Destination Lexington: The City Center

   For those who were unable to travel to Kentucky last year and attend the Keeneland sales, much has changed in downtown Lexington thanks in large part to the completion of the City Center. The residential, commercial and retail project has been in the works for years and was finally completed early in 2020.

What was a hive of activity in its first few months of operation quickly became a desolate landscape with the onset of the pandemic. But today, as more and more travelers return to Lexington, the City Center has transformed into a popular destination for Lexington natives and visitors alike.

The brand-new complex consists of a 12-story tower, with nine floors of office space and three floors of luxury condominiums, dual-property Marriott and Residence Inn hotels, an underground parking garage, a state-of-the-art Starbucks, several restaurants including the world-renowned Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse, and the Keeneland Mercantile. Located in the heart of downtown, the City Center is steps away from Lexington's best bars, restaurants and boutiques.

Courtney Jones is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Lexington Marriott and Residence Inn at City Center. She spoke on the growing number of visitors they've welcomed in recent months.

“It's been really great to see everything back and to have our travelers be super excited to stay with us,” she said. “Most of our clientele is the modern business traveler, but we have some great families that stay with us, especially on our Residence Inn side. [The City Center] is a great asset to downtown and the city has been welcoming this project for a long time.”

The Marriott Hotel holds 218 guest rooms while the Residence Inn, an extended-stay hotel with modern, homelike amenities, has 119 guest suits.

“A lot of our horsemen do prefer the Residence Inn for the extended-stay factor,” Jones explained. “It has a kitchen with a stove top and then a microwave and a decent-sized fridge, so it's great for those people who are staying in town for a bit longer.”

The two hotels are connected on the first floor and share the Greatroom Restaurant, which is open every morning with a breakfast buffet. The adjacent Greatroom Bar offers hand-crafted cocktails in the evening and is a popular spot after a day of racing or sales at Keeneland.

“Our Greatroom Bar really has a great bourbon and wine selection,” Jones said. “People can just come right in and have a seat at the bar to gather and relax from the day.”

Other amenities include a concierge service, an ultramodern fitness center that features virtual fitness classes, comprehensive meeting facilities and a rooftop pool.

Jones said that while guests come to the City Center hotels for the location and modern conveniences, they return for the atmosphere.

The Marriott and Residence Inn at the City Center | photo courtesy Lexington Marriott City Center

“Our ownership group wanted to make sure that Kentucky was felt as you walked in, but in a modern way with bright, natural light. We also have lots of different horse and horse racing features, but they're done all in a very modern way. It's really an awesome atmosphere.”

On the top floor of the Residence Inn, Infinity Skybar and Café serves modern American cuisine and cocktails and offers spectacular views of downtown. Small-plate menu items include deviled eggs, fried green tomatoes, and marsala cream-seared scallops, while steak frites and shrimp tacos are popular entrees. The Moonlight Kiss cocktail is a must-try and is made with Castle & Key Gin, Prosecco and Butterfly Pea Flower Tea.

For those looking for a fine-dining experience without needing to step out of doors, ItalX restaurant offers authentic Italian cuisine. Handmade pastas are created daily by Lexington's renowned chef Jonathan Lundy, while an extensive wine selection is housed in a temperature-controlled wine room.

When visitors' time in Lexington comes to an end, many stop in at the Keeneland Mercantile, a boutique retail shop that showcases the best of Kentucky's locally-crafted goods.

The new Keeneland Mercantile is adjacent to a Starbucks | Keeneland

“The Keeneland Mercantile is a concept we developed to celebrate the traditions of Keeneland,” said Keeneland's Director of Retail Kyle Cassin. “We wanted to present something a little bit different than with our sister location onsite at the track. A lot of people don't know that the Keeneland racecourse originally started as a downtown location. So we tried to celebrate that by returning to downtown and showcasing local and regional artisans that we have in Kentucky and in the Southeast.”

The Mercantile offers a wide variety of items from local artwork, stoneware, home goods and leather goods  to apparel, books, spirits and cigars.

“It's a great opportunity for us to engage with people visiting the Lexington community,” Cassin said. “The Mercantile has really started to come into its own as we've seen a lot more people coming and staying in the hotels and visiting downtown. We're trying to be an opportunity where people can find that perfect gift for themselves or their family member to take home a little piece of Kentucky with them.”

As travelers are now making return trips to the City Center, the complex is growing a reputation as a premier place to stay in Lexington.

“The City Center is a place to stay and play, so to speak,” Cassin said. “It's really a central hub of activity here in the heart of downtown and it's the perfect location right off Main Street with all the restaurants and bars in the area.”

“Everything is within walking distance,” Jones added. “Being downtown, you have that feeling of community and ease of access to anyplace you would like to go, whether it's food, drinks or shopping. It's all right here.”