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On Top of The Roosevelt: A Derby and Drinks at mad46

Where: 45 East 45th St [map], New York, NY, United States, 10017

Two minutes. It's how long the actual race of the famed Kentucky Derby lasts, but for many both in Louisville and outside of Kentucky, it's the difference between a fat wad of cash or empty pockets. Curious to observe the spectacle from the comfort of our home city, New York, we headed up to the 19th floor mad46 rooftop bar at The Roosevelt Hotel for their official party, complete with copious mint juleps and little cheese plates.

There were seersucker suits and showy hats, and there was even a little betting in honor of the fun happening in Churchill Downs. The race, which actually began a tad bit late, was broadcast live via several rooftop televisions and everyone gathered around as "Mine That Bird" took home the first jewel in the Triple Crown.

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The Only Derby Hotel We Will Be Staying In is The Couch Hotel

Whether you're headed to the Kentucky Derby tomorrow to actually watch the races or just to don a silly hat and stalk Paris Hilton, you'll be happy to know that there are hotel rooms open. But they will cost you a pretty penny.

For instance the Embassy Suites is charging $450 a night. Granted, it's a suite and you can fit four friends in there easily but still, are people really going to shell out that much for the Derby? Similarly, the Hilton Garden Inn is now charging $579 a night. And The Brown Hotel is asking for $1,333 a night. Um. Ok. If you say so.

Your best bet for affordable Derby hotels continues to be budget brands outside the city center. Louisville doesn't have that much of a boutique hotel scene to begin with and the existing rooms have been sold-out for a long time.

If you're not celebrating the Derby in New York, then we say just wear a crazy hat from the flea market, make your own mint julep and plop yourself down on the couch to watch the races instead.

[Photo: Flickerized]

Tags: Kentucky Derby Hotels / Hotel Parties / Rooftop Bars / → All Tags

Expect Rooftop Horseplay at The Roosevelt's Kentucky Derby Party

Where: 45 East 45th St [map], New York, NY, United States, 10017

Fancy a cool mint julep? In the mood to wear a freakishly oversized, overdecorated hat while competing to win tickets to the Belmont Stakes horse races in June? Don't even think about heading to Kentucky for Saturday's Derby at this point, but instead grab a cab and head uptown to the Roosevelt Hotel's mad46 rooftop lounge for their Official Kentucky Derby Party.

From 5pm to 10pm on Saturday, the 19th floor lounge will host nattily-dressed folk after they walk the red carpet on 46th Street and are whisked to the rooftop by private elevator. At 6:05pm, the actual Kentucky Derby will be broadcast live to accompany the specialty cocktail, the "Woodford Reserve Mint Julep," and cheers will go up to this 135th anniversary of the event.

If the women are game to wear dresses with kick-pleats and hats large enough to almost beam in the broadcast on their own and the men break out the seersucker and pocket watches, then there will be hearty competition for "Best Dressed at the Derby." The prize, two tickets to the Belmont Stakes, should be enough to draw out the horse racing fans, but we're also hoping for the appearance of faux southern accents and handlebar mustaches.

[Photo: Roosevelt Hotel]

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Only Rich Folk Will Be Attending the Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby will be held this year on Saturday, May 2 and it's sure to be less glitzy than other years thanks to the economy and well, the loss of Anna Nicole Smith. Her absence is still felt two years later. Oh well, there's always Heidi Montag or Lindsay Lohan to step in.

But despite these tragedies, hotel room rates are not coming down. Even though, hotels are moaning about the loss of business and empty rooms for Derby weekend, you will be hard-pressed to find any mildly respectable hotel brand that is not going for less than $200. In fact, most room rates are averaging about $350.

We checked rates on our own Hotel Rates Search Engine and found the Hyatt Place Louisville for $449 a night. The Hilton Garden Inn was $579 a night and the Hyatt Regency Louisville was $1,130 a night. The uber-cool 21C Museum Hotel was sold-out.

These rates turn us off entirely and we can only imagine that rich folk are spending that much money for a Derby hotel room. Perhaps as the weekend gets closer and hotels realize they aren't selling out will the rates come down. But we won't bet (har, har) on it.

[Photo: Flickerized]

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Planning for the 2007 Kentucky Derby Already?

Where: 710 West Main Street [map], Louisville, KY, United States, 40202

When Saturday's snail mail delivered up Travel & Leisure's Hotels Issue we got a bit overexcited--yeah, welcome to our lives.

The issue is chalk full of good glossy hotel info, but when we read the Viewing Rooms piece on 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville, we realized this brand spankin' new hotel might just be worth of destination hotel consideration. Hotels that combine art and hospitality always pique our interest. Throw in the fact that this project is part of a larger, and judging from the photographic evidence on Flickr, rather successful revitalization of downtown Louisville and we were in.  

21C Museum hotel just opened in April, but already guests are raving about the service and the 42 inch flat screen plasma televisions. Let's be honest, giant plasma televisions help guests forgive most beta hotel service hiccups anyway. Now that the Derby is a thing of the past it shouldn't be all that difficult to snag one of the 90 rooms here if you are set to travel to Louisville in the near future. If you do go, take some photos and share them with us, will ya?

As for us, we are seriously considering booking a HotelChatter trip here for the 2007 Kentucky Derby. Despite Barbaro's horrific and tragic injury, which was really hard to watch, attending a Triple Crown race ranks fairly high on our to-do list. If you are thinking along the same lines, the cool girl at 21C said to call back "late summer" when they would begin accepting reservations for next year's Derby (May 5, 2007). Stay tuned.

[Image Via merfam/Flickr]

Related Stories:
· 21C Hotel Reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Louisville Hotel Coverage [HotelChatter]
· Travel & Leisure Hotel Issue [T & L]