The fourth-largest hotel in Kentucky, the 588-room Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport will soon embark on a $25 million project to add new elements while updating all guest rooms, event spaces, and public areas in time for the next Kentucky Derby in May 2024.
The Al J. Schneider Company, a family-controlled firm that also owns the 1,314-room Galt House and the 304-room Embassy Suites in downtown Louisville, recently announced the upgrade plan for the Crowne Plaza. The project involves an extensive remodeling of the entire hotel, which is one block from the Kentucky Exposition Center and just across the highway from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The KEC (photo at bottom) has 56 meeting rooms and more than 1 million square feet of contiguous exposition space across three halls plus an 18,000-seat arena.
The Crowne Plaza itself has 50,000 square feet of meeting space across 24 rooms, including a 14,400-square-foot ballroom that’s divisible by four. The Schneider Company plans to remodel all of that space and possibly expand the total square footage. In addition, a bar will be added to the lobby and the hotel restaurant will be remodeled and feature a new culinary concept.
After the renovation is complete and the property hosts people coming to town for the 2024 Kentucky Derby, the individual- and group-business segments will be a primary focus for the hotel. “Bourbonism is back, group travel is back, and we're seeing business travel really begin to explode,” Schneider Company CEO Scott Shoenberger recently told Louisville news outlet WDRB.com.
Further, a nearby overflow hotel has just completed a significant renovation. The Courtyard by Marriott Louisville Airport now has an exterior design featuring wood cladding and designer lighting. The courtyard has been elevated and has a modernized fire pit and landscaping, while the interior features a revamped lobby with new furnishings, including media pods for working. The 1,350 square feet of event space has been updated and now offers more amenities. The indoor pool area is upgraded, and the on-site restaurant is refreshed as well.
Meanwhile, the Crowne Plaza headquarters property offers free shuttles to the airport terminal. It's six miles from downtown Louisville.
