family bond — a suite with three double beds separated by candy-stripe curtains and a washroom with two showers and toilets.
The rooms are connected by a living area in the middle with a curved sofa, a side table painted with each sister’s favourite flower and a chandelier decorated with the siblings’ birthstones.
Foster considers the second floor to be the heart of the operation, though, with guests taking a lift up to a gold sparkling desk to check in.
Parton’s Live — cosy seating around a stage, and bar space created to showcase upcoming talent — sits opposite.
But the jewel in the hotel’s crown looks likely to be the late-night lounge Jolene’s, on the top floor.
It will open daily from 5pm and serve punchy cocktails, and a food menu to suit.
A spectacular view over Second Avenue and the Cumberland River — where the famous 4th of July fireworks take place — means Jolene’s will, arguably, have the best seat in the house for the celebration.
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The hotel may be opening a month after the singer’s tragic death but her touch is everywhere.
It’s in the diamante trim on bottle-green barstools, in the corset lacing on the back of a pink velvet chair and in the words etched into the corner of a mirror.
“Dolly approved every single rendering that became a reality,” Foster said.
“The hotel is Dolly’s gift to Nashville.”
Parton’s influence on her spiritual home is undeniable and if you plan to visit, it’s well worth exploring beyond the hotel.
Her star in the Music City Walk of Fame Park, near the hotel, remains encircled with floral tributes.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, opposite the park, has been running a special exhibition about the music legend for the past 17 months.
Dolly Parton — Journey of a Seeker is due to end in October but the singer is honoured throughout for her music and activism.
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Parton, whose Imagination Library has gifted over three million books to children worldwide — unwittingly entwined her identity into Nashville when she debuted at the Ryman auditorium at the age of 13.
She would not have known she would return to that very stage bigger and brighter each time.
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And she definitely would not have dreamed that some day, she would own a hotel just three minutes away from the auditorium.
This is Dolly’s parting gift to Nashville. And it’s worth working 9 to 5 to bag yourself a room.
GO: NASHVILLE
GETTING THERE: British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Nashville from £677pp return, including 23kg luggage.
See britishairways.com.
STAYING THERE: Rooms at Dolly Parton’s Songteller Hotel cost from around $501 (approx £370) per night.
See songtellerhotel.com.