VERSAILLES, Ky. — Tourists in Central Kentucky will soon be able to stay at the Rickhouse Hotel, the region's first boutique hotel and distillery combination.
"So, a group of investors and I are purchasing a set of historic buildings in downtown Versailles and converting them into the first boutique hotel and distillery combination in central Kentucky," said Alex Riddle, one of the hotel's investors. "So, capitalizing on the bourbon tourism market, equine tourism, and then we're going to offer a high-end boutique hotel experience as well."
The Rickhouse Hotel, whose name is a reference to whiskey aging warehouses where barrels are stored, is a new business start-up created in 2019 with the purchase and renovation of a 36,000+ square foot facility in downtown Versailles. The buildings will be renovated and transformed into a bourbon and horseracing-themed boutique hotel that includes a restaurant and micro-distillery.
"We really want to capitalize on bourbon tourism to support the hotel. So that's going to be a natural draw to support the hotel. It's also going to be a natural draw to the distillery that you can stay onsite where the product is being distilled," said Riddle. "So, I think that that's, it's a really unique offering that nobody else has right now."
The hotel will include 44 rooms, each designed and decorated by a local entrepreneur with deep bourbon or horse industry ties. The rooms will also feature works from major local horse farms and distilleries.
"So, our hope and our plan is to open the doors in January of 2022, that would be a very reasonable construction timeline," said Riddle. "It would allow us to close on the real estate, which is under contract right now. And then it also allows us to do some fun projects."
The hotel plans to deliver a unique experience to guests, with fun projects that will ultimately showcase the art of the distilling process as well as offer dining creations from master chefs.
"The Rick House Hotel and Distillery is just that. It's a boutique hotel and distillery," said Riddle. "A place where community members want to go to the restaurant, go to the bar because it's a unique, fun experience that provides something of value that they haven't had before."
People will be able to visit the Rickhouse and fully immerse in bluegrass culture in 2022.