The Sessions Hotel opens in Bristol, Virginia

The Sessions Hotel – a member of Marriott International’s Tribute Portfolio – has opened its doors in Bristol, Virginia.

Formerly three separate buildings – a candy factory, a grain mill and a grocery depositary – the development process has seen these structures combined as a single complex, with the 70-key boutique property featuring a barbershop, multiple music and performance venues, a restaurant and bar, and a spa.

With design overseen by firms including Interior Image Group (IIG), Architectural Partners, MB Contractors and Crown Point, the property has been styled around a narrative following the 1927 Bristol Sessions – a series of celebrated country music recordings that took place in the area.

“As an adaptive reuse project and boutique hotel, the property has taken time for us to complete,” says Kimberley Christner, Partner of developer Creative Boutique Hotels and President of owners Cornerstone Hospitality. “We’ve taken out time and as such we’ve perfected the overall guest experience with curated art, repurposed items from the buildings into functional pieces, designed creative and high-end amenities that serve to tell the story of the buildings and Bristol. The property is centred around music, authentic experiences and extraordinary comfort. Every selection is intentional.”

Emphasising original features including flooring, beams, gears and brickwork, interiors nod to local music history by way of a working Victrola record player and gramophone art in the lobby, as well as signage drawn from one of the 79 songs from the eponymous recording sessions. The 178,000ft² hotel also features interior details include casegoods in LC King Denim, vintage microphones repurposed as lighting pendants and historic industrial sliding doors.

The property will also host the Southern Craft restaurant and bar, a ground-floor venue within the mill building where a variety of original gears, wheels, shifters and other equipment have been incorporated into the scheme. A rooftop bar will also feature atop the candy factory portion. Creative Boutique Hotels has further announced a partnership with country musician Jim Lauderdale, who will contribute to the project’s music programme.

“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished with this project and can’t wait for the Bristol community and visiting public to enjoy the property,” Christner concludes. “It will definitely be a place that people will be talking about.”

www.sessionshotel.com