Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

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Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby mrviognier » Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:54 pm

Am planning a trip for about 12-20 of my best buyers to KY for a three-day visit of Bourbon Country. I've always stayed at the Seelbach, but am wondering if anyone has good recommendations for a centrally-located hotel that is worth looking into.

Thanks in advance!
In BOURBON Veritas,

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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby p_elliott » Tue Apr 20, 2010 10:01 am

You could do what the members of "That other site" do during the sampler and the KBF and stay at the General Nelson in Bardstown. The GN is an OK clean motel but they have a gazebo. That in the evenings you can take your bourbon to have drinks siting around the gazebo and talking. What they do is everyone brings a bottle and sits it on the table and everyone can pour from any bottle they choose. Bardstown is in the heart of bourbon country.
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby bourbonv » Tue Apr 20, 2010 10:22 am

It really depends on where you want to go. Louisville is central to all of the distilleries, so if you plan to go east (Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey, Four Roses) and south (Heaven Hill, Makers Mark, Tom Moore, Jim Beam, Four Roses warehouses) they are about equal distance from Louisville. It also depends upon what you want from a hotel. The Seelbach, the Brown and the Galt House all have full service rooms and a bourbon bar in the hotel. If you are looking for some more basic accomidations there are plenty of hotels who offer lower prices, but no bourbon bars. You might want to contact Louisville CVB to get information on hotels. I believe their website is justaddbourbon.com
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby cowdery » Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:30 am

If you want a different kind of luxury hotel experience from the Seelbach, check out 21c and their bar/restaurant Proof on Main.
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby gauze » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:01 am

leaving friday or saturday for a bourbon trip, any tips on a cheap hotel? I'm cheap, never use room service and am just going with my girlfriend who I've gone on road trips with where we slept on people's floors, in the car/van and on roadside on the ground, so something with a roof is a step up.
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby SteveStewart » Sat Oct 01, 2011 8:51 am

It was a dream of ours to go to bourbon country see the distilleries. We live in New York where are favorite bourbon bar is the 70 Park Avenue, a Kimpton Hotel in W New York Times Square. Finally took our dream trip last year and stayed at the Seelbach and don't regret our choice. The Seelbach is pricey but just a gorgeous, old hotel right in the middle of downtown Louisville. (They told us that F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone stayed here along with presidents and other celebrities!) The bar is excellent with an extensive bourbon collection. Great place to socialize and meet others on the Bourbon trail!
Sure I eat what I advertise. Sure I eat Wheaties for breakfast. A good bowl of Wheaties with bourbon can't be beat.70 Park Avenue, a Kimpton HotelW New York Times SquareDizzy Dean
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby edall » Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:25 pm

[quote= "SteveStewart"]
Ritz Carlton NYC It was a dream of ours to go to a Lake Tahoe Hotel bourbon country see the distilleries. We live in New York where are favorite bourbon bar is the 70 Park Avenue, a Kimpton Hotel in W New York Times Square. Finally took our dream trip last year and stayed at the Seelbach and don't regret our choice. The Seelbach is pricey but just a gorgeous, old hotel right in the middle of downtown Louisville. (They told us that F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone stayed here along with presidents and other celebrities!) The bar is excellent with an extensive bourbon collection. Great place to socialize and meet others on the Bourbon trail![/quote]
______
Sounds like a great time in Kentucky. What time of year would you recommend going? We are elder and do not like extreme weather conditions so i am assuming spring or fall would be our best bet. Am I correct?
Any other info that you can supply would be very much appreciated.

Many Thanks!

edward
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby bourbonv » Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:28 am

Edward,
Kentucky weather never gets real bad outside of January for snow or July or August for heat. To me the best time to visit a distillery is in the cold weather because the heat of distilling can drive you out of the distillery quickly if the weather is warm outside. Come in early March and it will be perfect.
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby edall » Fri Nov 18, 2011 4:33 pm

I will take your advice and plan a trip for March!
Thank you so much and have a fabulous Thanksgiving!

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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby yommytec » Sat Nov 19, 2011 7:39 am

There are many hotels and motels around. I like Galt House. General Nelson in Bardstown is also a very good hotel with wonderful and ever smiling staffs.
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby beaglegun » Fri Nov 25, 2011 4:44 pm

If your visiting bourbon country, stay at a hotel in bourbon country. Louisville is not representitive of bourbon country culture.
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby Baie21 » Fri Mar 09, 2012 2:50 am

I like Galt House.....
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby Bourbon HQ » Fri Mar 09, 2012 1:45 pm

Hey Beaglegun, I beg to differ! Louisville IS bourbon country culture. Bernheim distillery is in Louisville, which makes Heaven Hill products, as well as Brown-Forman (Old Forester), Early Times distillery. Angel's Envy will eventually be made in Louisville. There is old Whiskey Row, the old Stitzel-Weller warehouses, Vendome Copper, which is the only place still making copper stills. And speaking of hotels, The Galt House has a great bar called Jockey Silks Lounge. And right now through December there is a nice bourbon display at the Churchill Downs Museum.

Is that enough?
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby RandyG » Thu Aug 09, 2012 12:31 pm

I was going to take my dad down there for the festival this year but can't find a hotel that is not full up the 14th, 15th & 16th [of Sept.]. Any local help would be appreciated, otherwise we will go next year and I'll book a little ahead of time.

Cheers,
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Re: Best Hotel for a KY Bourbon Trip?

Unread postby EllenJ » Thu Aug 09, 2012 2:47 pm

Randy, there are really cool events going on just about any time of year (well, maybe not July/August) in bourbon country.
But the Kentucky Bourbon Festival is unique and really shouldn't be missed if you can manage to get a room there.

You really have just two options (other than skipping , of course), but they're good ones:

(1) Stay a little further out. Everyone wants to be right in the heart of Historic Bardstown, of course, but that's not always possible. We found THAT out the 2nd time we went, and ended up in Elizabethtown. Now, that's really not all that bad, since E-town is only about a half hour away. But it's also in a dry county (there are lots of those in KY), so you'll need to BYO if you want a nightcap.

(2) Contact (by phone, not email) every motel or B&B in town and let them know you're looking for a cancellation. People often book months in advance, and then Aunt Tessie goes into the horse-piddle and they have to skip this year at the festival. Then keep calling back. Be nice. Be sweet. Kentuckians love outsiders who are nice and sweet. You'll almost certainly get a room right in the middle of things; you just won't know it until the last minute. Remember, option #1 is still available even then.
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