Kentucky is more layered than bourbon and horses.
It’s home to charming hotels, historic architecture, locavore dining, and unique local shops. Its two largest cities, Louisville and Lexington — just 75 miles apart — present two vastly different ways to experience The Bluegrass State in all its splendor. So, whether your idea of a romantic weekend involves a city adventure brimming with activities or a slower-paced escape steeped in natural beauty, Kentucky’s got you covered.
Louisville
Where to stay: Hotel Genevieve
Much like the city where it resides, Hotel Genevieve, tucked away in Louisville’s vibrant East Market District, is a beautiful juxtaposition of styles, melding fresh architecture with curated design elements that reflect the “River City’s” storied history. Bold colorways coupled with vintage and modern furnishings, eclectic art, and ample greenery create communal spaces that read like an enchanting mashup of Old World meets Parisian mod. The sunny St. Genevieve Suite, washed in striking yellow from floor to ceiling, with a king bed and separate living area, offers a decidedly luxe space for your stay. Landscape paintings and prints by Kentucky- born artist, John Paul Kesling, and quilt-inspired artwork from local sustainable decor and fashion brand, Anchal Project, add whimsical Southern touches to the sophisticated setting. Step into the glammy bathroom and you’ll find custom-designed kimono robes, Sferra linens, and luxurious Le Labo bath amenities to further enhance your stay.
Four culinary concepts reside within the hotel. The rooftop Bar Genevieve offers a perfect perch for sipping champagne while taking in panoramic views of the cityscape and the Ohio River below. To drink, there are craft cocktails like The Louisville, made with Knob Creek, Cynar, Dry Curacao, lime, and cinnamon. The concise food menu focuses on French-inspired bites with everything from oysters on the half shell to Lyonnaise salad to a Parisian sandwich made with Broadbent ham, blackberry mostarda, mayo, and Gruyère. At Mini Marché, a bright yellow-clad market on the ground level, you’ll find elevated convenience store bites, along with fresh coffee and breakfast sandwiches in the mornings, plus local provisions. Lucky Penny, the hotel’s intimate speakeasy, open for cocktails and bar snacks late into the night, is tucked away in a hidden locale behind the market and is well worth the effort of seeking it out. On the ground floor lies the newest addition, Byrdie’s, a French bistro with Southern influences from the husband and wife duo James Beard-nominated Chef Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo.
In the bustling NuLu neighborhood that surrounds the hotel, there is no shortage of things to do. Quills Coffee, housed in a reimagined 19th-century firehouse, is a must stop for morning coffee. Bourbon lovers (and modern-architecture lovers) will appreciate a tour at Rabbit Hole Distillery. The ultra-mod cathedral, complete with a large-scale rabbit mural across the roof, offers an immersive guest experience that celebrates the art and science of Bourbon — with every step of the process on display. If fine art is on the agenda, head over to Old Louisville, home to the largest collection of restored Victorian homes in the country, as well as the Speed Art Museum, where you can get lost for an entire day immersed in the exhibitions and collections that span thousands of years.
With so many options, it can be difficult to choose where to eat and drink in Louisville. You can go traditional with Hot Browns inside the iconic Brown Hotel or visit 610 Magnolia for modern Southern fare from James Beard Award-winning Chef Edward Lee, but you don’t want to leave Louisville without a meal at Meesh Meesh. Chef Noam Bilitzer presents a menu of incredibly flavorful Levantine-focused dishes that are ideal for sharing, cozied up in a corner.
(Hotel Genevieve, 730 E Market St., Louisville, KY, 502-676-7199; bunkhousehotels.com/hotel-genevieve)
Lexington
Where to stay: The Manchester
There’s nothing quite like flying into Lexington and catching the birds-eye-view of the rolling bluegrass hills dotted with horse farms below. But the drive can be just as captivating, as the scenery segues from pastoral hills to a compact downtown bustling with galleries, shops, restaurants, and bars. Here, in the heart of the revitalized Distillery District, built on the site of the city’s first registered bourbon producer (the Ashland Distillery established in 1865), is where you’ll find Lexington’s newest boutique hotel, The Manchester. Arched interiors anchor spaces where vintage furnishings and custom pieces from Moroccan artisans synchronized in warm bourbon hues fill the room. The refined guest rooms extend a similar Southern welcome, with deep blue walls, leather-upholstered headboards, and sultry velvet drapes that flank the floor-to-ceiling windows. As you would expect in the heart of Bourbon Country, mini-fridges are well-stocked with local bourbon and rye.
At Granddam, the hotel’s grand dining hall outfitted with snug leather chairs and banquettes, you’ll discover Appalachian-inspired dishes morning to night, like pork belly hash; chili sorghum salad; and hog hornado with mussels, prepared with smoked pork butt, house annatto dry rub, coconut milk, holy trinity, corn, and sourdough toast. No surprise that the cocktail list features plenty of bourbon- based beverages, but there are a variety of other spirits masterfully mixed into tasty concoctions, too.
For an entirely different mood, head up to Lost Palm. The tropical rooftop drinking parlor steeped in a retro 60s South Florida vibe is made for sipping tiki drinks and passing shared bites like arepas, empanadas, tacos, tostados, and guac. For an extra special experience, reserve a cabana and snuggle up for brunch with a sharable cocktail, like the Bacardi Scorpion Bowl, a rum punch for two, with passion fruit, honey, citrus, falernum, and maraschino cherries.
While you’re in the heart of horse country, getting up close and personal with the beautiful animals seems like the right thing to do. At Claiborne Farm, one of the most iconic Thoroughbred breeding farms in Kentucky, you can stroll the beloved bluegrass fields, while learning about the farm’s connection to Triple Crown Winner Secretariat, along with more than 80 other champions. And, if you feel like exploring downtown Lexington on your own, you can easily spend a day meandering between distilleries, shops, and restaurants, but the tour company Bites of Bluegrass can also take care of the planning for you. Their guided excursions, focused on food, distilleries, cocktails, and even haunted corners of the city, are a great way to relax and get a feel for all Lexington has to offer.
For a quintessential Kentucky dining experience, reserve a table at Holy Hill Inn during your stay. The stunning grounds and quaint historical setting provide a welcoming backdrop for celebrated Chef Ouita Michel’s menus, built around fresh, seasonal ingredients from local farmers, with many ingredients coming from the restaurant’s own backyard.
(The Manchester, 941 Manchester St., Lexington, KY, 859-785- 3900; themanchesterky.com)