The grand staircase of The Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, is a highlight of the lobby.
The lobby of The Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, is richly decorated.
A unique clock adorns the wall adjacent to The Rathskeller at The Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Rathskeller of The Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, is decorated entirely in Rookwood tiles.
The Grand Ballroom of The Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, is a popular venue for wedding receptions.
The Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, was built in 1905 by brothers Louis and Otto Seelbach, who immigrated from Germany.
The bride, her delicate train swaying behind her on the marble floor, sauntered about the lobby as guests arrived and congregated in small circles. Her beauty serving to complement the already exquisite setting: The Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.
Its history is rich. Its origins inspiring.
Using lavish materials, German brothers Otto and Louis Seelbach built the hotel in the early 1900s. Bronze from France. Marble from France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany. And stone from Kentucky. They adorned the hotel with solid mahogany furniture, Persian and Turkish rugs and Irish linens upon its completion. A beautiful combination of riches.
Through the years, the Seelbach, as one would expect, has drawn its share of notable guests. United States Presidents including William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Jimmy Carter all visited the hotel.
Celebrities and other distinguished guests, including Elvis Presley and Jackie Robinson, Robin Williams and Whitney Houston, Muhammad Ali and Nancy Lieberman, to name only a few, also spent time at The Seelbach.
Author F. Scott Fitzgerald, a regular at the hotel when he was stationed at nearby Camp Zachary Taylor in 1918, later drew inspiration from the hotel for his novel The Great Gatsby. Characters Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s wedding reception was set in the grand ballroom. Additionally, it is said that the title character, Jay Gatsby, was based on hotel guest and Cincinnati gangster George Remus.
Hotel concierge Larry Johnson eagerly shares his knowledge and enthusiasm with guests, both in person and in the form of a book he compiled to honor the hotel’s centennial.
Johnson encouraged my husband and me to explore our surroundings, especially the Rathskeller, before the bride and her guests headed that way for her reception.
From the lobby, we descended the stairs until we reached the ornate, expansive room. With its walls, pillars and ceiling covered entirely in Rockwood tiles made in Cincinnati, the setting is unmatched by any other.
Listed on the National Register of Historical Places, The Seelbach will no doubt continue to welcome many guests. And continue to inspire along the way.
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(Note: Marjorie Appelman is an English, communications and journalism teacher at Mason County High School and co-founder of the travel blog Tales from the Trip, which is on Instagram and Facebook. She can be reached at marj.appelman@gmail.com.)
