Don't let the name fool you. The Dive Motel has taken the best bits of America's motor hotels and brought the design to a Wes Anderson-level visual experience.
Situated on Dickerson Pike in Nashville among car dealerships, old-school motels, and BBQ eateries, the Dive Motel conspires with hipster cafés to breathe new life into this typically American environment. And, oh boy, it does.
The project owners, Lyon Porter, and Jersey Banks, decided to be early adapters and try their luck on Dickerson Pike. A location that used to be home to motels you could rent hourly (yes, it's what you think it is), or by the week.
Before asphalt was laid on the outskirts of Nashville, buffalos were roaming around, but this wilderness was replaced by a modern concrete jungle.
Porter and Banks are familiar with high-class designs, Dive Motel's sister property, Urban Cowboy Nashville, is a proper boutique hotel where each corner is photo-worthy.
But the Dive Motel is different. It takes pride in the motel's heritage, including the kitsch (think of vintage beer lights and fake fireplaces) that's exaggerated to an artistic level.
The result is a trendy interior with eye-popping details.
The original Key Motel was built in 1956, and it was visited by superstars like Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Hank Williams at the time.
The Dive Motel is so cool that they have their own merch. From yellow beach towels with sea waves to various boldly designed baseball hats, you can find memorabilia that you can actually use.
The 23 rooms are all different and have their unique identity. But what they have in common is the party switch.
With a single click, you can activate the disco ball and the retro radio and dance in your room like nobody is watching you.
The motel is only for the 21+ crowd, as you have probably already guessed from the photos.
The flamboyant Honeymoon Suite has a shag carpet (a fitting name for a carpet in a romantic room if you ask the Brits), a fuzzy blanket, and a double hot tub.
So you can soak in your own hot water without fighting over its temperature.
Ironically, The Dive has a no-dive policy, but the Mediterranean-style sun loungers and the pool's refreshing water on sunny days will compensate you. There is also a sauna for when it gets cold outside - although the pool is heated and open all year long!
1414 Dickerson Pike, Nashville, TN 37207
