With only 28 rooms, each with its own unique design touches, The Oliver Hotel in Knoxville is pretty much the definition of a modern boutique hotel. And you can’t be any more centrally located in downtown Knoxville than this.
Downtown Knoxville Hotel on Market Square
The Oliver occupies a building that dates back to 1876, at the southwest corner of Market Square. Rooms in this former bakery building overlook Market Square or Union Avenue. The building is shared with the Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar, one of several great options for casual dining on the square. For something a little nicer, the hotel has its own restaurant, the Oliver Royale. It’s also home to a speakeasy bar, The Peter Kern Library, “hidden” behind the hotel’s lobby.
Central downtown Knoxville is bounded on the west by Henley Street and on the east by the James White Parkway. Both provide an easy connection to visitors coming to town via I-40/I-75/I-81. Valet parking is available at The Oliver and there is also parking available in the Market Square Garage behind the shops and restaurants on the west side of the square.
28 Choices Of Boutique Hotel Goodness
Accommodations at The Oliver Hotel include queen and king rooms plus three levels of suites with separate living and sleeping areas. Amenities include complimentary wi-fi and “freshly ground, locally roasted coffee” to run through your room’s coffee maker. The hotel’s 18 guest rooms, 10 suites, the Oliver Royal restaurant and The Peter Kern Library bar can be combined to host a very special wedding or other event.
The hotel is “just a few steps away” (a popular phrase, but this time literally true) from the shops, restaurants and activities of Market Square. A popular farmer’s market occupies the square on Saturday mornings during warm weather months. Across the street at the south end of the square is the tree-lined Krutch Park with an interesting collection of outdoor art installations. At the other side of Krutch Park is Gay Street, downtown’s “Main Street” and home to the spectacularly restored Tennessee Theatre, where you can see traveling Broadway shows, movies and musical performances.
Within Walking Distance
If we ranked Knoxville hotels based on the average walking distance to the most popular destinations, The Oliver would rank high in “fewest steps required”. Some approximate walking distances:
- Tennessee Theatre (0.2 miles, approximately 5 minutes)
- Bijou Theatre (0.3 miles, 7 minutes)
- Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum (0.5 miles, 13 minutes)
- Knoxville Convention Center (0.3 miles, 10 minutes)
- World’s Fair Park Performance Lawn (festival site, 0.6 miles, 15 minutes)
- Neyland Stadium (1.1 miles, 27 minutes)
