The luxury hotel, very close to Vanderbilt University and to many of the attractions that distinguish Music City, undertook a $17 million renovation that included its stunning lobby.

The renovation team called on Southwest Wall Systems to adorn the lobby’s columns with a semigloss Venetian plaster, an architectural finish that gave them the rich look of marble.

Venetion plaster is a mixture of traditional plaster with marble dust, applied in thin, multiple layers, which are burnished to create a smooth surface with the illusion of depth and texture.

Fun facts

• Founded in 1873, Vanderbilt was named for its first benefactor, shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt.
• Cornelius, a New Yorker, provided the school its initial million-dollar endowment despite having never been to the South. 
• Loews Corporation traces its roots to 1946, when Laurence Tisch persuaded his parents to invest $125,000 to buy a resort hotel in Lakewood, New Jersey.
• In 1959, Tish and his brother Robert purchased a controlling interest in Loew’s Theatres, Inc., a nationwide chain of 102 movie theaters, which formed the foundation of modern-day Loews.

General contractors:  Brasfield & Gorrie and Land-Ron.
Renovation architect: Rule Joy Trammel+ Rubio
Renovation designer: Simeone Deary Design Group