Checking In: The Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City, Tennessee

Welcome to Checking In, a series of posts dedicated to the places we stay when we travel.

When it comes to choosing a place to stay in a new city, I always recommend that travelers choose somewhere unique that doesn’t break the bank. In Johnson City, there’s one property that fits the bill: Carnegie Hotel.

This impressive boutique hotel is truly the crown jewel of the area’s accommodations options, and I recently had the opportunity to stay at this lavish property for two nights during a visit to Johnson City. Chances are, if you’ve landed on this page you’re considering a stay here, too.

Note: Our stay at the Carnegie Hotel was generously hosted by Visit Johnson City, but this post is not sponsored. As always, all opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for the short version: yes, you should absolutely stay here! But if you’re like me and like to have more information about the place you choose to rest your head while traveling, read on. Today I’m sharing a little about Carnegie Hotel’s history, its amenities, my personal experience, and more:

ABOUT CARNEGIE HOTEL

This 137-room boutique property is situated immediately North of East Tennessee State University’s main campus and only 1.5 miles from the heart of downtown Johnson City. From the moment you walk into the lobby, you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time—however, this hotel only opened at the turn of the century. That is, this century.

Carnegie Hotel in its current form is a replica of the property that once stood in Johnson City. The opulent original opened in 1891 and survived a mere nineteen years before succumbing to fire in 1910. Of its splendor, the local paper wrote in the hotel’s opening year, “This great palatial hotel has no equal in East Tennessee and for convenience has no superior in the south.”

Today’s version of the hotel doesn’t feel like a Disney rendering—they’ve taken care of every detail to design a hotel that feels like an authentic historic hotel. Tiffany-inspired glass, mahogany wood, and antique furniture are around every corner. Except, of course, they’ve seamlessly meshed these vintage touches with all of the comforts, services, and amenities a traveler needs in the 21st century.

Carnegie Hotel offers guests a variety of room options, from spacious double Queen rooms to a 1,000 sq. ft. Presidential Suite complete with claw foot tubs, a dining area, and a cozy fireplace. During this visit, we stayed in the King Deluxe Room, which fully exceeded my expectations of any standard hotel room.

ABOUT THE KING DELUXE ROOM

A 400 sq. ft. room doesn’t sound very large, but when it is a 400 sq. ft. hotel room, it feels luxurious. The King Deluxe Room at Carnegie Hotel features a delightful sleigh bed, sofa, dedicated writing desk and chair, nightstands, mini-fridge, an armoire with storage drawers and flatscreen TV, a generously-sized closet, and what might be the largest hotel bathroom I’ve encountered in a standard hotel room.

The bathroom deserves its own highlight here, with dual sinks, a soaking tub, a stand-up shower, and the proper amount of hooks and bars for the number of towels (I realize this seems like an unusual thing to be excited about, but for whatever reason, this is such a rarity). There’s even a bathroom scale, should you be into that sort of thing—I am decidedly not when on vacation.

AMENITIES AND EXTRAS AT CARNEGIE HOTEL

Beyond the standard free wifi, TV, and local paper, Carnegie Hotel offers guests ample comforts both in-room and on-property. A coffeemaker with Starbucks coffee is available in every room, to provide a helpful start to the day. The hotel offers guests plenty of opportunities to relax in indoor and outdoor common areas (the cozy library is by far my favorite!).

Guests looking for even deeper relaxation may find it at the hotel’s full-service salon and spa: Austin Springs Spa and Salon. I regret not having time on this trip to indulge in one of their signature services (but that’s the perfect excuse to return!).

The hotel also offers a business center with desktop computers and a printer, as well as a pool that is open seasonally and a fitness center with the essentials. This is also where sustainably-minded guests will find a water-filling station.

And with a number of private event spaces, it felt like there was always something going on during our stay—this all felt even more special thanks to the festive touches throughout. Carnegie Hotel was so sweetly decorated for the holidays, it made me smile every time I walked into the lobby.

A REVIEW OF CARNEGIE HOTEL

My experience was as seamless and comfortable as you would expect from a four-star property, but I do have one complaint: I simply didn’t have enough time to enjoy all the hotel has to offer.

But no matter—the spacious rooms, plush beds (with multiple pillow types!), double-vanity bathrooms with all the space to get ready together, plenty of clothing storage in the closet, and way more outlets than I could ever need are enough reasons to make me want to return.

Every time I walked into the lavishly decorated Carnegie Hotel lobby, it was brimming with people relaxing during their stay or attending a wonderful event—it really always felt like the “place to be” in the very best way. It’s safe to say it will be the first place I check for availability on my next visit to the area.

WELLINGTON’S RESTAURANT AT CARNEGIE HOTEL

While staying at Carnegie Hotel, I was fortunate enough to enjoy one meal in the hotel’s restaurant, Wellington’s. This upscale Southern restaurant is popular among locals and visitors alike for dinner (I imagine their astounding whiskey menu may have something to do with that!), but we were happy to find the time in our trip for breakfast. After all, what’s better than rolling out of bed to enjoy a delicious meal?

I find I can’t eat a very large meal to start my day so I was sad to pass over the larger platters, but once my eyes landed on the English Muffin Croque Madame, I knew I couldn’t order anything else (well, except some fruit—you know, balance). Michael’s sausage and egg biscuit plate also looked amazing, and in the end, we traded plates back and forth across the table. Both were extremely good, although I think we’d likely take the chance to try something new on subsequent visits.

CARNEGIE HOTEL FAQ

Where is the Carnegie Hotel located?

Carnegie Hotel is located at 1216 W State of Franklin Rd, Johnson City, TN 37604.

Are there parking fees?

Nope! Parking at Carnegie Hotel is free for guests.

Is Carnegie Hotel pet-friendly?

Only if you’re a dog (sorry, Meow!). The hotel allows up to two dogs per room with certain stipulations and a nonrefundable daily fee.

What’s nearby?

The hotel is nearly surrounded by ETSU, but immediately next door are several fast-food restaurants. Downtown Johnson City—with plenty of boutiques, bars, coffee shops, and restaurants—is a little over a mile away if you enjoy walking (the weather didn’t cooperate for us during this visit, but if it did, we probably would choose to take Walnut Street most of the way). Heading in the other direction, you’ll find grocery stores, gas stations, and more restaurants.

Can I host my event at the Carnegie Hotel?

Yes! The hotel has several spaces for events, from a cozy wine cave to a ballroom. Head here to learn about renting spaces for meetings, and here for weddings.

Does the Carnegie Hotel offer any discounts or specials?

On occasion—check here for any current packages or specials.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON STAYING AT CARNEGIE HOTEL

As the finest hotel in Johnson City, it’s hard to imagine choosing somewhere other than Carnegie Hotel when visiting the area. Beyond its unique history, the comforts and amenities provide travelers with an experience that far exceeds the typical home-away-from-home—it’s a welcome respite at the end of a long day.

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Questions for you

Judging from the photos alone—would you have assumed this hotel is a replica?

What is your favorite hotel amenity?

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2 Comments on “Checking In: A Review of Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City, Tennessee”

Meg @ Closet Fashionista says:

December 15, 2022 at 8:22 pm

Ooh it looks beautiful, loving all the holiday decorations!
I need to start splurging a littlee more on hotels when we go certain places. But the last few times we’ve stayed at hotels was on road trips so we just found places last minute for the cheapest amount since we ere just spending the night, haha! Been a while since I’ve stayed at a nicer hotel. I miss it!
http://closet-fashionista.com/

1. Alyssa says:
  
  January 4, 2023 at 9:47 am
  
  I think it’s smart to carefully choose when to splurge vs. save – there are many, many times we snag the budget option because we’re truly crashing for the night! But for some destinations, the accommodations can make a huge, positive impact on your overall travel experience (and there are plenty of great boutique hotels at reasonable prices!).

Checking In: A Review of Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City, Tennessee