Snippet Review: The Sessions Hotel in Bristol

If you ever find yourself in the middle of the city of Bristol, you may be confused as to where you actually are. That's because the city’s main street, State Street, straddles the state line between Tennessee and Virginia, so you can freely jump between these two states simply by crossing the street and back! But that is not all that is interesting about Bristol. Few people may know that Bristol is considered the birthplace of country music. Wait—but was country music's birth in Tennessee or Virginia? Read on and you’ll find out.

Technically, there was no actual “birth.” Country music already had deep roots in various musical genres brought over to the southern region of the USA by settlers from England, Scotland, Ireland and by enslaved people from West Africa.  These early Americans brought with them their traditional folk songs, rhythms, and instruments such as fiddles and banjos. In the south, music was plentiful and passed down through the generations. People played on their porches, in their yards, and at community gatherings and dances. However, this genre of music was confined to the region and not widely enjoyed throughout the USA, given the limited recording technology and accessibility at that time.

However, in the 1920’s, “hillbilly” and “race” music (as it was called then) was growing in popularity. New York music producer Ralph Peer saw a business opportunity and decided to capture this music in a manner never done before with high tech equipment (high tech, that is, for the time) so recordings could then be widely distributed. In the summer of 1927, Peer traveled south with a couple of recording engineers who worked with him at the Victor Talking Machine Company to look for performers to record and promote. Peer placed ads in the local newspapers of several southern cities announcing an open audition for talent. “The Victor Co. will have a recording machine in Bristol for 10 days beginning Monday to record records,” read the ad in the Bristol paper. Although Peer visited several southern cities, it turns out those ten days of recording sessions in Bristol produced the most commercially successful “hillbilly” 78 RPM disc records and led to the discovery of country music greats such as Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. Because of this success, and the impact the Bristol Sessions had on the country music culture, Bristol earned the title of the “Birthplace of Country Music.” Oh, by the way, these sessions occurred at 408 State Street, on the Tennessee side of the street, giving bragging rights to Tennesseans. However, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is just a block or so north of State Street…on the Virginia side…so that’s a nice compromise. The museum by the way, is worth a visit!

If you haven’t already connected the dots, the Sessions Hotel was named for this monumental event in Bristol history. The Sessions Hotel is a Marriott Tribute Portfolio Hotel (I love it when a hotel with character also gets me hotel loyalty points). It’s located right off of State Street on the Virginia side. The hotel’s complex is comprised of three historic, century-old industrial buildings. The lobby and guest rooms are housed in the 1915 Bristol Grocery Building and the 1920 Jobbers Candy Factory (a bridge connects the two buildings). The third building, which now houses the Southern Craft BBQ Restaurant, was the 1922 Simply Grand Granary Mill in its previous life.

As you walk throughout the property, you will see remnants of the past—antique wheels and pulleys and other mechanical gizmos! The complex was transformed into a 70-room boutique hotel and opened in 2020. The renovation was carefully done in a manner that protected the historic elements of the building, so it is easy to visualize how the people who worked there functioned over 100 years ago.

I love stepping into a lobby and immediately knowing that the stay there is going to be fun. We’ve stayed at this hotel on several occasions and each time we have been met with friendly and helpful front desk staff. This time I accepted the offer of a free lavender oil vile to use in the diffusers that are located in each room. The lobby has a small gift shop with unique items and local crafts. When I coveted the pottery bathroom soap and lotion tray found in our bathroom, I was able to purchase one in the gift shop.

Our room was well-appointed and decorated with the 1927 Sessions recordings in mind as well as the history of the buildings themselves (exposed brick walls and beams and a bed pillow posing as a scratch feed sack). Framed on the wall was a collection of guitar picks and the two hanging lights in the form of old timey microphones like the ones Elvis sang into, provided illumination for our coffee/tea station. And awaiting us on the bed was an old portable Victrola record player and a Jimmy Lauderdale album.  Downstairs in the lobby there was a library of sorts of record albums for guests to borrow and play in their rooms. I picked out a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons beauty while my husband nabbed a Tennessee Ernie Ford oldie. You just need to return the album to the lobby before checking out (or they will charge you $19.99 if you decide to take one home). What fun it was listening to these classics before bedtime and in the morning while getting ready! By the way, Jim Lauderdale, a two-time Grammy winner, is featured both inside and outside the hotel (the outdoor stage that hosts performances is named for him) given his partnership with the hotel in developing their music program.

The bathroom was large, comfortable, and modern with nice accessories (like the pottery tray mentioned earlier). Around the property there are several music venues, a BBQ restaurant and a rooftop bar. Whenever we stay at the Sessions, we enjoy dinner at the Southern Craft BBQ restaurant, that serves award winning barbeque and other smoked meats, including my fav brisket. Indoors, the environment is rustic and quintessential Southern. The outdoor patio is illuminated by overhead strings of lights in full view of the Jim Lauderdale stage. Before or after dinner, the spacious Rooftop bar, overlooking Bristol and the distant mountains, serves drinks and snacks. In fact, at check-in the hotel gives guests a certificate for a complimentary hummus appetizer. The Rooftop also has a firepit and an igloo (that can be reserved) for those chilly nights. Chilly nights? What are those?

Finally, The Sessions Hotel is ideally located off State Street where you can walk the state line, visit shops (including several antique malls, artisan co-ops and boutiques), have a coffee or ice cream, or grab lunch or dinner. The stroll is pleasant as the city pumps in country music onto the street which really engulfs you into Bristol's ambiance and history. A little further down the street, you should not miss the famous “Bristol, A Good Place to Live” sign that arches over the street all the way from Tennessee to Virginia. The committee that chose this motto felt it was accurate, but modest—imagine that. I like the attitude of this place, and I’ll go ahead and be bold by stating, “it was a GREAT place to visit.” So, if you even find yourself in Bristol, you’ll know exactly where you are—in the birthplace of country music!