Since people have expressed an interest in Nashville, I'll give you my take on it. I am only a semi-localista. My mother lives there and I'm there four or five times a year, so I could scout hotels.
Nashville, Tennessee.
The natives, like my mother, call it the "Athens of the South" because of the 13 colleges and universities (and possibly for the large Greek community). Johnny-come-latelies call it "Music City".
Room rates: $70-$200, although it's hard to know what you could negotiate for a group
The best thing about Nashville is the music. The odds are that almost any waiter you talk to is pitching a song to the publishers on Music Row. The bands at almost any dive include some of the world's best session players. The emphasis is on country and bluegrass and on singer-songwriters, who play at such places as the Bluebird Café and Douglas Corner.
Things to see in Nashville:
The Country Music Hall of Fame–actually quite entertaining and the flashy Nudie outfits alone are worth the price of admission.
The Grand Ole Opry–a spectacle worth seeing even if you're not a fan of the music
Ryman Auditorium–the original home of the Opry now hosts some great concerts
Tootsie's Orchid Lounge–where the stars hung out when the Opry was at the Ryman
Frist–a marvelous restoration of an over-the-top Art Deco post office into an art museum that has gotten some good traveling shows
Cheekwood–elaborate mansion turned art museum. Has had some great shows
The Hermitage–home of Andrew Jackson. Very well done house museum, plus it's entertaining to hear the guides dance around questions about Jackson's treatment of Indians
Nashville Zoo–Meercats!
General Jackson riverboat cruise
Professional football–The Tennessee Titans
AAA baseball–The Nashville Sounds
Jack Daniels distillery–It's an hour+ out of town, but the tour is a hoot. They do serve barbecue to groups.
And, for Plei, there's the Batman building.
Cons: It's a big tourist town, so it might be difficult to get cheap rooms.
There's not much in the way of public transportation. If you stay near the Opry, which is miles outside of town, the only other thing you can walk to is a big outlet mall. If you stay downtown, you're near the entertainment district near the river on Second Avenue, which has a lot of bars, restaurants and music venues, as well as fairly near the Ryman and the Frist. It would take a car to get to the Opry and most everything else, although I suspect the hotels probably offer packages with transportation to the Opry.