This Luxurious Louisville Hotel is the Epitome of Southern Hospitality

The sight of the leather and teak lounge chairs, custom-crafted in Bali. The smell of the hotel’s fresh signature scent. The sound of live jazz music drifted down from the rooftop. The feel of warm Southern hospitality. It all comes together like a complex yet balanced glass of bourbon dances across your palate.

As of May 2025, this immersive sensory experience can be yours in the heart of Louisville, Kentucky, at Hotel Bourré Bonne, a Curio Collection by Hilton. What was once home to pawn shops now plays host to one of the city’s chicest stays. Through thoughtful art installations, expansive, luxury apartment-like rooms, and upscale amenities, Hotel Bourré Bonne feels timeless and trendy all at once.

Around each corner of the 168-room property, you’ll discover more to swoon over. Hotel Bourré Bonne is as much an art museum as it is a hotel. Look around in the lobby: On one wall, you’ll see a textural masterpiece crafted with books that relate to Kentucky history. On the opposite hangs a transportive painting by Tyler Robertson, 2025’s official Kentucky Derby artist. Even the sizable fitness center includes framed work featuring Louisville legend Muhammad Ali.

Uttered out loud, it becomes clear that the name is a play on the hotel’s French inspiration and the region’s rich history with corn-forward whiskey. But there’s a hidden meaning, too, and it pays tribute to Kentucky’s horse racing roots. Translated from French, “bourré bonne” means “good bet,” which is said to symbolize the strong choice visitors are making when they make the hotel their home away from home.

Before you leave the lobby and head up to your room, be sure to step over to the boutique. Alongside Frette bathrobes, branded blankets, designer sunglasses, locally-made leather goods and jewelry, and the hotel’s signature bourbon, you can find snacks tucked away inside a vintage card catalog cabinet. 

Upstairs, as you step inside your window-lined, apartment-like room, you’ll notice a stylish bar cart, a spacious desk, a cozy window seat, and a plush bed (which is equipped with motion-sensor lights at the base, which light up for nighttime bathroom runs). Get cleaned up with Firsthand Supply bath products—the rooftop pool bar and live music await Thursday through Saturday. 

After happy hour, it’s time for dinner at Steakhouse Bourré Bonne, where a shimmering open kitchen joins an eye-catching ceiling art installation that’s designed to mimic a starry night. While it might sound like an unexpected suggestion since Louisville isn’t near a coast, don’t skip the caviar. First, because it comes with pillowy mini brioche donuts. And second, because UPS has a global hub at Louisville’s airport, so all of the seafood is remarkably fresh. As are the flavors in the salads and sides, which beautifully complement the thoughtfully-sourced, juicy steaks.

By now, the rooftop fire pits are probably shining bright, so we suggest swinging back upstairs to enjoy more music and another round. You are overlooking Bourbon Row, after all.

‍Top Takeaways

‍Location: Louisville, Kentucky

Rating: Four-star

The vibe: French flair meets Southern country club.

Food + Drink: Savor breakfast (including fresh-baked pastries daily) and lunch at the lobby coffee shop, or swing by for dinner at the luxurious Steakhouse Bourré Bonne. The latter is in partnership with local restaurateur Kevin Grainger. Pair your filet, tomahawk, or salmon with “millionaire mac” and a selection from the impressive bourbon or wine lists.

Any neighborhood recs? 610 Magnolia, Decade, Hell or High Water, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean, North of Bourbon, Perso, Pretty Decent

Our favorite thing about the hotel? It’s part home away from home, part art museum. There’s even a Picasso hanging above one of the restaurant booths. The vast majority of the art is homegrown, though. Most of the sculptures, paintings, and installations nod to Kentucky history and icons, such as Muhammad Ali, horse racing, and bourbon. (Look up in the lobby to spot elegantly-arranged bourbon barrel staves.)

What’s nearby? Louisville Slugger Museum, Churchill Downs, Frazier History Museum, Bourbon Row, Muhammad Ali Center, Kentucky Performing Arts

‍Amenities: Restaurant, cafe, room service, boutique, rooftop bar, rooftop pool, fitness center, free WiFi, pet-friendly, valet

Rooms: 168

Pricing: Rooms start at $309/night.

‍Closest Airports: Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)

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