Why The Chattanoogan Hotel is Perfect for Families

The Chattanoogan is one of the premier destinations for travelers visiting the Chattanooga area. Located in the southern end of downtown, adjacent to the Convention Center, the property is centrally located to many Chattanooga attractions, making it the perfect home base for visitors.  The property is a full service hotel with a day spa, swimming pool, fitness center, restaurants, and room service. It has everything families need for a weekend in the city.

*We were guests of The Chattanoogan for the purpose of this review. As always, opinions are 100% honest and our own.

The Chattanoogan Hotel

The Chattanoogan Hotel was built in 2001 and is owned by the city of Chattanooga. It has 198 guest rooms and suites, three dining spaces, a spa, fitness center, and over 25,000 square feet of meeting space. Valet parking is available for a reasonable fee, and self parking is located a short distance from the main lobby.

The hotel’s decor gives a nod to its Chattanooga roots. There are old cannon balls in the lobby fireplace (a reminder of the area’s Civil War history), plenty of wrought iron accents (the town was prominent in the steel industry), and the roof of the lobby is reminiscent of a train car when seen from a certain angle (Chattanooga used to be a rail hub). All of these special touches make a stay at The Chattanooga one to remember.

The Chattanoogan hotel rooms

There are 198 rooms and suites at The Chattanoogan in various sizes. Rooms come with two double beds or a king. For myself and three boys, we had a room with two doubles and while the room was spacious, the beds were a bit tight (it would have been better if my kids were on the younger (and smaller) side).

The room has ample closet and storage space, a nice desk area, and television. There is free wi-fi throughout the hotel. The bathroom is a good size, with a shower/tub combo. There is a coffee maker and mini refrigerator in the room. Everything was clean and well maintained.

The Chattanoogan restaurants 

There are three dining options at The Chattanoogan, but only two were open while I was there; the main restaurant, Broad Street Grille, and the bistro, The Foundry. Stroud’s is their sidewalk café, but I didn’t have a chance to visit.

Broad Street Grille serves breakfast, Sunday brunch, lunch, and dinner. They use farm fresh produce from local growers, local artisan breads, and sustainable seafood. We had two experiences at the restaurant. The first one was for Sunday breakfast (turns out very few restaurants in Chattanooga are open on Sunday) and the experience was decent. It was a breakfast buffet with many options and a made to order omelette bar.  This was delicious!

We also had dinner at Broad Street Grille one night, but the experience left a lot to be desired. It took 50 minutes for our food to arrive (a burger, two flat breads, a steak) and when it arrived the side dishes were cold. Not wanting to wait any longer, we ate the main course and went back to our rooms. I’m not sure what the issue was because the restaurant was not crowded.

On the other hand, I did have dinner at The Foundry one night and the service was impeccable.  I ordered a vegetarian flat bread pizza which was delicious (and quickly delivered) and the waiter was very attentive. So maybe it was just a fluke that I had one bad dining experience. Overall, the food was good.

Amenities at The Chattanoogan

This property has several great amenities, my favorite being the Chattanoogan spa. They offer all types of treatments and massages, and they even have packages if you want to make a day of it. The manager was lovely and made me feel extremely comfortable preparing for my massage. I was even offered a Bellini or glass of champagne after to really make it special. Such a nice touch!

There is a workout room, indoor swimming pool, and sauna available for hotel guests. My kids had so much fun exploring Chattanooga we didn’t have time to take a swim, but they took a peek. The pool is not very big or very deep, so it’s perfect for little ones.

Location of The Chattanoogan Hotel

The hotel is located in the south part of the city at the corner of 13th and Broad Street. It is walking distance to the Southside Historic District which has some fun restaurants (Urban Stack and Frothy Monkey), bars, and local shopping spots.

One block north of the hotel, guests can catch the free electric shuttle that connects the entire downtown Chattanooga area. The shuttle makes several stops along Broad Street as it heads toward the Tennessee River and Tennessee Aquarium. It’s the perfect way to get around the city if you don’t want to walk or use the available rental bikes.

One of the best things about The Chattanoogan was the service. From the valets, to the front desk staff, to the housekeeping attendants, everyone was friendly and went out of their way to offer a smile and a hello. This was our first time visiting Chattanooga and this Chattanooga hotel, and we can easily say they both exceeded our expectations and we can’t wait to return!