The South’s coolest new hotels

The Dwell Hotel

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Photograph by Graham Yelton

From $225 | 123 miles from Atlanta
Directory: Hip, historical, outdoor activities, restaurant, romantic

Chattanooga has garnered a reputation as one of the South’s hippest destinations for music, art, and outdoor adventure, so it’s about time this little river city landed a chic boutique hotel. The retro-inspired Dwell Hotel, which opened last May in the former Stone Fort Inn, is brimming with bright color and midcentury style, bringing vintage charm (and a cool new bar) to Chattanooga’s lively downtown.

Photograph by Graham Yelton

Photograph by Graham Yelton

Art and architecture
Built in 1909 as a 16-room hotel, the three-story brick and limestone building has welcomed guests for more than a century. Refurbished by local owner Seija Ojanpera, the interior is a cheery midcentury jewel box with authentic period decor in a rainbow of cool-again colors (powder pink, mustard yellow). Ojanpera, a world traveler who landed in Chattanooga in 2009, collected all the art and furnishings along with a friend, scouring eBay and thrift stores for patterned club chairs, funky lamps, and period figurines.

Photograph by Graham Yelton

Photograph by Graham Yelton

Photograph by Graham Yelton

Photograph by Graham Yelton

Room and board
Bold wallpaper and art distinguish the guest rooms, which are each decorated in a different theme (find palm fronds in the Tropicana, a Slim Aarons print in the Palm Springs). All include exposed brick walls, memory-foam mattresses by local company Murmaid, and deliciously soft Comphy linens. Most offer inviting fireside sitting nooks and luxurious soaking tubs. Tip: If you spring for a balcony room, ask for one with downtown views.

Photograph by Graham Yelton

Photograph by Graham Yelton

Photograph by Graham Yelton

Drinks and dining
The sunny restaurant, Terra Mae, is a holdover from the hotel’s previous incarnation as a Victorian B&B, but the menu and design underwent a complete overhaul. Sleek white tables and sage-colored banquettes feel bright and fresh, and green wall planters invigorate the original stonework. On the dinner menu, find eclectic dishes like pork osso bucco and a perfectly cooked honey-lavender duck breast. In the morning, a complimentary made-to-order breakfast includes omelets, grits, and biscuits and gravy. But the real scene is at the twinkling, moody bar, Matilda Midnight. The cocktail menu is built around a tarot card theme, and locals pour in to snap up happy hour specials, assorted tapas, and flaming tiki drinks.

Concierge
Because so many guests visit Dwell for a taste of Chattanooga’s great outdoors (albeit with plush linens waiting at the end of the day), Ojanpera and her team craft made-to-order adventures. The hotel’s staff can map out hiking routes and arrange paddle trips. They’ll even pack picnic lunches or set up an in-room massage afterward. —Mary Logan Bikoff

This article originally appeared in our May 2017 issue.