The Manchester, a new independent hotel in Lexington Kentucky’s Distillery District, is now accepting reservations and will open its doors
on June 2nd, 2023 on the weekend of the city’s Railbird Festival.
The property will be the first high-end hotel to open in the horse and bourbon capital of the world. Hoteliers Nik Feldman and Hank Morris, who have worked with numerous celebrated brands across the hospitality and real estate, developed The Manchester on the site of the historic Ashland Distillery – Lexington’s first registered bourbon producer established in 1865. Designed in partnership with Jenny Bukovec (formerly of Rockwell Group) the hotel’s soulful interiors are rooted in Lexington’s historic rickhouses and the rich tones of the surrounding Bluegrass region’s landscape. The “Rickhouse Revival” masonry facade features dramatic arches that carry throughout the property.
The hotel boasts 125 guest rooms, a bespoke bottle shop, and a spirited lobby bar and lounge alongside two unique dining and drinking spaces: Granddam, the hotel’s 140-seat feature restaurant serving a menu of Appalachian-inspired classics, and Lost Palm, an Art Deco rooftop bar and lounge that celebrates the nostalgic spirit of 1960’s South Florida racing culture. The hotel sits at the nexus of Manchester Street’s Distillery District, a historic urban neighborhood and developing hub dotted with bourbon distilleries, breweries, bars, restaurants, and event spaces.
“The city of Lexington very much deserves an exceptional-quality hotel like the one we’re opening. Whether visiting to attend a convention, cheer on UK Basketball, bet at Keeneland, or start on The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, The Manchester is where guests of Lexington will want to stay and where locals will want to hang out. Hank and I are thrilled that our vision is becoming a reality and we are excited for how it will help positively shape Lexington’s future.”
— Nik Feldman, Hotelier
“We have carefully developed the property’s concept, design, and programming to provide what we know will be a truly unique, spirited, and locally-rooted landmark hotel for Lexington. The Manchester will be all about Bluegrass hospitality, giving our guests a key to the Horse Capital of the World and locals a gathering place to come together and really call their own.”
— Hank Morris, Hotelier
