Number of hotel rooms increased under Fischer, but there's room to grow

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Fifteen new hotels in downtown Louisville and a dozen new distillery experiences are part of the legacy outgoing Mayor Greg Fischer is leaving behind.

As Louisville aged a dozen years, the number of bourbon barrels in the city continued to multiply.

Whiskey Row is no longer just a historic name. It's a destination.

"You know when I was running for mayor, I just didn't understand why we didn't support and promote our bourbon heritage more," Fischer said.

Fischer's office estimates that the number of annual visitors to the Derby City has grown from 12.7 million the year he took office, to 19 million.

Historian Tom Owen said Louisville's bourbon and food scene, along with Churchill Downs and museums, created a nationwide identity.

"We are a destination, and I think that's certainly one of the significant things we need to expand and capitalize on," Owen said.

Fischer's tenure included the 600-room Omni Hotel and a $200 million renovation of the Kentucky International Convention Center.

Despite the new hotels, Louisville Tourism officials said there is a disadvantage when competing to host conventions. There are 21,880 rooms in the Louisville area, compared to Cincinnati, which has 30,485 rooms and Nashville with 56,240.

Louisville Tourism said there is still a need for bigger projects in the city's future in order to compete. But, every new hotel helps.

The Dream Hotel, a proposal on West Main Street that transforms a mostly-abandoned space into a new 160-room hotel, just cleared a hurdle in Metro Council. That's a development that will continue downtown's westward expansion.

"People are coming from all over the world, and I think we're just getting started," Fischer said.

Fischer is confident he's laid the groundwork for Mayor-elect Craig Greenberg to continue the momentum.

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