146 atlantahomesmag.com SEPT.2019
IF YOU HAVEN’T CONSIDERED a
getaway to Chattanooga, Tennessee in a
while, it’s time to go and see what this city’s
been up to. The breathtaking beauty of the
Appalachian mountains and the expansive
Tennessee River are reasons enough to visit,
but add in Chattanooga’s history, culture,
entertainment and highly acclaimed culi-
nary scene and you’ll fi nd a vacation close
to home that feels like worlds away.
Central to the Chattanooga experience
is the historic Read House Hotel. Built
in 1847 by Thomas Crutchfi eld, Sr., the
glamorous “Crutchfi eld House” survived
the Civil War (it served as a Union hospitalA STEP BACK IN TIME
Just in time for 2020, The Read House Hotel in downtown Chattanooga resurrects the
grandeur of the Roaring 1920s Written by GINA CHRISTMANduring that time) but twenty years from the
date it was built, it was struck by a disas-
trous fi re and burned to the ground. In
1871, Dr. John T. Read and his family took
over the hotel, seeing it through a series of
additions and renovations, but in 1925 the
hotel was demolished and the present ten-
story building was built.
Fast-forward to today: A recently com-
pleted $28 million renovation has made
this old hotel new again. From the second
you arrive at the front door you’ll step back
in time. Staff uniforms recall a bygone era
and everyone’s jovial personality sets the
tone for a throwback experience. Likewise,servers’ outfi ts and decor at Read House
Bar & Billiards are authentically reminis-
cent of the Roaring 20s, but without being
too kitschy.
The hotel lobby is a virtual gallery of con-
temporary art and photography set against
warm woods and classic architectural details.
A clever mix of Art-Deco and transitional
furnishings brings a freshness to the place
and the result is a perfect marriage between
rich Old World and chic New World.
Guest rooms are modern and comfort-
able, and the huge black-and-white-tiled
bathrooms represent the elegance and
glamour of interior design in the 1920s.