If it isn’t clear from the hip, art-filled lobby or the banana-yellow café and market you pass on your way up to the rooms at Hotel Genevieve, it’ll be the robes in the bathroom that hook you—lightweight and colorful, they spurn the white-fluffy-robe vibe of more corporate hotels. With its blend of mid-century modern and art deco decor, the space is fun, comfortable, and a little bit flirty. Run by Bunkhouse, an Austin-based property management group, Hotel Genevieve opened right before Derby Day in 2023, bringing a playful stay to the East Market District. Situated directly behind the Rabbit Hole Distillery (they share ownership), the brand-new building feels like it’s been part of the neighborhood for years—the arches and windows match nearby historic architecture, and murals around the building speak to the neighborhood’s roots. There’s also plenty to explore on-site, like Rosettes, the French with Southern flair main dining room, a tucked-away speakeasy, and striking views from the rooftop bar.
The Neighborhood: Set on Market Street in the historic NuLu neighborhood, the hotel has prime positioning to enjoy the city’s nightlife and restaurant scene—Bar Vetti, La Bodeguita de Mima, and chef Edward Lee’s new Nami Steakhouse are all within a block or two. You’re also less than a mile from downtown and Whiskey Row.
The Food Scene: Louisville gained a whole day and night’s worth of new dining options inside this one hotel. There’s Mini Marché, a banana-themed coffee and pastry shop and daytime market with grab-and-go baguette sandwiches and boxes of sake; Rosettes, a brunch spot currently serving “hot madame” sandwiches and cornmeal flapjacks; the indoor-outdoor rooftop Bar Genevieve filled with greenery, a sultry green marble bar, and subtle nods to horse racing (sidle up there for the mini burgers with a side of asiago rosemary fries); and finally Lucky Penny, a speakeasy hidden behind a fridge door inside Mini Marché. Designed to look like the inside of a disco ball, which was first patented in Louisville in 1917, this weekends-only, late-night bar is just the place for classic cocktails whipped up by bartenders who like to put on a show.
The Digs: A little hip, a little art deco, the 122 rooms here feel pulled from a Parisian walk-up, with high, hand-plastered ceilings, rich, warming colors, and those artsy kimono robes hanging in the bathrooms. For any last-minute needs, there’s a maker’s market supplied with many Kentucky-made goods in the lobby, which also features a gallery’s worth of lovely art, much of which was produced by female and African American artists.
