LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Executives from Omni Hotels & Resorts, along with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, the Metro Council, leaders from the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Louisville Downtown Partnership, broke ground today on the Omni Louisville Hotel. The 30-story property will reflect Louisville’s warmth and hospitality, while embracing and celebrating the city’s authentic quality and charm. The hotel will be the luxury brand’s first property in Kentucky.
Set to open in early 2018, the Omni Louisville will be a catalyst to the city’s growth and urban development. Considered the tallest hotel in Louisville and located at Liberty and 2nd Street, one block from the Kentucky International Convention Center, the hotel will be the cornerstone in the city’s most exclusive entertainment, retail, and office district. The hotel will feature 612 guestrooms and suites topped by 225 luxury apartments.
The culinary experiences at Omni Louisville will include an all-day dining venue, lobby lounge, rooftop pool bar and grill, as well as an iconic Bob’s Steak & Chop House as the hotel’s fine-dining establishment serving traditional, American prime cut steaks.
The hotel will offer approximately 70,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. Meeting and convention attendees will have access to an additional 300,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space at the Kentucky International Convention Center.
Guests will have access to an urban rooftop pool deck, fitness center, a Mokara signature spa, lobby art gallery, and a Speakeasy with a bowling alley.
A dynamic, modern, urban lifestyle market will connect to the hotel’s lobby. Transforming Liberty Street into a pedestrian thoroughfare, the market will serve as a community gateway for hotel guests, residents, and locals alike.
“Louisville is a premier destination and we are incredibly excited to be a part of the city’s continued evolution—we look forward to building upon the great successes that Louisville has already achieved,” said Mike Deitemeyer, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts. “Louisville embodies everything we look for when selecting a new Omni location. It is a global city, home to a vibrant and growing business community, diverse neighborhoods, a healthy infrastructure, and a dynamic city center. Working together with Mayor Greg Fischer, the Metro Council and a host of other Louisville leaders, we are eager to establish the Omni Louisville Hotel as an economic development catalyst for the city and help make Louisville an unforgettable destination for years to come.”
The $289 million public/private project is estimated to create 765 construction jobs—with 20 percent minority and five percent woman-owned business participation—and 320 permanent jobs. Omni is paying 52 percent of the development costs ($150 million) and the city and state providing 48 percent ($139 million), which includes a rebate of taxes generated by the project, $17 million for a parking garage to be constructed and owned by the Parking Authority of River City (PARC), and $17 million, the value of the land.
“Today was much more than just breaking ground on the Omni Louisville Hotel,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “Today’s groundbreaking is symbolic of the future transformation of our city and the prosperity yet to come. This hotel will not only help bolster our reputation as a leading meetings and leisure destination, but will serve as a cornerstone where our downtown community can connect. We look forward to a very prosperous relationship with Omni.”
