Alcohol is no longer restricted to the hotel lobby bar or room mini-bar. Hotels are shaking up the accommodation scene and infusing a little (or a lot) of alcohol into the guest experience. Activities, amenities and decor are centered around the general love of beer, wine or hard liquors. Pick your group’s poison at these five bed and beverages.
1. The Distillery, London, England
This hotel is dedicated to celebrating the botanically vibrant spirit of gin. The room offerings are modest, with a total of four guest rooms that start at about $145. Activities within the hotel, however, make it come alive for small gatherings.
The hotel has a signature Ginstitute, a museum and mixing room tucked in a cozy, candle-lit basement. At the Ginstitute, the “blenders” will be guided through the story of gin’s evolution. They will then be swept through multiple blending rooms to choose botanical distillates to create their own custom blend of the signature English spirit. Guests will sample drinks throughout the tour, so eating beforehand is advised.
The Distillery’s boardroom can accommodate up to 20 people for meetings and offers corporate packages. A GinTonica Tapas feast and gin cocktail master classes are available options. A themed dining experience boasts a five-course meal, intoxicating stories about gin legends and custom cocktail, wine and spirits pairings.
2. La Grande Maison de Bordeaux Magrez, Bordeaux, France
Attendees become the sommeliers at this house of luxury in the south of France. A multitude of wine and food tastings are offered throughout the property. For example, guests can hop on a private boat tour to explore the stunningly clear Arcachon Bay and indulge in fresh oysters and wine. A winemaker workshop lets guests make their own Grand Cru Classe wines and take two bottles home.
Both food and beverage are made in-house. The Michelin two-starred Pierre Gagnaire Restaurant explores the authentic tastes of Bordeaux with a seasonal and eco-friendly menu.
Three meeting rooms displaying plush, vibrant furniture and contemporary art are available for events and can accommodate up to 190 people reception-style. The Bernard Magrez Cultural Institute, an onsite museum, can accommodate up to 300 in its garden, galleries and veranda. Guest can meet the 10 rotating artists.
3. Gralehaus, Louisville, Kentucky
Southern hospitality wouldn’t be complete without a little craft beer to fight the blistering heat of a Louisville summer. Gralehaus boasts a bar complete with 75 hand-picked bottles of beer, wine and cider and four rotating beer taps. “In-haus” creations include beermosas, blueberry gin gimlets and a coffee-rocket draft—a beer infused with coffee beans.
When the alcohol beckons hunger, the accompanying cafe serves tempting Southern cuisine. Nurse a potential hangover with a selection of artisanal coffee beverages.
Three guest rooms are adorned with rustic brick walls, a mix of industrial and modern furniture, botanicals and local artwork. A beer-stocked mini-fridge is available upon request. Two of the rooms overlook the German-inspired biergarten.
Gralehaus is available for buyout and can accommodate up to 30 people.
Coming Soon:
Brewdog Doghouse Hotel, Columbus, Ohio
Doghouse is slated to open late August and will welcome craft-beer aficionados to stay for the night after delighting in the 100,000-square-foot attached brewery.
Thirty-two rooms, including eight deluxe suites, will come with a mini-fridge stocked with curated beers, plus beer soap, an in-room tap and a beer fridge in the shower so you can have a cold one while having a hot one. Rooms will overlook the brewery’s facilities so guests can wake up and fall asleep to the humming foeders and smell of fresh hops.
A fitness center, to-go food marketplace and lobby games will also be available. Meet in one of the hotel’s five meeting spaces, including a craft beer museum.
The brewery itself offers tours starting at $10, during which customers can learn about the brewery, its process and sip on a can of Brewdog’s signature Punk beer.
The Whiskey Hotel, LA
Famed restaurateur and hotelier Adolfo Suaya is opening a 134-room property in Los Angeles for whiskey lovers. The property will break ground this year and construction is set to be complete by 2021.
In room-amenities will include a whiskey mini-bar with rare selections. On the ground floor, guests will find vintage and international whiskeys, a whiskey sommelier, cocktail tastings and classes. Suaya even envisions a whiskey fountain in the lobby.
The seven-story hotel will take the party outside, with a greenhouse rooftop built with glass panels and overlooking Hollywood.
