One floor puts the songwriter in the spotlight. Another pairs live music with cocktails and views across Nashville’s skyline.
Both are inside Dolly Parton’s new SongTeller Hotel. But choosing between them takes more than picking which name you like better.
On the second floor, Parton’s Live builds the evening around artists, original songs, and the stories behind them. Upstairs, Jolene’s combines singers and songwriters with small plates, elaborate desserts, and views of the Cumberland River.
The hotel at 211 Commerce Street welcomed its first overnight guests in September 2026 and held its ribbon-cutting celebration on October 6.
And you don’t need a room key to visit either venue.
You do, however, need to know what you’re booking. A dinner reservation, a concert ticket, and a hotel stay don’t automatically open the same doors.
Parton’s Live Puts the Songs First
The main attraction at Parton’s Live is the person holding the microphone.
The second-floor venue hosts writers’ rounds, songwriter sessions, and artist showcases. Its format gives visitors a chance to hear original music and learn how those songs came together.
Never been to a writers’ round?
Several songwriters take turns performing, often sharing the memories or experiences behind their lyrics. A song becomes more personal when the person who wrote it explains where it began. (If you catch the bug, the Bluebird Cafe’s lunchtime shows at 3rd & Lindsley are another way to hear Nashville songwriters up close.)
That makes Parton’s Live a strong fit for people who want the performance to be the main event.
The lineup changes nightly, from songwriter sessions to rising-star showcases. Some shows are quiet solo acoustic sets, while others bring more firepower to the stage.
Choose the artist and show format before choosing your evening. A writers’ round and a bigger showcase can deliver very different nights in the same room. Check the Parton’s Live event calendar to see who is playing and how each show is set up.
Dinner Can Be Part of the Performance
Parton’s Live also gives visitors a reason to arrive hungry.
The menu includes cornbread biscuits with cultured butter, pimento cheese with vegetables and crackers, and collard greens prepared with bacon and Cajun spices.
The four-cheese macaroni combines cheddar, Gouda, Parmesan, and Fontina. Apparently, choosing just one cheese was unnecessary paperwork.
For a larger meal, there’s brisket with green peppercorn sauce and a prime rib entrée meant for two.
That makes dinner and a show a practical option for couples or friends who would rather settle into one place for the evening.
The venue publishes regular hours of 6–10 p.m. daily. Follow the arrival instructions for your particular performance, though. Regular operating hours don’t set the check-in time for every show.
Our planning tip: If you’re eating and watching a performance, we suggest blocking out about two hours. That’s our estimate, not a published show length. Performance times vary, so check the listing for your show.
“Complimentary” Doesn’t Always Mean a Free Evening
This is the detail worth reading before you reserve.
Some Parton’s Live performances are ticketed. Others advertise complimentary admission but come with conditions.
An October 30 listing for Kristen Bearfield, for example, advertises a complimentary 90-minute acoustic set with a required reservation and a $25 food-and-beverage minimum per person.
For two people at that show, that means at least $50 in required food and drinks, even without an admission charge.
Other complimentary shows may have a different minimum, or none at all. Read the terms on the specific listing you’re booking.
Ticketed performances have their own prices and seating options. Before booking any show, check the admission cost, any spending minimum, and added taxes or service fees.
A hotel reservation doesn’t automatically include a concert seat, either. Reserve the performance separately unless your booking specifically says otherwise.
Jolene’s Adds the Skyline to the Evening
Jolene’s takes the experience upstairs.
The top-floor lounge combines live singers and songwriters with views of downtown Nashville and the Cumberland River. The setting shares the spotlight with the music.
A September preview described colorful chairs, rose details, distinctive lighting, and a grand piano. The lounge takes its name from one of Dolly’s signature songs.
It’s an appealing choice for a date, a birthday gathering, or any evening when conversation and the view matter as much as the performance.
The hotel describes Jolene’s as a top-floor lounge. Confirm outdoor seating directly if that is essential to your visit. (Want open-air drinks instead? Here are Nashville’s most epic hotel rooftop bars.)
Small Plates, Spicy Cocktails, and a Familiar-Sounding Drink
Jolene’s menu gives you several ways to build an evening.
The menu updated October 20 lists pimento cheese arancini for $12, crispy hot chicken bites for $14, and a glazed pork belly skewer for $13.
Truffle fries are $8. A caviar-and-lobster-cream option reaches $45.
That range matters. You can share a few smaller dishes or spend more on a special occasion.
The cocktail list includes a $17 Nashville Hot Martini and a $17 Cinnamon Bread cocktail. The name will ring a bell for anyone who has waited in line for Dollywood’s famous cinnamon bread, though the menu doesn’t say the two are connected.
For visitors skipping alcohol, the zero-proof Moon Dance is listed at $12. The Flan Affair dessert is $8.
Those are published menu prices, with tax and gratuity added, and they may change.
A $17 cocktail and a $14 plate of hot chicken bites already total $31 before those extras. Checking the menu ahead of time makes the bill much less mysterious.
Jolene’s Has Different Hours and an Important Age Rule
Jolene’s publishes regular hours of 5–11 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
On Friday and Saturday, it stays open from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m. No regular Monday or Tuesday hours are listed, so check before planning an early-week visit.
Its reservation listing also includes a detail families and mixed-age groups should catch: guests under 21 are permitted until 8 p.m.
Plan an earlier visit if someone in your group is under 21, and confirm any other conditions when booking.
The listed dress code is business casual.
Reservations are available through OpenTable, but a table booking doesn’t guarantee a particular skyline view or performer. Ask about music times and seating requests before building your evening around either.
Pick Your Venue Around the Evening You Want
Want to hear how a songwriter turned a real experience into a song? Start with the Parton’s Live calendar.
Its seated performances and songwriter programming make it the clearer choice for an evening built around music.
Want small plates, a cocktail, and Nashville’s skyline with live entertainment alongside them? Start with Jolene’s.
You could also visit both on the same evening when their schedules line up. A Parton’s Live performance followed by a later Jolene’s reservation may work, especially on Friday or Saturday, when Jolene’s stays open until 1 a.m.
Leave room between reservations. A show’s end time and an upstairs table time shouldn’t require a sprint.
The Practical Details Before You Go
Both venues are inside Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel, 211 Commerce Street, Nashville, near Third Avenue and within walking distance of Lower Broadway and the Ryman Auditorium. If friends are in town, it pairs easily with what locals actually do on Broadway.
Visitors can book entertainment or dining without staying overnight.
Parking: The museum’s visitor guide identifies the 211 Commerce Street Garage as one nearby public option. Check its rates and availability for your date, especially during major downtown events. Before you circle the block, skim our guide to the Nashville parking mistakes that get expensive fast.
The hotel’s $65 overnight valet rate should not be treated as the price for a short dinner or concert visit.
Accessibility: If accessible seating or a particular arrival route matters, contact the venue before reserving. The property has elevators, but seating arrangements can differ by venue and by show.
Contacts: Parton’s Live questions can go to [email protected]. For Jolene’s, use [email protected].
You Can Add Dolly’s Museum Before the Music
The property also houses Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum on the third floor.
It has a separate public entrance at 126 Third Avenue North, generally operates daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and takes about 60–90 minutes to explore.
That creates an easy afternoon-to-evening plan: visit the museum first, then head to your music or dining reservation. For a preview of the exhibits, see what’s inside Dolly’s new Nashville museum.
Museum admission is separately ticketed. Reserve it separately from your concert seat, lounge table, or hotel room.
