The hotel, which faces the State Capitol on Sixth Avenue North, has been purchased by Historic Hotels of Nashville, LLC for $14 million. Prem Devadas, President and Managing Director of the company, will oversee operations at The Hermitage.  He is also managing director of The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA., and Kiawah Island Resorts in Charleston, SC. The majority owner of Historic Hotels of Nashville, LLC also owns the Charleston and Richmond hotels.

�Much like The Jefferson Hotel is to its Richmond Downtown Community, we believe that The Hermitage can be a social and business center for downtown Nashville and a source of pride for the entire community,� says Devadas.

The Hermitage Hotel, which has 120 rooms and suites, was designed in 1908 by J.E.R. Carpenter and is the only commercial Beaux Arts structure in the state of Tennessee.  It is a member of Historic Hotels of America and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The hotel opened in 1910 and features elegant furnishings imported from all over the world.  Grecian and Tennessean marble accentuate the lobby, while its beautiful skylight was designed by the Italian Artisan, Hotojy.  The Grand Ballroom is paneled in Circassian walnut imported from Russia and features an ornately handcrafted ceiling.

Broadly speaking, the term �Beaux Arts� refers to the American Renaissance period from about 1885 to the 1920s and encompasses the Italian Renaissance and Neoclassical Revivals.

�The Hermitage Hotel is an irreplaceable treasure and we intend to make it a special place like The Jefferson Hotel and Kiawah Island Resort,� says Devadas.  The new ownership�s goal for The Hermitage is to earn the American Automobile Association Five-Diamond rating through extensive renovations of the guest rooms and public areas, and a commitment to achieving an uncompromising level of warm and friendly service.�
Renovations will be phased over the next two years so as not to inconvenience hotel guests and patrons of the popular Capitol Grille restaurant.

Only 58 lodgings in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico have AAA�s Five-Diamond rating.  To determine a rating, AAA performs a comprehensive unannounced examination of the facility. Evaluators assess the exterior and the interior, including the public areas, dining facilities, recreational facilities, guest rooms and services. According to AAA, a Five-Diamond rating indicates that a �property is renowned and exhibits an exceptionally high degree of service, striking and luxurious facilities and many extra amenities. Guest services are executed in a flawless manner.  The guest is pampered by a professional and attentive staff.  The Property�s facilities and operation help set the standards in hospitality and service for the industry.�

As managing director of The Jefferson Hotel since 1991, Devadas has become very familiar with AAA Five-Diamond ratings.

The Jefferson Hotel has spent nearly $10 million since 1991 on renovations and enhancements.  As a result of these renovations and a commitment to providing superior guest service, The Jefferson raised its AAA standing from three to five diamonds.  Since 1994, it has maintained its Five-Diamond rating.  Complementing the hotel is The Jefferson�s fine dining restaurant, Lemaire, which first achieved its own AAA Five-Diamond dining award for excellence in 1996 and also continues to maintain its Five-Diamond status.  Fewer than 20 hotels and resorts in North America can boast separate AAA Five-Diamond awards for accommodation and dining.

Thoughtfully developed on a barrier island off coastal Carolina, The Jefferson�s sister property�the AAA Four-Diamond Kiawah Island Resorts� lies along ten miles of pristine beach bordered by the Atlantic Ocean.

Kiawah Island Resorts consists of the 150-room oceanfront Kiawah Island Inn, the Villas at Kiawah Island Resorts (which includes 580 villas and luxury homes), five championship golf courses, two award-winning tennis complexes, and a variety of restaurants and lounges.  In 1991, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resorts hosted the infamous �War by the Shore� Ryder Cup, which the Americans won on the last hole of the last match on the last day.  In 1997, The Ocean Course staged the World Cup of Golf.

Later this year, Kiawah Island Resorts plans to break ground on a $90 million luxury oceanfront hotel and spa, which is projected to take two years to build.  The objective of the company is to create one of the finest resort hotels in North America, worthy of AAA�s Five Diamond rating.  Another $50 million in improvement projects are scheduled to take place during the next three years.

The company has also become known for its contributions to the Charleston community, and earlier this year it became a founding donor of the South Carolina Aquarium with a gift of $1 million.  The Aquarium is dedicated to serving as a nature-based learning center for school children throughout South Carolina.