One half of a dual-branded, under-construction hotel on Whiskey Row has a new leader.
White Lodging on Wednesday announced Dana Orlando as Hotel Distil’s GM, according to a press release. Scheduled to open in the fall, Hotel Distil, Autograph Collection, will share the West Main Street between First and Second streets with the Moxy Hotel.
Orlando has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry with premier brands, including Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. and Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts.
She spent the past year as the opening general manager for the Elliott Park Hotel, Autograph Collection, in Minneapolis. Previously, she was general manager of Hotel Ivy, a Luxury Collection Hotel, also in Minneapolis. While leading Hotel Ivy, it was awarded 2017 Hotel of the Year for Marriott Distinctive Premium Brands.
Hotel Distil will have 161 king rooms, 33 queen rooms and 11 suites, with 15,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 5,000-square foot ballroom. Hotel Distil and the new 110-room Moxy Hotel it’s connected to will feature four distinct food and beverage options, including Bitters End, a rooftop bar overlooking the Louisville skyline.
The properties are being developed by Steve Poe and Louisville-based Poe Cos. You can see renderings of both in the gallery above.
“I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and eager to embark on this new chapter of my career with White Lodging at Hotel Distil,” said Orlando. “It is exciting to be a part of the newest development on Louisville’s historic Whiskey Row.”
White Lodging operates nearly 100 hotels and more than 30 restaurants in 20 states. In Louisville, its portfolio includes the Fairfield Inn & Suites Louisville Northeast, Towneplace Suites Louisville Northeast, Homewood Suites Louisville Downtown, SpringHill Suites Louisville Downtown, Louisville Marriott Downtown, Fairfield Inn & Suites Louisville Downtown, Aloft Louisville, Porch Kitchen + Bar and Corner Restaurant and Bar.