Opened in 2025, The Trail Hotel in Bardstown, Kentucky, sounds like a bourbon paradise. The revived property, a reimagining of a Holiday Inn built five decades prior, promises multiple bars, VIP distillery experiences, a private-label whiskey line, a “rejuvenation” room (ideal for post-bourbon jaunts) and a dedicated whiskey concierge, aka the Bourbon Butler.
Dubbed the “world’s first bourbon-infused luxury hotel,” this 95-room, two-story space also offers eight signature suites and touts its proximity 11 nearby distilleries, including Heaven Hill, Maker’s Mark and James B. Beam. During my recent weekend visit to check out the launch of Shang whiskey, I stayed at the hotel and was able to eat at onsite restaurant Oak & Ember and enjoy a drink at the private bourbon lounge.
Was this going to be the theme park of bourbon? Not quite. I came away with a good experience but some critiques, mostly that the hotel could lean more into whiskey.
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What stands out about the The Trail Hotel is that it’s not an over-the-top ode to bourbon but rather a fairly tasteful and, at times, downright subtle homage. My room had a picture of a glass of bourbon and some wood accents, along with a sign that said: “Kindness served neat — tip digitally.” While I found some more prominent whiskey themes throughout the property, if you want a room shaped like a barrel, look elsewhere. The food at the restaurant was solid Southern-style fare with a properly voluminous bourbon list.
Some people I traveled with said they could hear whistling noises (from wind) in their rooms. Although mine faced a parking lot, I found the space to be quiet and peaceful, although its positioning on the ground level meant a lack of privacy unless my shades were completely down.
It’s not my scene, but I was told by a whiskey colleague that the hotel offers a good cigar program. There were some nice fire pits outside where I found plenty of people smoking and sipping whiskey.
What Needs Work
The space was spacious and clean, which — along with good Wi-Fi — is 90% of what I want in a hotel room that I don’t plan on spending a lot of time in. That said, I wish The Trail dug into the bourbon theme more. For example, there was no minibar, meaning no whiskey to sip on in the room, which seems like a missed opportunity.
The food at Oak & Ember was delicious and the service was friendly but occasionally slow. Because of what the waitstaff called a “distributor problem,” several items were not available the night we had dinner, including pretty much all the seafood and espresso. There was also only one bartender working for a fairly decent-sized crowd.
I didn’t get a chance to use the Bourbon Butler, so it’s difficult for me to gauge the effectiveness of that service. The hotel website claims the butler can help you set up one of three different VIP distillery experiences, along with other dining and golf excursions. But for those with less structured plans, Bardstown is not within walking distance, so it was sometimes difficult to procure a ride to and from the hotel. We ended up using Uber about half of the time, though we were able to get a ride back one night when ride-shares were harder to come by (not a lot of taxi services in Bardstown). An hourly shuttle bus offered by the hotel could be a solution.
For all The Trail’s wellness offerings, the lack of a gym was disappointing. I didn’t get a chance to try the other health amenities or the pool, and there’s also an on-property golf simulator I missed, so I’d be keen to check those out next time.
Overall Impression
If I was with a large group that wanted to indulge in a multi-distillery visit, I would certainly consider The Trail Hotel, with the hope that transportation could be arranged in advance. I don’t know if the property would be as enjoyable in winter, so stick to the warmer months and plan to spend a night (at most) enjoying the property’s amenities and dining/drinking options.
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