Rockbridge acquired the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, Ky., as part of a joint venture with Louisville-based Musselman Hotels Management, who will manage the property.
“We look forward to working with our local partner and the city to explore potential opportunities for the Seelbach,” Jim Merkel, CEO of Rockbridge, said in a statement.
The Seelbach Hilton is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 321-room property features several restaurants and bars and has more than 32,000 square feet of meeting space.
The hotel’s food-and-beverage offerings include The Oakroom, Gatsby’s on Fourth and The Old Seelbach Bar, as well as Starbucks and in-room dining, The property consists of a selection of guestrooms, concierge-level rooms, suites and specialty suites.
The property was built by Otto and Louis Seelbach in 1903 and was billed as “the only fireproof hotel in the city.” The same year it opened, the brothers added a 154-room addition to the property, which was completed by 1907.
Over the years, the property was frequented by a rogue’s gallery of Prohibition-era gangsters, such as Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz, as well as author F. Scott Fitzgerald. The hotel has been featured in films such as the 2013 rendition of Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” as well as “The Hustler” starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason.
Rockbridge is an investment firm with nearly two decades of experience investing in real estate and operating companies. Rockbridge has invested in two additional properties in Louisville.