Hotel Genevieve, a new boutique hotel project from Austin-based hospitality group Bunkhouse in collaboration with real estate development firm, Mountain Shore Properties, has opened in the heart of Louisville’s East Market District. The opening marks a series of firsts for the brand and city, including Bunkhouse group’s first hotel project in Kentucky and the first boutique hotel for the growing East Market district, also known as NuLu.
The property is Bunkhouse’s largest hotel to date featuring 122 rooms on six floors, a lobby art gallery that pays homage to Louisville, and retail shop, alongside four culinary spaces all conceptualized by James Beard-nominated Chef Ashleigh Shanti, including an all-day ground-floor restaurant, rooftop bar and lounge with expansive city views, and intimate secret bar, in addition to a vibrant mini market that is set to open in late May. The name is inspired by a regional type of limestone, Saint Genevieve, which is a key ingredient in bourbon production and is prevalent throughout Texas. Saint Genevieve is also the patron saint of Paris, celebrating both the French origins of Louisville and the many women working on the project.
Designed in collaboration by Bunkhouse and ROHE Creative, a female-owned and operated Philadelphia-based interior design firm, with architecture by Memphis-based LLW Architects, Hotel Genevieve is inspired by a city that is much more layered than bourbon and horses, with design that represents the nuances that make Louisville a destination for all.
The four distinct culinary concepts by Culinary Director Ashleigh Shanti, feature unique, immersive takes on Southern classics with global flair.
Rosettes, the ground-floor all-day restaurant named for the ribbons won in horse races, offers a lively food experience driven by simple, local ingredients and inspired by al fresco Parisian cafés and Shanti’s Southern/Appalachian background. Attached to the lobby, the space is elegant and comes with Royer-inspired lighting and outdoor seating.
The first rooftop for the Bunkhouse brand, Hotel Genevieve Bar offers cocktails and light-fare inspired by French street food with Mediterranean influences set against sweeping views of the city and the Ohio River. With French nods to the city’s namesake, King Louis XVI, the light-filled space with indoor and outdoor seating features a grand chandelier from Olde Good Things, and has an elevated and fun take on traditional, shareable bar food.
The hotel is also home to Lucky Penny, an intimate speakeasy open for cocktails and bar snacks late into the night, which is hidden inside Mini Marché, the soon-to-open neighborhood market with a bright yellow design offering local Kentucky provisions along with coffee and grab-and-go selections for breakfast and lunch including breakfast sandwiches, Chef Ashleigh’s famous banana bread, and fresh produce.
As Bunkhouse’s first hotel in Louisville, Genevieve plans to collaborate with local partners to offer community-driven experiences that the Bunkhouse brand is known for, celebrating Louisville’s culture through programming with partners such as Black Soil Kentucky, Louisville Orchestra, and the Olmsted Parks Conservancy. This will include an art walk created in collaboration with a neighbor of the hotel, the acclaimed Rabbit Hole Distillery, highlighting local and U.S.-based artists through rotating mural installations, which will enhance connectivity to the distillery. Rabbit Hole will also create a brand new, signature single barrel bourbon for the hotel, with curated artist-designed labels adorning the bottle. Additional collaborations include the in-room zine with local creative studio Zimmer-Design and artwork sourced from Wheelhouse Gallery.
Room rates start from $179/per night. To learn more, visit www.hotelgenevive.com
Related Stories
New Waterloo Announces Expansion into Baltimore
Dunton Hot Springs Adds 130-Year-Old Cabin to Accommodations
Vegas’ Circa Resort & Casino Launches New Bachelorette Packages