Located in an optimum downtown location, this hostelry occupies a 16-story building with offices on the top three floors. It is a limestone-and-brick staple that boasts many returnees with its consistent service and elegant historic interiors. Despite its use as a school in the 1970s it boasts a timeless character and style that still draws Louisville's top society crowds.
The hotel's cobblestoned side entrance for motorists faces One Commonwealth Place, a handsome commercial complex. Doors open to the ground-level foyer, which showcases a staircase rising to the gorgeous second-floor lobby, rich with palatial styling and painstakingly restored coffered ceilings. It has a welcoming residential appeal.
Dinner in the English Grill is appropriately clubby, with an equestrian theme and wood paneling. Many locals consider it among the city's finest. The lounge on the mezzanine level serves light evening fare from the same kitchen at lower prices. The ground-level cafe features a lively bar and continues to serve (since 1923) the signature "Hot Brown," an open-faced turkey sandwich topped with bacon and Mornay sauce.
A nearby health club with a pool charges a fee, but an excellent fourth-floor fitness room is on-site. The largest meeting room is the grand and opulent Crystal Ballroom, accommodating 500 people. The airport shuttle is complimentary; garage parking levies a fee.
Guest rooms vary considerably in layout, but all are roomy and above-average in size and maintenance. Most match the high-quality digs found at the similarly styled Seelbach. There are oversights such as carpet stains, scuffs and mars, but the rich fabrics and furniture outweigh them, creating a fine period look that is fitting and attractive in this setting. Each room is well-designed in muted green tones, and the dark wood furniture and patterned carpeting are high-quality. Large armoires house TVs, and dual-line phones have voice mail and data ports. Internet access is being added to all rooms. The mostly revamped baths range in size from average to huge, and all are outfitted with marble, hair dryers, premium toiletries and embossed towels. Some rooms feature walk-in closets. Shoeshine, newspapers and turndown (with hot-water bottles in winter) are standard.
Guests in premium rooms enjoy robes and access to a private lounge with limited business services, breakfast, tea and cocktails. Some rooms furnish fax machines, and corner suites boast parlors. This is the only area property with 24-hour room service.
This jewel of a hotel rounds the corner toward the finish line alongside The Seelbach, holding its own when it comes to dining and to spacious accommodations.
