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21c Museum Hotel, Louisville
700 W. Main Street, Louisville, KY, USA
Check availability as rates may vary for dates. Best rate guaranteed.
On the face of it, Louisville, Kentucky seems about the unlikeliest place for a hotel like the 21c. Not just an inspired modern boutique hotel, but a 9,000-square-foot contemporary art gallery as well, it’s the sort of place that would turn heads even in New York or Los Angeles — in Louisville, where the Midwest gives way to the South, it’s positively shocking. But this is a post-industrial city that’s reinvented itself, and while some cities hitch their renewal wagons to sports teams or suburban office parks, Louisville is going the arts-and-culture route.
The 21c belongs to locals Steve Wilson and his wife Laura Lee Brown, whose foundation owns the art collection that fills the hotel’s gallery. The couple brought in the New York-based architect Deborah Berke, whose portfolio, fittingly, includes both Yale’s new art school and the Scottsdale Mondrian hotel. And while the boutique hotels in many smaller provincial cities are tepid affairs, offering half-hearted gestures in the direction of modern design and taking care not to alienate the traditionalists, the 21c, by contrast, has left all caution behind.
Rooms are as urbane as they come, packed with artworks, custom-designed furnishings and high-tech amenities like 42-inch LCD televisions. Proof On Main, the hotel’s restaurant, brings a taste of sophistication to the downtown dining scene, and the museum, of course, is one of the neighborhood’s star attractions. Louisville may have a way to go before it’s the new Manhattan, but it’s clear that the 21c is the start of something, drawing art-savvy travelers who, until recently, would have been hard pressed to imagine a reason to visit Kentucky — but who, once there, may find its traditional charms (who could say no to a wee dram of bourbon, watching the races at Churchill Downs) impossible to resist.
- Complimentary upgrade upon hotel check-in, based upon availability
- Complimentary continental breakfast for two
- Guaranteed 4pm check-out
- Daily free pressing
- 90 Rooms
- Style: Cutting-Edge
- Atmosphere: Happening
- 22 Guest Reviews
- 21c Museum Hotel, Louisville
- 700 W. Main Street
- Louisville, KY, USA
Hotel amenities and services
- 100% non-smoking hotel
- 24 hour front desk
- 24 hour gym
- ATM/bank office
- Bar
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Boardroom
- Business center
- Central air conditioning
- Free wi-fi
- Golf nearby
- Lounge
- Luggage storage
- Multi-lingual staff
- Pets allowed (charges apply)
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Sauna
- Spa
- Steam rooms
- Valet parking (charges apply)
- Wake-up service
Other Louisville hotels
22 Guest Reviews
All reviews are from Tablet guests with verified stays.
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- Kortney
- Stayed February 2013
- Rating: Good
What I liked:
Delicious restaurant and lively bar. Quiet, well appointed rooms. Hotel staff- from the concierge to management to housekeeping- were all charming and helpful. My husband enjoyed exploring the city on the hotel bike, and I enjoyed the room service and spa while recovering from a cold. Very pet friendly.
What the hotel could do better:
Nothing, had a wonderful stay!
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- Carl
- Stayed September 2012
- Rating: Good
What I liked:
The rooms were nicely designed.
What the hotel could do better:
Nothing, had a wonderful stay!
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- katie
- Stayed August 2012
- Rating: Excellent
What I liked:
The atmosphere was so interesting with contemporary art everywhere without feeling pretentious. The rooms were clean, modern and spacious. The service was excellent. I look forward to going back for another visit!
What the hotel could do better:
Nothing, had a wonderful stay!
