White Lodging opened two hotels in Louisville, Ky.: the 205-room Hotel Distil, Autograph Collection Hotels’ first property in the state, and the 110-room Moxy Louisville Downtown. White Lodging, who developed the properties with Poe Cos. and REI Real Estate Services, will operate the two hotels.
The neighboring properties are both located on historic Whiskey Row, a block-long stretch of buildings in Louisville that once served as home to the bourbon industry. On a list of Louisville's most endangered historic places, the buildings were slated for demolition in 2011, but an agreement between the city, local developers and preservationists saved the area.
"Thanks to the deliberate efforts of Mayor [Greg] Fischer and so many others, Louisville is a coveted worldwide destination for business, sports, meetings and events, and of course our longstanding bourbon heritage,” Steve Poe, CEO of Poe Cos., said in a statement. "Hotel Distil's location on Whiskey Row and just steps away from the KFC! Yum Center and the city's business hub is a perfect complement to the city's great progress."
Hotel Distil offers more than 11,000 square feet of event space, including a 5,000 square-foot ballroom that can be divided into three separate spaces, three other rooms ranging from 775 to 1,000 square feet and a 2,000-square-foot rooftop terrace. The property also features two food-and-beverage venues: the 72-seat Repeal Oak-Fired Steakhouse and the open-air rooftop bar Bitters End.
Next door, the Moxy Louisville Downtown features the brand’s standard Bar Moxy, a ground-floor space that doubles as the hotel’s front desk. The property also will feature the 24/7 food-truck-inspired concept Zombie Taco.