By Kristine Vanover-Kilburn
The Delegate Hotel, the first semi-luxury hotel built in downtown Frankfort, in 35 years, officially opened its doors on Oct. 24, 2024, at 106 E. Broadway St. in Frankfort’s downtown historic district. The hotel is owned by multi-disciplinary real estate developer Weyland Ventures, a firm known for creating unique, vibrant properties while preserving the unique identity of the community they’re built in. The Delegate Hotel is a part of the Common Bond Hotel Collection, and is managed by the Common Bond Hospitality Management team.
Craig Pishotti, COO of Weyland Ventures and Co-Founder of Common Bond Hotel Collection, said the project has been a labor of love for the entire team.
“We are beyond excited to bring The Delegate Hotel to life … and we are incredibly grateful to the local community for their continued support,” Pishotti said.
Weyland Ventures’ portfolio boasts an assortment of historically significant properties, and The Delegate Hotel does not deviate from that commonality. The three-story, Italianate-style building was purchased by Weyland Ventures in 2023. It was historically known as the Jeremiah Weldon South Warehouse, built in 1879 by Col. J.W. South. A portion of the JWS Warehouse was leased to the E.H. Taylor Jr. Company and used for whiskey warehousing and cold rectifying in 1883.
The warehouse was also used by the Kentucky Buggy and Harness Company from 1891 until 1901. Other companies that used the building include Capital Printing in the 1890s, Ford & Johnson Chair Company in the early 1900s, Frankfort Broom Company in the 1920s and Hoge-Montgomery shoe warehouse in the 1930s. The building was listed to the Frankfort Historic Commercial District in 1979 and Central Frankfort Historic District in 2009.
Weyland Ventures and Common Bond Hotel Collection’s in-house design team partnered with Joseph & Joseph Architects from Louisville and EOP Architects with offices in Lexington and Louisville to painstakingly restore the building from the inside out while maintaining as many of the original features as possible, including the exposed interior brickwork walls, original wood ceiling structures, historic windows, and many original internal and external decorative elements. New flooring, tile, carpet, custom lighting and hotel furniture was carefully and expertly selected to add a modern polish without detracting from the beauty of the original features, blending contemporary and classic styles to create a space that celebrates Kentucky’s distinctive heritage.
The hotel’s interior features a refined, masculine design and distinguished aesthetic that presents an approachable personality with new-southern hospitality. The tawny russet canvas created by the building’s original brick and wood features is complemented by a palette of soft oranges and reds, deep greens and dark wood tones, offset with delicate creams and brass accents among an array of fabric textures, some of which include velvety suedes, rugged leathers and smooth linens.
The Delegate Hotel promises to offer an unforgettable stay through a unique blend of history and innovation that will captivate guests with its fresh interpretation of enduring cultural foundations. Weyland Ventures and Common Bond Hotel Collection have described the hotel as an embodiment of the spirit of new traditionalism, where timeless tradition meets modern sophistication — a sentiment that is epitomized by the hotel’s slogan: A New Tradition in Tradition.
Pishotti noted that the idea behind the slogan was an invitation for families, businesses, locals and visitors alike to create new traditions during their stay while taking in the historic traditions the hotel seeks to present and honor, creating something new that would continue through future generations.
The hotel is located within walking distance of the Capitol, as well as downtown Frankfort’s center, where guests can find a number of local specialty retail shops, coffee shops and boutique eateries. It is situated in convenient proximity to many nearby attractions, such as the Capital City Museum and Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, Daniel Boone’s Grave, the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Josephine Sculpture Park, notable sites along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail ®, several local distilleries, Elkhorn Creek, the Kentucky River and a number of local parks, and is only an hour drive from top attractions in both Lexington and Louisville.
The hotel aims to cater to the distinguished tastes and needs of today’s traveler, offering 48 modern guest rooms and suites with a mix of single king, double queen and suite-style rooms, with in-room workspaces available in each. Select rooms also offer living rooms, kitchenettes and private bedrooms for extended-stay guests. All rooms include full-length mirrors, a smart TV, a mini-fridge, a coffee station, in-bath amenities by Fellow and complimentary Wi-Fi access. Pet-friendly rooms are also available. The hotel has a parking lot behind the building that is available for guests to utilize, with parking passes issued on a first-come basis.
The hotel also offers a private dining room, outdoor patio and a dedicated event room adjacent to the hotel lobby that may be rented to accommodate social or corporate gatherings. The private dining room, located within the on-site steakhouse, Cypress & Oak, is capable of seating 32 guests while the restaurant’s main dining and bar area seats 66. The outdoor patio, located on the exterior of Cypress & Oak, can accommodate up to 30 guests and the hotel’s dedicated event room has space for up to 33 guests. Elevated catering for special events is also available from Cypress & Oak.
Although the steakhouse operates independently from the hotel, it provides dining service for locals and hotel guests alike, exuding a classic upscale steakhouse atmosphere with an open kitchen layout and intimate interior ambiance that complements the design styles of the hotel seamlessly. Dining services are available by reservation and in-room during restaurant hours.
Cypress & Oak offers a breakfast menu Monday-Friday from 6:30-10:30 a.m.; a lunch menu is available Wednesday-Friday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; dinner menus are offered on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 5-10 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 5-11 p.m.; a brunch menu is available on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.; the bar and lounge area also serves limited bar menu items between lunch and dinner hours. A comprehensive beverage program with a selection of specialty cocktails, spirits, beer and wine is also available along with a collection of snacks and non-acoholic drinks in-room.
Reservations to stay at The Delegate Hotel can be made online at (www.delegatehotel.com/book/accommodations), and additional information can be found on the website homepage (www.delegatehotel.com), by calling 502-729-2710 or by emailing team@delegatehotel.com. Updates from The Delegate Hotel can also be found on the hotel’s Facebook (www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561712608155) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/thedelegatehotel/) pages.
More information about the on-site steakhouse, Cypress & Oak, will soon be available on the restaurant’s website (cypressandoakky.com), and current updates can be followed on the restaurant’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569418708288). Reservations to dine at Cypress and Oak can be made by visiting the OpenTable booking website (www.opentable.com/r/cypress-and-oak-frankfort).
