The Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, KY, is exactly how a historic hotel should be. Opulence, inspiration for one of the greatest American novels ever written, gangsters, and ghosts make the Seelbach the perfect place to stay when visiting Louisville.
Opened in 1905 by two German brothers, it was Louisville’s first grand hotel. The downtown location is central for many of the tourist sites, such as the Mohammad Ali and Louisville Slugger museums, and just a few miles to Churchill Downs.
As soon as you walk through the front entrance, you can see why F. Scott Fitzgerald used it as inspiration for the Buchanan wedding in The Great Gatsby. It’s grand, gorgeous, and worth seeing, even if you aren’t staying at the hotel.
But the lobby isn’t the only beautiful and fascinating space worth checking out. The Bavarian-style Rathskeller, one floor below the lobby, is one of the most unique areas of a hotel that I’ve ever seen. It’s made entirely of rookwood pottery that was made in Cincinnati and shipped down the river. It is full of beautiful designs, such as apples, pelicans for good luck, and the original owner’s family crest. While it was used for parties, it also has a secret tunnel that Al Capone used to escape from the police.
Al Capone also used to spend time in what was the gentleman’s club and is now the Oakroom. You can still see where they used to play pool in the billiards room and cards in the poker room. It’s now used primarily for weddings and banquets.
Finally, on to our room. We booked a king bed room, and that’s what we got. The hotel was pretty full, so no upgrade. My Hilton Diamond status did get us a $30 food and beverage credit per day though, which we used at the bar.
The room was pretty basic compared to the rest of the hotel. It was sparsely furnished and didn’t have much decor. The bathroom was small and there wasn’t much counter space, which drives me crazy. But the bed was comfortable and the AC worked, so it was fine. Plus they kept the shoe shine box on the door, which I thought was fun. Back in the day, you put your dirty shoes in there at night and they were shined and put back before you got up.
We didn’t see the resident ghost, the ‘Lady in Blue’ Patricia Wilson, who died falling down the service elevator shaft in the 1920’s. In 1987, two people reported seeing her from two different areas, but she hasn’t been seen since.
The hotel channel, one of my favorite things to watch while traveling, featured the hotel historian and Master Concierge of the the hotel Larry Johnson. I learned most of the fascinating history from watching him. You can watch his videos on the hotel website.
Our two-night stay was $632 with valet parking and taxes. We stayed just a few days before the Kentucky Derby, so it was on the higher side of average prices. But it was absolutely worth it. It was so fun to stay in a hotel so rich in history, with so many features still the same today. If I go back to Louisville (which was one of the most surprising and underrated cities on this trip) I would insist on staying here again.
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