downtown louisville hotels | Calhoun Construction

NOW OPEN: Check out the new downtown Homewood Suites

By Marty Finley
– Reporter, Louisville Business First

Mar 28, 2018, 1:42pm EDT
Updated Mar 28, 2018, 2:56pm

Another downtown Louisville hotel has opened its doors ahead of the Kentucky Derby.

The 133-room Homewood Suites by Hilton Louisville Downtown debuted March 21 at 635 W. Market St., offering another extended-stay downtown option for business and leisure travelers a short walk from the city’s Museum Row.

The eight-story hotel, which stands at 105,000 square feet, is a collaboration between HBGM Partners — a company controlled by Louisville businessman Tim Mulloy and his brothers, Pat and Mark, who own the property — and Louisville real estate development firm Poe Cos.

Indianapolis-based real estate firm REI Real Estate Services also is a partner on the project with the Mulloys and Poe, and White Lodging Services is a partner and manager of the property.

Louisville-based Calhoun Construction Services Inc. was the general contractor, and Atlanta-based PFVS Architecture handled the architectural services. The estimated development cost was $25 million, and it took about 15 months to construct.

Jay Nichols, general manager of the new hotel, gave Louisville Business First a tour of the facility on Tuesday afternoon. He said nightly rates start at $179 during the week and $139 on weekends, and the rates vary based on length of stay. He described the typical stay for a downtown hotel of this type at five to 12 days.

“The longer you stay, the lower the rate gets,” he said.

Nichols said the Homewood Suites brand primarily sees business travelers during the week and families during weekends and on special occasions, such as spring break.

The hotel has a large lounge area with flat-screen televisions, a pool table and a small business center. A dining area offers daily complimentary breakfast and an evening social Monday through Thursday. The evening social, he said, includes a full meal and beverages at no charge to guests.

“The travelers who stay a single night still love it because they get breakfast and dinner,” Nichols said.

Another interesting feature is a heated outdoor terrace connected to the lobby area with fire pits, two gas grills and plenty of lounge seating. Nichols said the terrace is open every day of the year.

“It’s nice to have an outdoor feel in a downtown setting,” he said.

The hotel also has an indoor pool and a 24-hour fitness center.

The remaining seven floors are dedicated to the hotel suites, more than 100 of which have studio layouts. The remaining suites are one-bedroom layouts with either a king-sized bed or double queen beds.

Because it is an extended-stay property, each room has a seating area with a pullout sofa and a full kitchen stocked with pots, pans and utensils for cooking. Local art adorns the rooms.

This is the latest in a slew of hotels that have opened in Louisville of late. Last week, we toured the Tru by Hilton Louisville East in Jeffersontown, and the 30-story Omni Louisville Hotel opened its doors downtown in early March.

Also, the extended-stay Marriott Towneplace Suites Louisville North is tentatively set to open in early April next to the Big Four Bridge in Jeffersonville.

To take a closer look at the new Homewood Suites property, check out the attached slideshow.


Omni to debut model rooms as construction intensifies downtown

 

Dallas-based Omni Hotels & Resorts LLC plans to unveil model rooms for the 30-story Omni Louisville Hotel later this month.

In a monthly newsletter that debuted this morning, the company said the model rooms will be completely furnished and will provide a glimpse of what the hotel rooms will look like once the Omni opens in spring 2018. The rooms, according to the newsletter, will feature Louisville landmarks, and the design will be heavily influenced by local culture.

The newsletter did not provide a date for when the model rooms will be available for view or where they will be located. 

The newsletter, “Eyes on Omni,” also provided a brief update on construction, stating that crews have completed the installation of 1,200 75-foot piers for the project, which require a deep foundation. That rings up to 90,000 feet of foundation piers, which is more than 17 miles.

Work will accelerate even more once the fourth floor slabs and columns are in place, which is expected to happen soon. The company said two floors of the hotel tower will be constructed every month once that happens.

Crews also are working on the median along Second Street next to the development, which also is bounded by Third and Liberty streets and Muhammad Ali Boulevard. The newsletter says the median work will be completed this month and that the median eventually will be replaced with a double turn lane for left-turn access to the Omni.

The Omni Louisville Hotel is expected to have more than 600 hotel rooms and 225 luxury apartments alongside multiple restaurants, lounge space, a speakeasy and flexible meeting space among other amenities.

Here are a few other interesting tidbits from the newsletter:

  • Omni Louisville’s team recently completed a “marathon tasting tour” of the Louisville region’s restaurants and distilleries to help develop food and beverage plans for the new facility. Eamon O’Brien, Omni Louisville’s director of sales and marketing, will share his favorite stops on Instagram, @EOBourbonCity.
  • Omni was recently named “Highest in Upper-Upscale Segment Guest Satisfaction” in the J.D. Power 2016 North American Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index study.

Marty Finley covers economic development, commercial and residential real estate, government and sports business.