Fun fact: I was standing inside the Evan Williams gift shop in Downtown Louisville when I decided to start my food, drink + travel blog a few years ago. It was my first time on the bourbon trail and I fell in love. So now any time we get to travel to Louisville it’s extra exciting! We recently partnered with The Galt House Hotel for a weekend getaway there, and it could not have been a more perfect place to stay.
The Galt House Hotel
The legendary Galt House Hotel is Louisville’s only waterfront hotel right on the river. It recently went through $80 million renovation last year, and we were so impressed with all of the updates! Upon arrival we went on a tour of the property to see the renovations, updates, suites, and event spaces. They have 1,310 guest rooms and suites, 130,000 square-feet of event space, over 50 meeting rooms and 70 residences. Our suite was very spacious and included a living space, large bathroom, and bedroom with a king sized bed. I can imagine how perfect their suites would be for larger groups visiting the area.
The part we were most excited for was to check out all of their different on-site food and beverage destinations. I’ve personally never seen so many great options in one hotel before, and I’ve been to quite a few! We had the chance to try out most of them including Swizzle Dinner & Drinks, Walker’s Exchange, and Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar. Our first stop was to enjoy a cocktail in the conservatory bar that overlooks the river. This bartop is the longest bar in the city, and the natural light pouring in the room gives it a phenomenal ambiance. I enjoyed a Manhattan on while taking in the views! There is also a coffee shop located in the conservatory as well.
Bourbon Tasting
Next up we did a bourbon tasting at Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar before heading to dinner. Jockey Silks is an original member of the Urban Bourbon Trail, and I highly recommend making a stop here a priority when visiting! They have an impressive selection of whiskey and bourbon curated by connoisseurs. You can enjoy a tasting, flight, cocktails and even food. The atmosphere felt like a classic bourbon bar while still feeling very elegant, and the service from the bartenders was amazing. We really enjoyed chatting with the while we sipped on our bourbon! You can get more information and check out their menu here.
Restaurants
We dined at Swizzle Dinner & Drinks for dinner and Sunday brunch during our visit! Swizzle is a retro-style supper club inspired eatery, on the 25th floor of the Galt House Hotel’s West Tower. It has twin revolving floors that provide a 360 degree view overlooking city skyline and river. We could not get over how impressed we were with this place. It is a STUNNING space for a nice dinner, and the view is just an added bonus! The service, food, and drinks were amazing as well. Our servers were very knowledgable of the menu and provided great recommendations that we ended up loving!
My favorite part was definitely the Smoked Old Fashioned, which they bring out in the smoker tableside to you. For dinner I tried the Scallops, and my husband had the Cowboy Ribeye. Everything was absolutely delicious! Brunch is served small plates style, which we are big fans of because that allows us to try a little bit of everything. I really enjoyed the Bloody Mary, Chicken and Waffles, Biscuits and Gravy, and the Shrimp and Grits. Highly recommend having dinner or brunch here while visiting! You can learn more and check out their full menu here.
Last but not least, Walker’s Exchange is a fantastic spot to enjoy breakfast or brunch before heading out for a long day of distillery tours. They offer a breakfast buffet option as well as a standard menu. We opted for the buffet so we could try a little bit of everything and fuel up for a busy day ahead. You can learn more and check out their full menu here.
Things to do near The Galt House Hotel
As far as activities to do while you are in the area, there are a ton of options near The Galt House! While in town we ended up visiting a couple of distilleries, including Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery. Located in the historic Fort Nelson building on Main Street, this distillery is home to a legendary historic distillation system. The Galt House team hooked us up with a private tour and tasting there, which was such an awesome experience. We were able to bottle our very on bottles of their Barrel Strength Rye, and even got them signed by their Master Distiller! They also have a gift shop and stunning bar onsite as well. To learn more about booking a tour or tasting, visit: https://michters.com/
We also stopped by one of the many museums Louisville has to offer. The Frazier History Museum is all about Kentucky History, and we loved browsing the various exhibits. As an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the Frazier documents history using artifacts, exhibitions, and live interpretations performed daily. It also is home to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center and the Spirit of Kentucky. When the exhibit opened in 2018 it became the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail! We loved seeing all of the vintage bottles they had. This spot is an awesome start to any Bourbon Trail trip for sure.
Overall, we had a fantastic stay at The Galt House Hotel, and we would definitely plan to stay here again on our (many) future trips to Louisville! If you are interested in planning a trip here, you can take advantage of a 10% discount by booking your stay here: www.wyndhamhotels.com/hotels/52579?corporate_id=1000057085
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