Olivia EvansLouisville Courier Journal
Home to the Kentucky Derby, the Urban Bourbon Trail, Bourbon and Beyond and more, Louisville is a hotspot for tourism.
This year Louisville Tourism, the official marketing agency for the city, expects to see more than $830 million in economic impact, much of which will come from tourism dollars spent on hotel lodging.
"We're very, very excited because we've turned the corner, we're no longer in a recovery mode or a recovery mindset," Doug Bennett, executive vice president of Louisville Tourism, previously told The Courier Journal. "We're in a growth mindset."
In May, Churchill Downs drew in more than $400 million in economic impact and pushed hotel room occupancy to 94% across the metro with an average rate of $764 per night.
Louisville is home to 183 hotels with 22,193 rooms total and at least four more hotels such as Myriad, a boutique hotel opening in the Highlands this fall, are currently under construction, according to data provided by Louisville Tourism. Compared to neighboring cities such as Cincinnati, Nashville and Indianapolis, the metro area has significantly fewer hotel options.
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Regardless of whether you’re an out-of-towner looking to be pampered before exploring, or a local who wants to take a staycation for a weekend, Derby City has a hotel for you.Here’s a look at 10 luxury hotels in Louisville where you can stay.
21c
700 W. Main St., 21cmuseumhotels.com/louisville
21c in the heart of downtown Louisville on museum row is where “contemporary art museum meets boutique hotel,” said Mary Molter, senior area director of sales and marketing for the hotel. The 21c Museum and Hotel offers guests access to an art museum, a full-service hotel and a luxury dining experience at the on-premises restaurant Proof on Main.
Molter said the most exclusive room at the hotel is the Rooftop Apartment, “a spacious, one-bedroom suite with expansive rooftop terrace featuring sweeping downtown and river views.”
The room, which includes a full living area, full kitchen, one full and two half baths, is more than 1,300 square feet and includes access to more than 2,100 square feet of terrace space. Celebrities such as Cher, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga have stayed in this unit, the Courier Journal previously reported.
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Aloft Downtown
102 W. Main St., marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sdfld-aloft-louisville-downtown/overview/
Located near Whiskey Row, this downtown hotel offers easy access to destinations, such as Fourth Street Live!, 411 S. 4th St.,and the Kentucky International Convention Center, 221 S. 4th St. The hotel features a 24-hour pantry for those on the go and in need of some food.
The Corner Guestroom, with expansive views overlooking the Ohio River and the downtown cityscape, is the hotel’s most luxurious room, said Lauren Jenney, area senior marketing manager for White Lodging Services. This 385-square-foot unit is located on the hotel's eighth floor. The hotel features a modern design with pillowtop mattresses, mini-refrigerators and ergonomic workstations.
The Brown Hotel
335 W. Broadway, brownhotel.com
The Brown Hotel has been a Louisville landmark for 100 years. In 2001, Muhammad Ali dedicated a suite at the hotel, the “Muhammad Ali Suite” which assistant general manager Andrew Hall said is the best suite in the hotel.
“This elegant suite showcases signed Ali memorabilia, photos and boxing gloves,” Hall said. “Opulent and oversized, it is decorated in shades of gold and black and features a separate living room with wet bar, dining room with crystal chandelier and hardwood floor, and two full bathrooms.”
The suite's primary bathroom features a marble jacuzzi tub for guests to soak in after a long day. The fourth-floor suite is around 1,200 square feet and has housed royalty, four living U.S. presidents, world leaders and celebrities including Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Roger Daltrey, Mick Jagger, George H. W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Mel Gibson, just to name a few. The hotels J. Graham’s Café or the Lobby Bar serve up The Hot Brown, a classic Kentucky dish. Guests can also admire the original 1923 chandeliers in the Crystal Ballroom at the hotel.
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Cambria Hotel
120 S. Floyd St., cambriahotellouisville.com/
This boutique hotel, which opened two years ago, boasts 128 rooms and was the first Cambria Hotel in Kentucky. The modern hotel provides “delightful experiences, lifelong memories in our upscale hotel in downtown Louisville,” said Theresa Dunn, director of sales office.
The best room at the hotel is the one-bedroom king corner suite that boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, a Bluetooth mirror in the bathroom, and multiple flat-screen TVs. This 680-square-foot unit is located on three different floors of the hotel. The hotel also has two food and beverage spots, Magnum Moon Hayloft Bar and Grill and Jackdaw Coffee and Bourbon Bar which pay homage to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky bourbon.
"Don't miss the full-scale statue of Derby runner Magnum Moon in our hotel lobby," Dunn said.
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Hotel Distil
101 W. Main St., marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sdfak-hotel-distil-autograph-collection/overview/
Located behind a historic façade on Whiskey Row, Hotel Distil pages tribute to Louisville’s bourbon past.
“Gracious service and modern amenities flow like the bourbon once barreled on our historic site,” said Jenney with White Lodging Services.
The hotel, located in the former J.T.S. Brown & Sons barreling warehouse, is home to Repeal, an on-site oak-fired steakhouse. The Connoisseur Suites are the most exclusive rooms at the hotel, offering beautiful views of downtown Louisville and comfortable amenities.
The hotel has 11 of these exclusive 721-square-foot suites. Guests can upgrade their stay by selecting to have an in-room bourbon cart curated and delivered to them.
The Galt House
140 N. Fourth St., galthouse.com
The Presidential Suite is the most luxurious room available at the iconic Galt House Hotel downtown. The more than 1,400-square-foot room was recently renovated. The fourth-floor room enjoys a waterfront balcony with views of the Ohio River, two large bedrooms with privacy doors, a separate living room, two full bathrooms and a bundle of other luxuries such as a wet bar. Lance George, vice president of sales and marketing said the room has been home to presidents, Superbowl champions, dignitaries, CEOs, artists and authors.
"On 4th and Main, theGaltHouseis where guests come to experience, immerse, and delight in Louisville’s winning spirit," George said. "Our status as the ‘official hotel’ of all that matters makes us Louisville’s always-iconic hotel and ultimate lifestyle destination, reflective of Louisville’s energy, excitement, and contemporary spirit."
Hotel Genevieve
730 E. Market St.,
Coming all the way from Austin, Texas, Hotel Genevieve is part of the Bunkhouse hospitality group and popped open its doors in Louisville’s Nulu neighborhood just in time for Kentucky Derby 149 last month. The 122-room hotel “melds new architecture with considered touches thatreference the city’s one-of-a-kind history,” said Tenaya Hills, Bunkhouse’s senior vice presidentof design and development.
The hotel makes sure guests stay fueled with an all-dayground-floor restaurant, secret bar, a mini-market and a rooftop bar and lounge. The most exclusive room is Suite GenevieveGuestrooms, of which there are four in the hotel. These rooms offer a Market Street view and a bright, yellow separate living room and pay tribute to Kentucky by showcasing local art and quiltwork.
The 582-square-foot suites can be found on the fifth floor of the hotel. The four culinary concepts at the hotel are overseen by Chef Ashleigh Shanti, a James Beard-nominated chef.
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Marriott Louisville East
1903 Embassy Square Blvd., marriott.com/en-gb/hotels/travel/sdfls-louisville-marriott-east/
Located outside the heart of Louisville in the East End, this bourbon-inspired hotel offers guests a break from city life and a dip into suburbia. The hotel provides guests with a 24-hour fitness center and a pool. A restaurant located at the hotel allows guests to “explore varieties of bourbon and delicious Kentucky-style cuisine at our restaurant,” said Sarah Harris, director of sales. The restaurant Charr'd Bourbon Kitchen and Lounge is on the Urban Bourbon Trail.
The hotel also has 17 event rooms that can be used for small gatherings to large functions. The Parlour Suite on floor seven is available for hosting small private gatherings and connects to two sleeping rooms, it also has a living room, board table and kitchen.
Harris couldn’t pick just one luxurious room, noting that many of the rooms offer unique amenities. Some of those amenities include bourbon-themed rooms with king-sized four-poster beds, leather couches, cowhide rugs and signed bourbon barrel heads from the Master Distiller of the brand featured in that room. The bourbon-themed rooms can be found on floors seven, eight and nine. The entire 10thfloor offers access to the Concierge Lounge with complimentary hot breakfast, evening hors d’oeuvres, and co*cktails.
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Many famous guests have stayed here, including Christina Aguilera, En Vogue, Janet Jackson, Chris Tucker, Shaquille O'Neal, Jill Scott, Miguel, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, to name a few.
The Omni Louisville Hotel
400 S. Second St., omnihotels.com/hotels/louisville
In 2018, the Omni Hotel opened in downtown Louisville and brought with it 612 rooms, a 20,000-square-foot urban market and food hall, a speakeasy with a bowling alley, an art gallery, the luxury Mokara spa, and a rooftop pool deck and bar. The hotel is steps from the Kentucky International Convention Center and Churchill Downs, Whiskey Row Distilleries, and Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory are also nearby.
“AtOmniLouisville Hotel, experiences are tailored to the history and rhythm of the city,” said Amy Mobley, marketing manager.
The most exclusive room at the Omni is the Presidential Suite, taking up nearly 2,100 square feet on a corner unit. This room offers "vintage Everlast speed bag, Muhammad Ali boxing glove replicas, a pool table, corvette artwork, and a view like no other," Mobley said.
The 13th-floor room also comes with a record player and a wide selection of albums for guests to choose from. The room boasts a deep navy color and is accented with copper detailing. The suite has a bar, living room, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an elegant bathroom.
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The Seelbach
500 S. Fourth St., seelbachhilton.com
The Seelbach, recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1905 and is "considered a landmark to 'The Golden Era' with its grand ambiance inspiring author F. Scott Fitzgerald to use The Seelbach as a backdrop for Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s wedding in 'The Great Gatsby,'" Jim Meyer, director of sales and marketing, told the Courier Journal.
The downtown luxury hotel has hosted 10 U.S. presidents and countless celebrity guests. The Seelbach Suite, which was originally the apartment of Seelbach-owner Otto Seelbach, is the most exclusive room at the iconic hotel. The 500-square-foot suite comes fitted with a parlor, a comfortable bedroom with a queen bed, and a connecting bathroom.
The parlor is the showstopper in this suite with a carved-oak fireplace, with its original tile and slate hearth. The walls are flanked with honey-oak panels, and the original wood still lines the floor. Nine-foot bookcases, a cathedral ceiling and ornate, stained-glass windows add to the Suite's unique appeal, Meyer said.
Contact reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on Twitter at @oliviamevans_
