It was a rainy evening when Patti and I headed to the Waymark hotel (736 Broad Street, waymarkhotel.com) for a drink to cap off our visit to Chattanooga. The hotel had opened a few months earlier in a 1927 bank building. The downtown landmark that bridges the gap between Neoclassical and Art Deco styles had been in search of a new lease on life and the hotel seemed like a good bet. Especially a hotel with two distinct — and distinctly different — gathering spots for a drink, a bit of food, and conversation.
We had our sights set on Iris, the 11th floor rooftop bar. It’s the highest in the city and promised great views over downtown. The rain foiled our plans to grab a table on the outdoor terrace near a fire pit. We bypassed the bright bar in favor of a window table where we could watch rain wash over the city as we drank wine and shared a delicious charcuterie plate. We could, alas, only imagine what it would be like to watch sunset on a clear evening.
The weather, instead, demanded a cozy place to end the day. The Waymark had an answer for that. An elevator deposited us in the basement where we walked through the original door into a speakeasy-style bar tucked into the original vault. Naturally enough, it’s called The Vault. And naturally enough it has a loungey-feel with a long bar, low lighting, and plush seating. Cleverly named house cocktails — Bear Market, Golden Parachute — add just the right touch of whimsy.
