Merchants is a three-story Nashville building built as a pharmacy at the corner of 4th and Broadway in 1872, seven years after the end of the Civil War, but expanded and turned into a hotel with a pharmacy in 1892, the same year the Ryman Auditorium, the longtime home of the Grand Ole Opry, opened less than a block away. Merchants Hotel was an affordable option for traveling salesmen (merchants) who could stay there for a week at about the same price as a day rate at nearby, well-known, fancy hotels. Early 20th century rates were 25 cents for a room and 25 cents for a hot meal.
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