Located in the heart of the hip NuLu neighborhood in Louisville, Hotel Genevieve is the first hotel to open in the beautiful state of Kentucky, USA, from the acclaimed Austin-based hospitality company Bunkhouse group. The hotel’s identity is inspired by Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, which celebrates the French origins of the city, while the name is also a regional type of limestone that is a key ingredient in bourbon production and remains prevalent throughout Texas, providing a link to the origins of Bunkhouse.
Situated in Louisville’s growing East Market District, Hotel Genevieve is a new hotel project from Austin’s acclaimed hospitality group Bunkhouse in collaboration with real estate development firm, Mountain Shore Properties. At 122 rooms, it is Bunkhouse’s largest hotel to date and melds new architecture with considered touches that reference the city’s one-of-a kind history. The hotel features an all-day ground-floor restaurant, rooftop bat and lounge with expansive city views, vibrant mini market and intimate secret bar.
Designed in collaboration by Bunkhouse and ROHE Creative, a female-owned and operated Philadelphia-based interior design firm, 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: an intersection of unexpected opposites, the hotel dives into the River City’s history. Richly decorated, each design accent tells a story, from bold usages of color to a playful mix of vintage and modern furniture, and a vivacious art program featuring local talent. As Bunkhouse’s first urban core hotel, the design leans heavily on verdant green hues to contrast the metropolitan structure and location. Luxurious and feminine architectural details bring life to the space and reference the city’s namesake, King Louis XVI, heavily featuring Louisville’s vibrant local flora and fauna, with Goldenrod shining throughout the suites and ground floor restaurant.
Four distinct culinary concepts are found throughout the hotel, concepted by Culinary Director Ashleigh Shanti, who brings a distinct voice rooted in African American foodways to the city. Awarded 2019 Eater Young Gun and named a 2020 finalist for the James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year, Shanti weaves her passion for food history and storytelling to create an inviting culinary perspective. Each concept will 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 rustic ingredients and inspired by al fresco Parisian cafés and Shanti’s Southern/Appalachian background.
Attached to the lobby, the space is elegant while maintaining a warm atmosphere, boasting brasserie details – café curtains, Royer-inspired lighting and outdoor seating – that invite guests to linger over morning coffee and celebratory dinners.
EAT & DRINK
The rooftop lounge, 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. The light-filled space with indoor and outdoor seating is loaded with toast-worthy accents, like a grand chandelier from Olde Good Things, and features an elevated and fun take on traditional, shareable bar food. Mini Marché is the hotel’s mini market located off the lobby, which is part convenience store, part pop art installation, offering local Kentucky provisions and handmade goods by local artisans along with coffee and grab-and- go selections for breakfast and lunch including breakfast sandwiches, Chef Ashleigh’s famous banana bread, and fresh produce. Mini Marché is also the entrance to the secretive pocket bar, Lucky Penny, which has a speakeasy vibe and is open for cocktails and bar snacks late into the night.
SAINT GENEVIEVE, THE PATRON OF PARIS
The hotel’s name is inspired by a regional type of limestone, Saint Genevieve, which is a key ingredient in bourbon production and is prevalent throughout Texas, providing a link to the origins of Bunkhouse as it embarks on this new chapter in Kentucky. Saint Genevieve is also the patron saint of Paris, celebrating both the French origins of Louisville and the many women that worked to bring the hotel to life.
This inspiration can be seen throughout the rooms, which offer a truly immersive experience with colours, such as shades of blue, terracotta and warm yellow, enveloping every surface including the ceiling. Custom, curvaceous consoles from ROHE in an ivory high-gloss lacquer reflect the saturated hues and add another layer of luminescence to the room. The bathrooms are equally luxe, with a vanity that speaks to the feminine curves of the console, crafted from cultured marble that is custom mix of marble dust leftover from the 60s.
