Hancock House

Nulu is a plus, with good restaurants and shopping within walking distance, and parking is free. The property itself felt unkempt and insecure, with signs that break-ins may be happening regularly. Our modern industrial-style room had several broken or malfunctioning things. The lighting suited the design but was harsh and too dim. Trying to reach the host by phone didn't work. Text replies came quickly and were polite, but offered almost no help. It looks and feels like a hotel, but lacks the usual hotel benefits, such as staff on site, prompt service, room turndowns, and security.

We stayed in a studio and loved it. It was wonderful. The mattresses may be due for an update, but otherwise the place was amazing.

The room itself was fine, but the safety problems were alarming. My husband got upstairs using a fire escape door with no handle. The exterior security door had been left wide open, and its alarm was disabled. I reported several concerns to Louisville code enforcement, including the broken elevator, which another guest had apparently complained about four months earlier and was still broken. Above the first-floor elevator, someone had hung a shattered ceiling light, with shards positioned to fall down your neck. I texted the owner about all of this and have little confidence they'll act, based on earlier reviews and our messages. The area is in transition, with lots of construction and homeless people. The contactless setup might have worked during the pandemic, but I'm not sure it's a viable business model now. Communication before the stay was disorganized and inadequate, and check-in had a problem too. That felt minor compared with disabled security doors.

We spent three nights here and would happily return if we're in Louisville again. The studio apartment was spacious and clean, and the kitchen had K-cups for the coffee maker plus an ice maker in the freezer. There was plenty of free parking, and getting into the building and room was easy. We walked often to Market Street and nearby attractions. We had one question during the stay and got a timely reply. Highly recommend.