Bardstown Motor Lodge
418 E Stephen Foster Ave
Bardstown, KY
The 1959 Kentucky motor court, reborn across from bourbon country's most famous front porch.
About Bardstown Motor Lodge
The story starts in 1937, when Merrill and Annette Kurtz built a limestone building in Bardstown, Kentucky: family home on the upper level, Kurtz Restaurant below. In 1959, the Kurtzes opened the one-story Parkview Motel on an adjoining lot on the same day the Stephen Foster Story outdoor drama debuted across the street at My Old Kentucky Home State Park. The motel and restaurant ran together for 84 years before closing in December 2021. Louisville-based Weyland Ventures bought the property and undertook its preservation and restoration, reopening it in 2022 as the Bardstown Motor Lodge, with Toogie's Table in the original Kurtz Restaurant space. The property is listed in the Bardstown Local Historic District and on the National Register of Historic Places, and sits at the center of Bourbon Country.
What Bardstown Motor Lodge Is Known For
The Bardstown Motor Lodge is the first full-service boutique hotel intentionally designed for bourbon tourism in the state that invented bourbon. Its commitment to Kentucky ingredients, local collaboration, and the preservation of a genuine 1959 motor court, rather than a constructed facsimile of one, reflects an understanding of why the Bourbon Trail draws people in the first place: authenticity that can't be manufactured after the fact. The welcome at Toogie's Table (half-priced wine and appetizers for arriving guests) treats hospitality as a practice, not a policy.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- WiFi
- Bardstown Swim Club pool with cabanas and tanning deck
- Poolside bar
- Fire pit courtyard
- Retro rec room with bar games
- Toogie's Table farm-to-table restaurant on site
- Drive-up motor court parking
- In-room coffee maker
- Mini fridge in every room
- Pet-friendly (one-time fee)
- My Old Kentucky Home State Park directly across the street
What Guests Love
- Only full-service boutique hotel built for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
- 1959 motor court restored, not replicated
- Toogie's Table on site: arrives with half-priced wine and appetizers for guests
- Swim club pool with day passes has genuine local energy
- Fire pit courtyard anchors the evening
- Pet-friendly
- Old Talbott Tavern within 2-minute walk
Worth Knowing
- Swim club pool is seasonal: confirm open dates when booking.
- Day-pass guests are welcome at the pool: expect company on warm weekends.
- This is a larger property than most Boutels and can feel busy during peak bourbon festival weekends.
- Breakfast is not included: Toogie's Table is open for meals but priced normally.
- Pets are welcome. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
The Room
Rooms in a single-story motor court arrangement, all with drive-up access to the courtyard. Each room has the BML Signature Bed (Queen or King), a in-room coffee maker, mini fridge, and all provisions for a comfortable stay. Most rooms have direct walk-out access to the courtyard and pool area. The King Suite adds a separate living area with a queen sleeper sofa. An ADA-accessible King room with roll-in shower is available. The design keeps the mid-century motor court format with elevated comfort: the property knows exactly what it is.
The Grounds
The motor court is organized around a central outdoor gathering space: fire pit courtyard, Bardstown Swim Club pool with tanning deck and cabanas, a poolside bar, and a retro-styled rec room with bar games. Toogie's Table occupies the restored Kurtz Restaurant building on the same property, serving as the farm-to-table restaurant and the evening gathering point. The pool is open to day-pass guests for a fee, which gives the pool area genuine local energy. Directly across Stephen Foster Avenue: My Old Kentucky Home State Park, the antebellum mansion and grounds that inspired the Kentucky state song.
The Experience
Bardstown is the most concentrated bourbon tourism town in Kentucky: 11 distilleries in Nelson County make it the epicenter of what has become a multi-day excursion for a global audience. The Bardstown Motor Lodge is the property that finally matched the destination, a full-service boutique stay instead of a Fairfield or Holiday Inn Express, with fire pits and bourbon in the courtyard and the Old Talbott Tavern two minutes on foot. The bourbon lifestyle doesn't require explaining here: it's the premise from which everything else follows.
Details
Bardstown, KY 40004
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bardstown Motor Lodge have EV charging?
No, Bardstown Motor Lodge does not have EV charging.
Does Bardstown Motor Lodge have WiFi?
Yes, Bardstown Motor Lodge has WiFi.
What is there to do near Bardstown Motor Lodge?
My Old Kentucky Home State Park: Adjacent to the property. Heaven Hill Distillery: 2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. Old Talbott Tavern: 0.2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Bardstown Motor Lodge from My Old Kentucky Home State Park?
Adjacent to the property.
How far is Bardstown Motor Lodge from Heaven Hill Distillery?
2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is Bardstown Motor Lodge from Old Talbott Tavern?
0.2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
Is Bardstown Motor Lodge pet friendly?
Yes. Bardstown Motor Lodge welcomes pets. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
Is the pool open year-round?
The Bardstown Swim Club pool is seasonal. Confirm current open dates when booking.
Is Toogie's Table included in the room rate?
Arriving guests receive half-priced wine and appetizers at Toogie's Table as a welcome. The restaurant is otherwise priced normally and open to the public.
Is the pool open to non-guests?
Yes. The Swim Club offers day passes to the public for a fee. Confirm the current rate when booking.
How many distilleries are nearby?
Bardstown and Nelson County have 11 distilleries within the local area, all on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Heaven Hill is 2 miles away; Maker's Mark is approximately 15 miles.
How far is Bardstown Motor Lodge from Louisville?
About 40 miles southeast of Louisville on US-31E, roughly 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. Many guests combine a Bourbon Trail itinerary with a night in Bardstown as a midpoint between Louisville distilleries and the more rural producers further south.
Is parking available at Bardstown Motor Lodge?
Yes. Free on-site parking is available at Bardstown Motor Lodge.
Does Bardstown Motor Lodge include breakfast?
No. Breakfast is not included at Bardstown Motor Lodge.
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Things to Do Near The Kentucky Bourbon Trail
My Old Kentucky Home State Park
Adjacent to the property.
The 19th-century plantation mansion that inspired Stephen Foster's Kentucky state song, directly across the street. Museum tours led by singing guides, an 18-hole PGA golf course on the grounds, and seasonal outdoor drama performances through summer.
Heaven Hill Distillery
2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
One of the most storied independent distilleries in American bourbon history. The Bourbon Heritage Center offers one of the best distillery tour and tasting experiences on the Bourbon Trail.
Old Talbott Tavern
0.2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
One of the oldest western stagecoach stops in America, in operation since 1779. Presidents and outlaws have both passed through. Still operating as a restaurant and bar: the two-minute walk from the motor lodge makes it the obvious first-night stop.