LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Galt House Hotel is starting the new decade with a new look. People driving past are already noticing some changes to the outside, but that's just a small part of an $80 million renovation.

Earlier this month, crews installed the new signs outside. For general manager Patrick Gregory, the new sign marks renovation progress.

"It really makes it feel like the project is coming to completion," Gregory said.

That new exterior comes with a new interior to match. Most of the construction on the hotel's west tower, which included renovating 639 rooms, 5,000 square feet of meeting space and the lobby area, finished up in December.

"A lot of the renovations are based on the hotel certainly being older, but also the hospitality footprint in Louisville is growing," Gregory said.

Now, it is the east tower's turn for a facelift. Some of the guest rooms should be completed by the end of the month. The Galt House plans to reopen part of the lobby in time for Thunder Over Louisville. The rest of the lobby is slated to open back up again in the summer, which would mark the end of a two-year project.