Whatever brings you to Nashville TN, Leiper’s Fork TN or Cocoa Beach FL, our homes are ready to welcome you. Technically, when we left Florida we moved about 800 miles North to TN but as Richard often likes to say, “we’re more in the South than we’ve ever been.” That little phrase was the inspiration for our name: Southbound Stays (formerly operating as Nashville Vacation Homes). Our journey Southbound began in 2012 after spending Valentine’s Day weekend in Nashville. Though I (Megan) had previously traveled here for work and to visit a childhood friend, it was that visit that finally convinced Richard Nashville was a place we could call home. We officially made the move to Nashville later that same year, giving us the unique perspective of experiencing Nashville as both visitors AND locals. Our hosting journey began in 2016 with our first rental home, The Country Cottage. It was a fast falling love affair: connecting with guests and guests sharing the sentiment back with us. So much so that soon after our first home we bought another. This time a studio we call The Nest… and then 2 more, The Nook and The Hangout… and most recently a home in a neighboring town called Leiper’s Fork, Lyric. Today, we own and host 5 traditional short term rentals/ vacation homes and one extended stay rental (for stays of 30-90 days). My past experiences as an avid business and leisure traveler have helped lead us to this point and taught us so much about hosting. In fact, I learned much of what I know today from the guest point of view. For instance, I learned that communication between the host and guest is important; what amenities make sense; what types of homes are desirable; and unfortunately some not so good experiences have taught me what not to do as well. Because we were guests before we were hosts, we still operate with that guest-first mentality. Let me give you an example… I remember times where my flight was delayed or I simply got in late and had missed dinner along the way. I would then arrive into my room with no water and nothing to eat. Remembering those times, we decided to make sure our guests don’t experience that and have bottled or filtered water and snacks waiting for every guest upon arrival. Fast forward to the next morning and I would inevitably wake up to realize I’d forgotten to pack something. Hair dryer? Shampoo? Feminine products? For those instances, we have what I call our “Forgot it” baskets. They’re full of items that are commonly forgotten to hold you over until you can get to the store and stock up. During your stay, we want you to feel the comfort of being “at home” with the laid back feeling of being away from yours. We put care into every aspect of our homes and your stay:
We purposely selected our homes based on their amazing locations that we, ourselves frequent and trust
All of our homes are privately enjoyed and setup exclusively to welcome guests (ie we are not present in or at the home during your stay)
I lovingly designed each home with intention to maximize the space and make sure everyone is comfortable during their time there
We made a list of things we wished we had during our own travels and put them in our homes (like those nifty “forgot it” baskets). Visit our home standards and amenities page for full details. We allow dogs* at every one of our homes and even they get treats upon arrival (*added fee)
Through our local short term rental association and our own, direct partnerships with local businesses, we have worked to get discounts for our guests to save you hundreds on dining, attractions and even luggage storage while in town
You will always have direct access to us, the owners and host(ess) of any Southbound Stays home, especially when booking directly
Behind every reservation we’re in the background taking notes on why each of ours guests is coming to town; our rock star professional cleaning crew is cleaning every crevice in the home whether it looks like the last guest touched it or not; I am going behind them fluffing pillows, restocking coffee, making sure the key code works; and during your stay, waiting on the ready to answer questions like ‘where can we get chicken and waffles on a weekday?’. It may be a lot of work, but making sure our guests feel welcome from the moment they walk through the front door to any of our homes is something we genuinely love and take pride in. When we first began hosting, we operated under the name Nashville Vacation Homes. However, over the years we have noticed a shift as to why our guests are coming. Are guests still coming for vacation? Absolutely! However, we recognize that there are a variety of other reasons, too. We have heard from our guests that they’re coming for: work; scouting, recording and musical inspiration (this is Nashville and Leiper’s Fork, y’all); medical treatments and recoveries; visiting their children at one of our many universities; to work remotely; sabbatical; life’s happy moments like welcoming new babies; life’s sad moments like funerals or having a last getaway with loved ones; and some even temporary housing until they settle into their new city or homes. Sometimes, people are coming for a mix of many of these things. For that reason, the name “Nashville Vacation Homes” simply no longer fit our guests nor our identity. One theme kept rising to the top… whatever it is that brings guests to our homes, they’re coming to STAY. In 2019, our new name, Southbound Stays was born but our same level of commitment to our guests remains. Whatever it is that brings you to Nashville or Leiper’s Fork, our homes are ready to welcome you for your time here. We are honored that you’re considering staying in one of our homes and encourage you to reach out if we can answer any additional questions for you. We hope that our homes will get to be a part of your Tennessee memories and your very own Southbound Stay.
