Anna Gomez on Redefining W Nashville and Building a Career from the Heart of the House

Anna Gomez, partner at Hospitality Gaming Advisors alongside Dave Tessier, recently achieved a milestone in Nashville hospitality history with the W Nashville hotel, which sold in March for a record-breaking $950,000 per key—the largest per-room sales record for any hotel in the city. Leading the concept, programming and design direction for the six-year project, Gomez brought a unique perspective shaped by her mother's 50-year career in Marriott housekeeping and her own two decades working across multiple hotel brands. Her approach centered on understanding Nashville's dual identity as a music destination for tourists and an outdoor, community-focused city for locals, translating that insight into 26,000 square feet of outdoor space, multiple street entrances that activate the Gulch neighborhood, and carefully curated spaces designed for discovery. With mentorship from industry legends including Bill Marriott and her business partner Tessier, Gomez helped reimagine one of hospitality's oldest lifestyle brands while delivering something authentically special to Nashville.