The Weekly Community Newspaper of Associations, CVBs, and Hotels
Lawmakers Question Louisville Mayor’s Hotel Selection for Derby Guests
By Jordan Bradley
Louisville lawmakers say they’re looking into the selection process behind this year’s lodging for Mayor Craig Greenberg’s Kentucky Derby guests, according to local reports.
Three hotels—the Hotel Genevieve, the Hotel Bourre Bonne, and the 21c Museum Hotel—were considered to host Greenberg’s nine guests for the annual event, Louisville Public Media (LPM) reported on May 1.
The 21c Museum Hotel on West Main reportedly won a $48,951 contract to host the mayor’s derby guests, which included Pat and Alice Ann Battle and Henry and Mary Sanford Shepherd of Diamond Baseball Holdings; Keith Cox, President, Paramount Network; David and Michele Glasser, 101 Studios; Kit Moncrief and Gloria Moncrief Holmsten, philanthropists. According to LPM, Greenberg’s office sought out Louisville Tourism to solicit cost quotes for the nine guests’ accommodations from three hotels instead of seeking bids through the city’s purchasing department.
“This let Greenberg’s office enter the contract without Metro Council’s approval, which city purchasing policy requires for any no-bid contract above $40,000,” the outlet said.
A spokesperson from Lousiville Tourism told USAE that receiving leads and processing those leads for clients is a common task for the organization; “however, that’s the extend of our involvement.”
Greenberg has been involved with the contract-winning hotel and its company “since its founding” in March 2006, according to his LinkedIn. Most recently, Greenberg served as the president and CEO of 21c Museum Hotels until July 2020 when he left the company to start Greenberg Group, a real estate development firm.
“It needs to be looked into,” said Brent Ackerson, President of Louisville’s Metro Council, in an interview with LPM.
Ackerson said more information needed to be gathered about the contract and declined to comment further to the outlet, but he noted that he would refer the situation to the council’s Government Oversight/ Audit and Appointments Committee for a closer look.
However, there was no agenda item related to the mayor’s hotel selection on the committee’s May 6 meeting agenda. Committee Chair Donna Purvis did not return a USAE inquiry regarding whether the committee would be looking into the situation at future meetings.
Ackerson also did not return multiple USAE requests for comment before deadline.
Nor did Greenberg’s media spokesperson, Kevin Trager. However, he did report to LPM that outsourcing bids to Louisville Tourism to select hotels for Derby guests was “consistent with prior practice predating Greenberg’s term in office.”