Bunkhouse, the Austin-based hospitality company founded on the pillars of design, music, and authentic community-driven experiences, has announced a new hotel project in Louisville, named Hotel Genevieve. Scheduled to open in spring 2023, this will be the brand’s first hotel project in Kentucky.
The property, with architecture by Memphis-based LLW Architects, is located in the heart of the NuLu neighborhood, featuring 122 rooms on six floors, along with a restaurant, lush rooftop, mini market, and intimate bar. Hotel Genevieve’s name is inspired by a regional type of limestone, Saint Genevieve, which is a key ingredient in bourbon production. Limestone is prevalent throughout Texas, too—providing a through line from Bunkhouse origins to their new chapter in Kentucky. Saint Genevieve is also a female saint and the patron saint of Paris celebrating both the French origins of Louisville, which was named after King Louis XVI of France, as well as the women involved on the project. Named for King Louis XVI of France and known as Strike City, the city has French origins, but is a decidedly American city with a legacy peppered with rebels and revolutionaries.
“Our commitment to the communities we enter is genuine, and we intend to celebrate the character of the NuLu neighborhood, which we love, across cultural programming, ingredient sourcing for the menu, and the selection of regional makers and products in the retail mix,” said Amar Lalvani, Executive Chairman of Standard Hotels and Bunkhouse Group. “We could not be more thrilled with the collaborative team we’ve created to introduce Bunkhouse to Louisville.”
As Bunkhouse’s first hotel in Louisville, they will aim to provide the amenities that the NuLu neighborhood and community need, which will lead to a number of Bunkhouse firsts, including a mini-market offering curated grocery staples, which will feature fresh local produce, snacks, and beverages. The hotel will also feature the brand’s first rooftop restaurant and bar, a magical enclave providing city views in an opulent garden setting. Bunkhouse will continue to lean on the brand’s values and sense of community, by collaborating with local vendors, sourcing furniture in town, and hiring Louisville-born staff. The neighboring Rabbit Hole Distillery is partnering with Bunkhouse and Mountain Shore Properties, the Charleston-based developers of the project, to create an art garden at the neighboring lot that will help facilitate access from Market Street to Jefferson Street as well as enhance connectivity to the distillery from Market Street.
Bunkhouse is partnering with ROHE Creative, a female-owned and operated design team based in Philadelphia, on the interior design of the project. As the city is much more layered than bourbon and horses, the design represents the nuances that make Louisville a destination for all. An intersection of unexpected opposites, the hotel dives into Strike City’s history. The lobby and restaurant’s signature bold colors, playful furniture, and vivacious art program will all lend themselves to the rebels and revolutionaries that have come from Louisville. The Parisian-inspired rooftop restaurant and bar will include French nods to the city’s namesake, King Louis XVI, and will heavily feature Louisville’s vibrant local flora. Corridors and guest rooms will offer a feminine touch with curves found in paint details and custom furniture. Kentucky’s quilt culture also became a muse, including modern quilting patterns in the corridor carpet and bedroom throws. This myriad of inspiration culminates in a design that is effortless, vibrant, and, in the best ways, a bit over the top.
