Meet today’s artisan, Dee Patel, who is Managing Director at The Hermitage Hotel!
View more details about The Hermitage Hotel here!
Generation: Generation X
Hometown: Coventry, England
Day Job: Business and community leader
Night Job: Wife, mother, traveler, cook and philanthropist
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
Instagram: @hermitagehotel ; @drusieanddarr ; @thepinkhermit
Tell us what you create: At The Hermitage Hotel, we create unforgettable Nashville experiences, from luxurious stays to globally inspired dining, in collaboration with a creative team in an environment where all of our staff can thrive.
Tell us your mission: My mission is to make an impact and leave a legacy by protecting and preserving what makes Nashville unique, from the historic halls of The Hermitage Hotel to our city’s green spaces and public parks. As a mother, wife, sister, friend, mentor, I hope to be the very best that I can be, and inspire my children to forge their own path.
Your most noteworthy achievement in hospitality: In 2020, in the throes of a pandemic, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment and the role that The Hermitage Hotel played in the women’s suffrage movement and we strived for and ultimately received the coveted National Historic Landmark designation.
Tell us how your hotel impacts the world in a positive way: The Hermitage Hotel is committed to preservation, from the role the hotel, the city, and the state played in securing women’s right to vote to the conservation of Tennessee’s green spaces. Our partnership with The Land Trust for Tennessee furthers our mission in protecting and preserving green space throughout the state, donating more than $1 million to the protection of over 95,000 acres of land. We recently partnered with The Historic Capitol Corridor Foundation as well, a non-profit organized to protect the historic, cultural, and architectural integrity of Downtown Nashville, which set the scene from the women’s suffrage movement to the civil rights movement.
If you had one day to experience your hotel, what would you do? If I had just one day to experience our hotel, I would begin with a latte and a pastry at our all-day café The Pink Hermit, and then go for a stroll around city. The Hermitage Hotel is centrally located in the heart of downtown Nashville, just steps from the city’s best boutique shopping, music venues and cultural attractions. Then, I’d hurry back in time for our afternoon tea service currently themed “Spillin’ Tea with Draper James,” inspired by recipes from Nashville native Reese Witherspoon’s cookbook, Whiskey in a Teacup. Then, I’d head to my guest room and sink into our luxurious hand tufted Duxiana bed with plush linens for an afternoon nap, or enjoy a long, rejuvenating bath in my deep soaking tub. To end the day, I’d sip on a craft cocktail or two at our signature restaurant, Drusie & Darr, while enjoying wood-fired pizza and plant-based creations from the celebrated, Michelin-starred Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Tell us what your favorite part about being a boutique hotelier is: As a boutique hotelier, you are always working to create an authentic and compelling sense of place, true to the destination. I love the entrepreneurial perspective, allowing for deeper connections and more creativity.
Something that is coming up in the pipeline: In addition to opening our brand-new signature restaurant Drusie & Darr, helmed by the world-renowned chef and restauranteur Jean-Georges Vongericthen, The Hermitage Hotel is unveiling a top-to-bottom design refresh of our guest rooms and public spaces to offer an elevated yet approachable sense of luxury.
The Hermitage Hotel is a cherry-picked approved boutique hotel.
