The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville has been operating as a hotel since 1906 . Photo credit : Brandon Barré |
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of the property and walking through the lobby , behind the reception desk . Many were led to believe that the restaurant was solely for people staying at the hotel . This was not the vibe the Hardies wanted to give off . They wanted the restaurant to be welcoming , an invitation to anyone from anywhere — no room reservation required .
The vision was always a free-standing restaurant that had its own entrance and own aesthetic , separate from the main hotel , with an “ elevated casual ” feel . “ That ' s our favorite kind of dining ,” Hardie said .
That ’ s just what Marigold is : bare of white-linen tablecloths or silver ice buckets ; full of local ingredients with a changing menu depending on the time of year . “ The magic of John- Georges is in his recipes ,” Hardie said . There is a five-acre vegetable garden down the road to draw from .
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Some serendipity forged the relationship . The now former managing director at Keswick Hall previously worked at a property with a Jean-Georges restaurant , so a connection was built in . Hardie traveled to Manhattan to meet the Jean-Georges team to bounce off ideas and see if there was a fit . “ It just felt like a great relationship from the start ,” she said . Marigold remains the only Jean-Georges restaurant in the Mid-Atlantic , while Drusie & Darr was his first in the South . Hardie is by no means a passive owner . She lives nearby and is at Keswick Hall multiple times per week , she said . Items having to do with landscape , design , retail or F & B run through her and she is very involved with staffing . Keswick Hall employs a director of landscape , who has been at the property for more than 15 years . Hardie is also on the Board |
of Trustees of The Thomas Jefferson Foundation , a nonprofit organization that owns and operates Monticello . Two dollars of every resort fee paid at Keswick Hall goes in the form of a donation each year to Monticello .
Like other hotels and resorts , it took Keswick Hall some time to become fully staffed . “ We ' re now into our third year of operation and many of our key staff have been here since
An executive suite bedroom at The Hermitage Hotel . Photo credit : Brandon Barré
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before we opened ,” Hardie said . Attrition exists , but , as Hardie put it , “ We do our very best to retain staff . We want this to be an incredible place to work .”
Longtime staff , who have been with the property since the jump , maintain a distinct pride in it . “ They feel like this is their child or baby ,” Hardie said .
For Hardie and her husband , business has always been a family affair . And it ’ s going swimmingly .
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30 hotelsmag . com Jan / Feb 2025 |