The Swanky Dive Motel and Swim Club Is Now Open in East Nashville

On Saturday night, a line of hoteliers, musicians, celebrities, media folks and more snaked along Dickerson Pike past Shwab Elementary School. They were waiting to get into the preview for Dive Motel and Swim Club, the newest project from Lyon Porter and Jersey Banks, owners of East Nashville’s Urban Cowboy Bed and Breakfast (the team also operates an Urban Cowboy in Brooklyn). The Instagrammable motel and swim club opens today.

The team redecorated the Key Motel, which — according to Porter — was popular with musicians in the 1950s and 1960s. Porter says Hank Williams Jr. partied at the Key. The new vision for the old motel is in keeping with both the retro vibe of the place and with Porter and Banks’ aesthetic at Urban Cowboy. There are 23 rooms, each of which has its own distinct vibe and theme, from "Jayne Mansfield" to "Leopard." Some rooms contain shag bedspreads or scenic mountain-scene wallpaper as a headboard, while others have platform beds, tile or wood paneling. But each room has one similarity: a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, which is turned on using a "party switch."

The old Key Motel sign (repainted with the new name to look old) directs guests to check in to the Dive Bar, which will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, with the focus on late night dining. The bar list includes wine, cocktails, trays of shots and beer, which ranges from local drafts like Jackalope Lovebird to $4 PBR in a can. The shooter trays, such as tequila and sangria together, are $36 for 6 shots. 

While Dive will function as a motel — and one that, Porter says, will embrace its motelness and the nostalgia for the motor-inn era — much of the property will be open to locals who aren’t spending the night, including the wood-paneled restaurant and bar, and the hot tub and 60-foot pool area. There's also a stage for live performances (Liz Cooper and the Stampede and Nikki Lane performed at the soft opening) as well as cabanas. Dive will offer swim club memberships — annual memberships for the swim club are $365 (now available on the website here) and daily passes will become available soon for $20 (Monday-Thursday) and $30 (Friday-Sunday). Like the guest rooms, the pool deck has been designed for a party. Unlike many Airbnbs in town, the location of this party is unlikely to disturb folks on residential side streets.

Merch, including ringer T-shirts with the Dive Motel logo, are available; on Saturday, proceeds benefited Shwab Elementary next door. Porter likes Dickerson Pike’s history as part of the Buffalo Trail (that’s why those buffalo sculptures are there), and thinks that history, plus the proximity to downtown and East Nashville, will make the area a prime destination for locals and visitors alike. Certainly some other businesses nearby — including Shugga Hi Bakery and Cafe, Retrograde coffee and DIY venue Drkmttr — point to a resurgence in the making.