The key for our room in The Sessions Hotel, a converted factory, looked like a cassette tape. (Google it if you’ve never seen one.) A record player was on our bed, artwork depicted several musicians and the light fixture over the bar looked like microphones.
We were in Bristol, Virginia, the Birthplace of Country Music. Our hotel was named after the famous 1927 Bristol Sessions, which are considered “the big bang of country music.” It was in a perfect location to explore downtown Bristol, visit the Birthplace of Country Music museum and get the biggest almond croissants we’d ever seen.
The Origin of the name of The Sessions Hotel
So here’s the story of why Bristol gets to call itself the Birthplace of Country Music. It’s not just a name that the city bestowed upon itself – in 1998 it was designated by the U.S. Congress. And the Library of Congress ranked the recordings as among the 50 most significant sound recordings of all time.
It dates back to the summer of 1927 when Ralph Peer, a producer with Victor Talking Machine Company, traveled to southern cities to record music and Bristol was one of those stops.
They weren’t the first recording sessions of country music, but the Bristol Sessions became known as the “big bang of country music” because of the use of the latest technology, the marketing and distribution talents of Ralph Peer and the talent of the artists.
It was the beginning of the road to success for The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, who became big stars.
Accommodations and amenities at The Sessions Hotel
A Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel, The Sessions Hotel won two honors from Marriott: Hotel of the Year for Distinctive Premium Brands in 2024 and the Tribute Portfolio Hotel of the Year for 2023.
Speaking of Marriott, I’d never noticed that every Marriott hotel has a Bible and the Book of Mormon because the founder, Bill Marriott, is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Check it out next time you stay in one. I’ve seen the musical three times but this was the first time I’d encountered the book it was based on.
Housed in three old industrial buildings, The Sessions Hotel has accommodations in the Bristol Grocery Building (1915), the Jobbers Candy Factory (1920) or the Simply Grand Granary Mill (1922) with a choice of king and queen rooms and suites. Or stay in one of the silo suites in the Mill building.
Our room in the Jobbers Candy Building had soaring ceilings, a brick wall, king bed with padded headboard, lounge chair and a minifridge. I immediately put the Jim Lauderdale record on our record player. Apparently, he is a frequent guest of the hotel and performed at the hotel’s 5th anniversary. A stage on the lawn of the hotel, which hosts live music performances, is named in his honor.
Guests can choose their own records from a box in the lobby and we had fun picking out a few, by artists that included Buck Owens, Petula Clark and Chicago. We enjoyed reliving those days when the only way to listen to music was to place an album on a turntable and flip it over when you came to the end of side A.
I loved the black and white tile in our bathroom and encountered something I had never seen before. We had a blue ribbon wrapped around the toilet paper role that matched the trim in the bathroom and made us feel extra special. When did you ever get a blue ribbon in your bathroom?
Another first was a small stool in the shower, nice for shaving your legs or for people with mobility issues.
The closet had two robes hanging inside garment bags and I initially thought someone had left their fancy-pants clothes behind.
The lobby has coffee and tea and a nice 24-hour gift shop. Visions Day Spa and Salon is housed in the same building.
Drinking and Dining at The Sessions Hotel
For a lovely view of Bristol and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains, head to the top of the Jobbers Candy Bar to the Rooftop Bar & Lounge where you can seit in an igloo or around a firepit.
Sadly, we were there on Sunday and Monday nights when the bar was closed.
Luckily, Southern Craft, located in the same complex, is open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving fabulous food. Craft beer is available from Great Oak Brewing.
While we are both big fans of barbecue, we had recently eaten a lot of smoked meat. But in addition to smoked barbecue, the restaurant serves sandwiches, tacos and catfish. Chris ordered the catfish while I went with the smoked chicken. Our sides included collard greens, grilled veggiesand fried green tomatoes.
It was delicious and more food than we could eat, so leftovers got packed into our mini fridge.
The breakfast menu includes pimento cheese biscuits, brisket & gravy and banana pudding French toast.
Fitness at The Sessions Hotel
Here was another first for me. Better than a small fitness room, guests at the hotel can get a day pass to the Bristol YMCA. With clouds threatening a bit of rain, we decided to check it out.
We are members at a YMCA in Atlanta, but you could fit a few of our Y into the huge Bristol YMCA , which was close to our hotel. Chris headed to the weight room while I joined a line dancing class.
The teacher, Linda, came over to me and introduced herself, then everyone in the class said hello – I had obviously joined a class of regulars who made me feel welcome and even offered me tips.
“Now, Ja-yan,” one woman said in her sweet southern voice, “this next song is a waltz, so it goes 1-2-3, 1-2-3.”
The Y has dozens of classes, an indoor pool and large cardio room. It’s a really nice benefit for guests.
Things to do in Bristol, Virginia
The Sessions Hotel is on State Street, right on the main drag of Bristol and the dividing line between Bristol, Tennessee. Our first night we wandered through downtown where dozens of people strolled the streets that are lined with theaters, bars, restaurants and retail.
We walked down to see the famous Bristol sign, which marks the border between Bristol, Virginia, and Bristol, Tennessee, and admired the music-themed street art.
One thing Chris has to do in every city is to search for almond croissants, continuing his quest to find the best in the world. I help him with his research.
We scored with the discovery of Blackbird Bakery, a short walk away. This darling little bakery serves the biggest almond croissants we’d ever seen, almost violating the “don’t eat anything bigger than your head” rule. We also tried delicious blueberry muffins and quiche served by sweet, smiling ladies behind the counter.
You can’t go to Bristol without a visit to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. We both really enjoyed the museum, which has great interactive exhibits. One of my favorites was one with contemporary artists talking about the influences of early country music stars on modern artists.
There were two booths where you could listen to recordings of a song sung by the original artist, then hear recordings of artists who sang it later.
I listened to “The Longest Train I Ever Saw” sung by the Tenneva Ramblers in 1927, then again by Nirvana in 1994.
I learned a lot more about the recording of the Sessions and was glad to learn that the artists were all paid $50 – quite a sum in 1927 – and some got royalties as well.
Other big draws to Bristol include the Bristol Motor Speedway, which has more than 150,000 seats, and Bristol Caverns, which offers a variety of tours for those looking to stroll around 180 feet below the surface.
Please see our related stories on inns in Virginia:
• Amazing cuisine, shoe theme make this Virginia hotel a favorite
• ATV adventure, fantastic food at rustic chic hotel in the Heart of Appalachia
– Jan Schroder, Editor-in-chief