The Brown is a historic hotel situated at Broadway and 4th street in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The interior of the hotel is fashioned with period antiques and in the English Renaissance style. The hotel is exquisitely and lavishly furnished, with a beautifully painted tin ceiling, wrought ironwork surrounding the second level, marble, granite, and tiled floors.
The hotel features complimentary high speed wireless internet, airport transportation, morning newspapers, a 24-hour fitness center and business center, valet parking, and 24 hour room service. Parking for valet is $20; parking garage is $12 per day and must be validated.
Check-in was fast and efficient. Our room was furnished with a king-size bed, a large closet with iron and ironing board, an antique replica dresser, an enormous bathroom, and superior bedding.
The bathroom features a standard bathtub, a five function shower head, a hair dryer, two large windows, white marble floors, a black granite vanity sink, a telephone and English toiletries. The ceramic tile in the shower showed some mildew, the window curtains were a bit shabby, and the towels were a disappointment. Also, the robe hook needed to be repaired. The bathroom door features an odd, keyed lock.
The room has two large windows with curtains that were a bit dated, a small desk with a lamp that flickered mysteriously and a phone. We had two additional table lamps on nightstands located on either side of the bed. Our king-size bed included six down pillows, a throw, pristine white sheets and an older style telephone.
There were two sitting chairs, a four drawer antique replica dresser, a four-cup coffee maker, a disappointing 19" television that featured only 26 stations, a digital clock radio, a full length mirror on the inside of the closet door, a fold-away luggage rack, a dated ice bucket, and dull-looking wall paper. I thought the room was a bit small for the $119 we paid for our three night stay.
The hotel itself appears to be well maintained, staff are friendly and responsive. The decor beautiful and plush, although the lighting in the hallways was a bit inadequate.
We thought the telephone rates to be excessive ($1.50 for local calls). The hotel features four different restaurants, two bars and an art gallery. We found the restaurants to be very expensive, i.e. $13 for a cheeseburger.
It’s a beautiful, classic hotel with notorious service and excellence. It may be a bit pricey and extravagant for the budget-minded traveler.