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21c Museum Hotel Lexington is a combination boutique hotel, contemporary art museum and restaurant in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. The hotel is housed in downtown Lexington's historic Fayette National Bank Building, the city's first skyscraper originally designed by famed New York architecture firm McKim, Mead & White. Woven into the fabric of downtown, 21c welcomes both visitors and the local community to enjoy the curated exhibitions and cultural programming. Our top priority is the safety and wellness of our teammates and guests. Our website has everything you need to know to return to travel with 21c. We can't wait to welcome you back to Lockbox and 21c Lexington!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Accor Hotels.
HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English
Location
167 W Main St, Lexington, KY 40507-1397
21c Museum Hotel Lexington
4.4 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
We were looking for a hotel within a fairly short distance for a one night stay for our anniversary. As Louisvillians we are familiar with the 21C in our hometown and at my wife’s suggestion we decided to try the location in Lexington. We were fortunate enough to find a deal that included breakfast(well, actually $18 apiece). Although not quite as impressive as the Louisville location we enjoyed the charm of the old historic bank building and the unique artwork that made it feel special. The staff were cordial and polite. The room had a beautiful view of downtown and the Lexington courthouse plus a comfy bed. Bright, airy and modern we were content with our choice. The only thing missing was a small fridge and microwave.As longtime Hilton Rewards Members we became accustomed to those amenities. Do note it’s valet parking only and that is $30 extra. Valet service was quick,painless and friendly. We also had reservations for dinner at The Lockbox which I will include in a separate review.
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Date of stay: September 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Do check rates as it really fluctuates. Perhaps avoid dates in which UK plays sports or popular...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah and Lex Team, Other at 21c Museum Hotel Lexington
Responded Sep 20, 2024
Thanks Joe for your feedback, we will pass this along to our team as I know it will serve as encouragement. All the best, Sarah and Lex Team
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When in Lexington, I always opt for a stay at 21C. The rooms are always spotless, no hotel “odors” that are typical of other hotels, friendly staff, and the beds are ridiculously comfortable! I personally love the art and the conversations that it sparks as well. Great location in downtown. Bar makes some killer cocktails, and the restaurant is great as well. I’ve never once had a negative experience here and I believe this was my 5th stay at a 21C local. Highly recommend!!
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Grindle, Other at 21c Museum Hotel Lexington
Responded Sep 16, 2022
Hello! Thank you for the great review of our hotel! We are glad that you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again very soon. Sincerely, Sarah and Lex Team
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Coming from a pandemic hotspot ourselves, it was reassuring to find that this GORGEOUS hotel is so careful about taking coronavirus precautions. All staff and visitors wore masks, our room was impeccable, and our temperature was checked each time we returned to the hotel.
Just as good -- our room (528) was divine! Beautifully appointed in neutral finishes, it had high ceilings and tall windows looking out onto the historic courthouse. The spacious bathroom and dreamy bed made it perfect.
We didn't have a chance to visit the gallery space, but since it's now closed to the general public it offers a great way to get a crowd-free culture fix.
NOTE: We used an outdoor public parking lot in order to maintain social distancing, which was about the same price as the hotel's valet parking. (Google SP+ for nearby lots).
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Date of stay: July 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Abbey Tillman, Guest Services / Front Office at 21c Museum Hotel Lexington
Responded Jul 21, 2020
Goodness! Thank you so much for the exceptional review! We are thrilled that you enjoyed your stay with us and we cannot wait for you to come back and visit us among other 21c properties upon future travels! Very best, Abbey Abbey Tillman Rooms Director
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Arrived yesterday at the hotel for a prepaid reservation for 2 nights with 2 rooms on a booking that was made a month ago through American Express. We arrived around 5pm. After 15 minutes of standing around and watching other groups get checked in, we were told the hotel did not have rooms for us. There was a brief apology before offering us a Residence Inn room (3 star vs 4 star) in exchange. I responded that the Residence Inn is not a comparable hotel and suggested other 4-star hotels in the area by name. The front desk told me they could call another hotel to find availability but they wouldn’t pay for it and charges there would be my responsibility. I reiterated that this was not an acceptable response and they suggested I file a dispute with my credit card. I was offered nothing else. We asked for manager. One never appeared.
I did not want to cause a scene, but this is my first time visiting this part of the country. I was the only non-white person checking in. Other, all-white, groups were accommodated before and after me. I had to pay out of pocket, last minute rates to a comparable hotel down the street. This cost me hundreds of dollars.
A truly embarrassing experience.
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Date of stay: September 2024Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah and Lex Team, Other at 21c Museum Hotel Lexington
Responded Sep 20, 2024
Hi Allison, I am sorry that your requested room was unavailable. We would like to make it up to you, and hope that you will give us a second chance. Please feel free to reach out at any time. Best, Sarah and Lex Team
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We stayed at this hotel on a Monday night earlier this month. Despite very low occupancy, we were given a handicapped room even though we didn’t need one. Because there was no separation between the shower and bathroom, as needed should one be handicapped, the entire room flooded with even a quick shower. The sink was stopped up later in the evening, but we didn’t feel like calling maintenance that late. The hallway in front of our room had dirty broken tiles (see pics). The sheets and towels were ridiculously thin and worn. The front desk people were ok, but clearly no one really cared one way or the other. On a positive note, I very much appreciate 21c allowing pets. Given our experience, I do feel at least a partial refund is appropriate. This stay was far from worth the price paid.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Avoid this hotel. Nothing like it’s sister facility in nearby Louisville.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah and Lex Team, Other at 21c Museum Hotel Lexington
Responded Dec 22, 2023
Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience at the 21c Museum Hotel Lexington. I am sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations; please allow me to express my sincerest apologies. We appreciate your sharing your concerns, and it is our hope that you will give us the opportunity to better serve you in the near future. Sincerely, Sarah and Lex Team
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The room was quite dirty. Seems as though they never dust. There were hairs and dust on most all of the flat surfaces, phone, bedside table, bathroom counters, etc. They also used plain sheets instead of fitted sheets on the bed so that the bottom sheets easily untuck.
The location of the hotel is good, but they don't have parking and parking info is hard to find on their website. They have valet but nothing else. There is a public parking garage nearby.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah and Lex Team, Other at 21c Museum Hotel Lexington
Responded Feb 20, 2024
Dear Charlsey Etheridge Minor, Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience at the 21c Museum Hotel Lexington. I am sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations. We strive to provide a superior service experience for every customer; therefore your feedback is very important to us. Please rest assured that we are taking the appropriate measures to address the problem and prevent future occurrence. We appreciate your sharing your concerns, and it is our hope that you will give us the opportunity to better serve you in the near future. Sincerely, Sarah and Lex Team.
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We are in Lexington as a last stop on a five day group cycling excursion along the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky.
The organizers chose this hotel both for its unique character and ease of cycling to and from its location.
The property aspires to be a combination of visual art and lodging. What seems lost is a conviction to the basics of lodging blocking and tackling.
Service is friendly but spotty. Perhaps a training issue?
The bigger issue is housekeeping. Our room has artifacts from previous guests both ( see pictures) suggesting room maintenance is done in “ drive by” mode.
The artwork is nice but I’d trade it for a comprehensive vacuum and bathroom scrubbing.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah and Lex Team, Other at 21c Museum Hotel Lexington
Responded Dec 22, 2023
Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience at the 21c Museum Hotel Lexington. I am sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations. We appreciate your sharing your concerns, and it is our hope that you will give us the opportunity to better serve you in the near future. Sincerely, Sarah and Lex Tea
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We were suppose to stay here for 3 nights but checked out after the second night. Room was dirty, dried food on carpet, shower with mold in corners, human waste on the wall by the toilet , bathroom floor very dirty and windows were covered with hand prints all over. Room and hotel are in desperate need of a good deep cleaning. The second morning I thought the valet man was a homeless man the way he was dressed and acted. I was also very offended by some of the art work that was in the hotel. This hotel is catering to a very specific clientele.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah and Lex Team, Other at 21c Museum Hotel Lexington
Responded Mar 26, 2024
Rebecca, Thank you for your feedback as we highly value any that we get. I will inform my team of the issues you experienced as we work towards ensuring that they do not happen again. We hope that this does not end your opinion of 21c as we would love to host you again under a do over. Please do not hesitate to reach out directly at any time to book again with us. Best, Sarah and Lex Team
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We stayed 2 nights and really appreciated the precautions 21c is taking. Temperature checks on entering, fresh gloves on the staff for every transaction(including valet parking), no housekeeping, strict capacity limits in the bar and restaurant; we thought that they have best practices figured out. Room service was efficient, though service on disposable plates would have been better than cardboard boxes. Our room was excellent; spacious, well laid out and everything worked as it should. The art in many of the public spaces adds a special touch too. Just one downer; valet parking is $30 a night, since it’s right in the center of town. However, nearby public parking costs much the same.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kira Hassenger, Owner at 21c Museum Hotel Lexington
Responded Oct 23, 2020
Thank you for much for noticing all the precautions we are taking to ensure everyone's safety. We do appreciate it. We have notated your thoughts on the disposable plates would have been better instead of cardboard boxes. I will make sure our staff is better informing our guests that those boxes do unfold to be plates. Thank you again for staying! We hope to see you again soon! And sorry about the parking cost! It is high everywhere in the city! - Kira Hassenger Lockbox
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I saw bad reviews for winter of 2021 for this place, but decided to risk it because I've always wanted to stay here while visiting Lexington.
Our experience during our stay was nothing like what I read. I am thinking they may have just had a rough time late last year, much like many other hotels and businesses in general. Might have needed to replace some employees, hire more, whatever. In any case, seems like they addressed whatever issues they were having. Everyone I had contact with were really pleasant and efficient. No check-in issues, and was even accommodated with late check-out when our schedule changed, with zero issues.
The location was great for walking, and we didn't need to uber anywhere. We spent our Friday at dinner, a show at Rupp, and went out afterward, walked back and slept super comfortably in the bed, and got ready the next day in a really nicely updated bathroom with heated floors. Zero complaints there.
Before we left, we made a quick RSVP for Lockbox downstairs and walked down with our bags and had an awesome brunch. Super convenient and the food was seriously so good. Made sure to see the museum exhibit (also really cool) before finally leaving.
The ONLY negatives were, we found a pair of socks in our room, against the wall, which was weird. But the carpet is dark colored and so were they. The carpet still seemed freshly vacuumed so we figured housekeeping just forgot to grab them before they left at the end of cleaning. And that was probably due to understaffing which, again, is something many hotels are struggling with right now so we werent really that concerned with it. Our sheets had a little hole in them, which, again, we didn't care that much about. Lastly, the noise from rowdy people and loud cars out on the street late at night was pretty loud even from the 10th floor. Those were really my only cons but we were still happy there and would stay there again.
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Date of stay: March 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gabe Isaac, General Manager at 21c Museum Hotel Lexington
Responded Mar 14, 2022
Gina, thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I'm so very glad you chose to stay with us. Thoughtful hiring and careful training support our goal of providing a flawless stay; we want you to feel confident and comfortable in our care. When we fail to meet your expectations and our standards, we remain committed to you and resolve with empathy and efficiency. We believe sincere efforts to recover can have a greater positive impact than if there had been no issue at all. I truly appreciate your understanding and am delighted you will be staying with us again despite the challenges in your guestroom. I've noted your profile and will plan to be here when you arrive to personally thank you for your business; the team is super excited for another opportunity to WOW you with an amazing stay. Very Best, Gabe
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Hi Emily, We have minibars in every room stocked with sodas, beers, and snacks. If you would like a minifridge in your room seperate from the minibar we can have one placed in your room for you. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.
Andrew Carter | General Manager
No! While other downtown hotels have plenty of free parking this hotel sits in an area where parking is very difficult to find. Therefore, you are forced to pay the $25/nightly valet fee! Other downtown hotels charge less for their valet and have less expensive parking options very near.
There are more places to choose from in the Lexington area.
PRICE RANGE
$175 - $333 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United StatesKentuckyLexington
NUMBER OF ROOMS
88
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about 21c Museum Hotel Lexington
Which popular attractions are close to 21c Museum Hotel Lexington?
Nearby attractions include University of Kentucky (0.06 miles), The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Show (0.2 miles), and The Kentucky Theater (0.2 miles).
