**A Magical Stay in the Heart of Historic Frankfort**…read more
Our recent stay at the St. Clair Hotel in Frankfort, Kentucky, was absolutely wonderful. From the fantastic food and welcoming staff at The Howser Tavern which is downstairs from the hotel to the beautifully designed hotel suite and historic surroundings, the entire experience exceeded our expectations.
We arrived a little early, so we stopped at The Howser Tavern for a quick snack and some excellent drinks. The restaurant is fantastic, with kind, attentive waitstaff and genuinely great food - I mean **great food**. The pizza choices alone included pepperoni and hot honey, pesto, Margherita, BBQ chicken, Buffalo chicken, and the Howser Special with capicola, green pepper, red onion, and Kalamata olives.
The menu also offered cheese and charcuterie boards, soups, chicken salad, and wonderful sandwiches such as capicola and pepper jack, prosciutto and smoked Gouda, and salami and cheddar. Add in a wide selection of professionally mixed drinks served by a cheerful, knowledgeable staff who were happy to answer questions, and The Howser Tavern is worth visiting even without a hotel stay, try an Old Fashioned or bourbon.
One especially fun benefit of staying at the St. Clair was a complimentary drink in the speakeasy. What a cool concept - and such a treat for tired travelers!
Checking in was easy. The St. Clair entrance is clearly marked and visible both from the street and from inside The Howser Travern. We had one quick question about the room's keyless lock (that was us, not them), but the managers at The Howser Tavern who support the hotel helped us in about 30 seconds. We were inside the room immediately, and it was very nice not having to keep track of a key card. There are stairs and a roomy elevator for ease of access to the rooms.
The moment we entered the hotel suite, we were impressed. The St. Clair beautifully combines the character of a historic building with modern comfort and convenience. The exposed brick walls, architecture, upscale furnishings, and new appliances create exactly the right balance of history and luxury. Whoever designed this hotel apartment did a wonderful job.
Our suite had two spacious, comfortable bedrooms - one with what appeared to be a queen-size bed and the other with a king-size bed. The bedrooms were separated by the bathroom, which helped keep each room quiet and private. The mattresses, pillows, and linens felt luxurious, and everything was exceptionally clean. The entire suite had that perfect fresh, clean hotel smell without being chemical or overpowering.
The bathroom was modern and spotless, with a very nice shower, plenty of towels, and a soft bathmat. My photos do not do it justice because I neglected to turn on the bathroom lights before taking them! With the lights on, it was bright, attractive, and extremely clean. I had seen another review mentioning water escaping from the shower, but we experienced no such problem. We experienced a well stocked, clean, modern, good water pressure shower.
Down the hall was a large living space with a huge television, a comfortable couch, and chairs. The full kitchen included a table, plates, glasses, cups, a full-size refrigerator, a Keurig with coffee and supplies, a sink with soap and a sponge, a dishwasher with detergent, a stove, and a microwave. Everything looked clean, modern, and new.
Parking was also convenient. We found easy street parking, and there is also complimentary spaces available to hotel guests in the garage directly across the street.
The hotel's location makes the experience even more special. It sits along a charming old-town street with architecture spanning the 1800s through today. Nearby is a wonderful vintage-looking theater (with movies and bands), an outstanding music shop that we loved so much we wished it were closer to home, interesting restaurants and stores, and numerous historic landmarks.
The Old State Capitol is at the end of the block, and the surrounding area offers waterfront parks and paths, historic information signs, beautiful churches, and homes and buildings from several periods of American history (1700-1900s) We enjoyed seeing places such as the old courthouse, Garden Hall, the site of the Love House, Liberty Hall and its gardens, the Bibb-Burnley House, the Lafayette tour plaque, and many other historic sites.
Our visit felt magical, and I would love to return someday when we have more time to explore Frankfort further - we did drive by the current capital building (and visited the overlook) which was all somewhat close by where we were staying. I highly recommend staying at the St. Clair Hotel in the historic district. It offers beautiful accommodations, excellent food and refreshments very close by, friendly service, entertainment, fascinating history, and wonderful shops - all within easy reach. Did I mention the close buy cake, coffee, and the ice cream shops.
It was truly a fabulous stay.