How close is The Woodford Hotel to Woodford Reserve Distillery?

One mile. Woodford Reserve Distillery is the closest distillery to The Woodford Hotel — a 5-minute drive from the hotel's front door at 112 N Main St.

Can I rent the entire Woodford Hotel for a private group?

Yes. The 'Entire Hotel' buyout includes all 8 bourbon-themed suites — 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms (8 full, 2 half), sleeps up to 24 guests. Popular with bourbon clubs, golf groups, corporate retreats, and family reunions.

How far is The Woodford Hotel from Keeneland and Blue Grass Airport?

Eight minutes by car. Blue Grass Airport (LEX) sits directly across from Keeneland Race Course, both 8 minutes from the hotel. Downtown Lexington — Rupp Arena, Kroger Field, the University of Kentucky — is 18 minutes.

What year was The Woodford Hotel built?

1881. The original Hotel Woodford opened in July 1881 and operated as a Gilded Age inn through 1913. After more than a century fallow, the building was restored to its founding use as a boutique hotel, with 8 suites each themed for a Kentucky bourbon brand.

Who was James Crow, and why is the Old Crow Suite named for him?

Dr. James C. Crow was the Scottish-born chemist who established the sour mash methods that became modern bourbon production. He is buried in Versailles Cemetery, Section B2 Lot 37, approximately 1.2 miles from the hotel. The Old Crow Suite is named in his honor.

About Woodford Hotel

Experience the Best of Kentucky Bourbon and Equine Culture at The Woodford Hotel

The Woodford Hotel is the restored building that operated as the Hotel Woodford in downtown Versailles, KY from July 1881 to approximately 1913 — returned to its original use as a boutique hotel for the first time in over a century. Eight bourbon-themed suites and a private event space sit inside the original 19th-century building at 112 N Main Street. A short drive from Woodford Reserve. Eight minutes to Keeneland Race Course and Blue Grass Airport. Eighteen minutes to downtown Lexington. Owner-operated.

A note for guests searching for “the Woodford Inn”: The Woodford Hotel at 112 N Main Street is a separate property from The Woodford Inn (140 Park Street), which permanently closed at the end of December 2025. We are not affiliated with The Woodford Inn, do not share ownership or operations, and cannot honor reservations made at that property. If you are looking for the restored 1881-era boutique hotel in downtown Versailles, with eight bourbon-themed suites and on-street parking at the corner of Main and Lexington, you are in the right place.

Heritage

Versailles, Kentucky was founded by Marquis Calmes — a Paris-educated French Huguenot, a warm friend of Lafayette from the Revolution, entombed in his own limestone pyramid three miles east of town. The city took its name from the French royal seat outside Paris.

Around that French-founded county, James Crow — the Scottish chemist who shaped modern bourbon — lived, worked, and is buried. His grave sits in Versailles Cemetery, Section B2, Lot 37, 1.2 miles from the hotel’s front door. The Old Crow Suite is named for him.

Equine

The Woodford Hotel sits in the heart of Kentucky horse country. Keeneland Race Course — and the adjacent Blue Grass Airport — are eight minutes away. The Kentucky Horse Park is twelve minutes. Coolmore’s stallion division and the working thoroughbred farms of Woodford County surround the property in every direction.

Bourbons

Each of our eight suites is themed for a Kentucky bourbon brand whose distillery is within a 25-minute drive: Wild Turkey, Blanton’s, Old Crow, Pappy Van Winkle, Four Roses, Woodford Reserve, E.H. Taylor, and Buffalo Trace. Woodford Reserve itself is a short drive away. Castle & Key is fifteen minutes. Buffalo Trace is twenty-five.

Two doors down from the hotel, Amsden Bourbon Bar runs one of the deepest vintage bourbon programs in Kentucky.

Accommodations

Book a single suite or buy out the entire hotel. The buyout product sleeps 24 across 10 bedrooms — built for bourbon clubs, golf groups, corporate retreats, and family reunions. Pricing is dynamic. Direct booking is always the best rate.

Owner Eric Carrico is a Kentucky-based engineer and bourbon-tourism operator. Quoted by name on page 298 of Fred Minnick’s Bottom Shelf (2024). Featured on Bourbon Pursuit #259 (2020) and as Fred Minnick’s co-host with Graham McTavish (December 2023). Profiled by Visit Woodford, the official Woodford County tourism board, in December 2023.