Derby City’s newest hotel is more than meets the eye. The former disco ball factory is a hidden space in Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood that offers fun for residents and visitors alike. After Omega National Products moved to a new spot in the Highlands area, its old space was reimagined into a whole new concept. Now known as The Myriad Hotel — a project of Weyland Ventures Hospitality and Common Bond Hotel Collection — it pays homage to its groovy roots.
Today, 900 Baxter Ave. boasts 65 guest rooms and suites; Switchboard, a coffee bar by morning and cocktail lounge by night; Paseo, a metropolitan-style restaurant; and Myriad Swim Club, the hotel pool and adjacent bar. Get an inside look!
“‘The Myriad’ came from the phrase ‘myriad reflector,’ which was the patented name for a disco ball,” explains Craig Pishotti, co-founder of Common Bond Hotel Collection and COO of Weyland Ventures Hospitality. Guests will also notice a large disco ball hanging from an upstairs hallway at the front of the space. It is the only really flashy aspect of the hotel entrance, and it’s something that passersby might not even notice. This unassuming front area, Craig explains, was intentional.
“It’s not a pretty facade,” he says, “[but] you walk in, and there are a myriad of things that you’re about to experience. Each is unique, different, and special, but all of it has this Southern hospitality and generous spirit.”
STAY
The 65 guest rooms and suites include 15 types of room styles — four of which are accessible — as well as two bunk rooms. Each room is pet-friendly, includes a workspace and complimentary Wi-Fi, and features artwork next to its room number by Louisville native JD Dotson.
A few of the rooms are one-of-a-kind, including the Urban Solarium King Suite. In addition to this one-bedroom suite’s king-sized bed, 55-inch Smart TV, mini-fridge, and coffee station, it also includes an adjoining solarium-style lounge. This additional space looks out to Baxter Avenue, giving guests a clear view of everything happening just outside the hotel — with frosted glass to keep what’s happening inside private.
Guests also have the option of booking the connecting Two Queen Room to create what is essentially an extra-large, two-room suite with an adjoining common area. “If you have two couples or kids,” Craig says, “you can take both rooms and share the living room space.”
The Myriad Hotel offers six- and eight-person bunk suites for even larger groups. The 10-person Bunk Suite — the only one of its kind in Louisville — features one queen-sized bed, two sets of queen bunks, and two walk-in showers. Several rooms offer a lanai with a pool view.
DINE
Craig explains Switchboard serves as a European coffee bar in the mornings. “We make all of our own pastries,” he says. “We’ve got in-house baking [and] Common Culture Coffee. The thought is like you’re in Florence or Paris, in an upscale European cafe.”
As the day goes on, guests can order spritzes, aperitifs, roses, and the like. “In the evening, it [boasts] this dark, sexy, moody vibe,” Craig adds.
The cafe flows into the hotel’s check-in area, which features more disco balls hanging from above and pieces by local artist Cletus Wilcox. It opens at 7 a.m. daily; service hours are gradually expanding, with the goal of an eventual midnight closing time.
“We’ll close Paseo at a reasonable hour for dinner,” Craig says, adding that Switchboard will be the spot to end the night with after-dinner drinks. “It’s [a] great [place] for dates [or] to hang out — and to work during the day.”
Paseo, the on-site restaurant, serves dinner dishes inspired by the flavor profiles of Spain, Italy, and Morocco. Its menu features everything from elderflower compressed melon and ham to hamachi crudo. “The paella … is a huge hit,” Craig says, adding that it’s the best-selling item on the menu. With two versions available — Land, made with aged duck and spring pea, and Sea, with wood-fired prawns, scallops, and smoked trout roe — there’s a little something for everyone.
And like the rest of its offerings, Paseo’s desserts are also simultaneously light yet filling. Try a soft-serve swirl — the labneh vanilla blends perfectly with fresh fruit from Barr Farms, while pistachio baklava gives the treat a bit of crunch.
Everything the restaurant offers can be enjoyed indoors or outside in the patio area, which flows into a walkway next to the hotel pool.
PLAY
The pool area is set in front of a huge, orange steel structure dubbed Myriad Swim Club. The extra-large decorative element, Craig explains, is a remnant of the property’s former life as a disco-ball factory.
“When they ground the glass to make the mirrored balls,” he says, referring to the funnel-shaped part of the structure, “this actually sucked all the dust … So, we [kept] those as a sculpture. And orange is our signature color.”
The one-of-a-kind art piece draws the eye to the pool, which is open to hotel guests and non-guests alike. Day passes are available and are discounted Monday through Thursday, making poolside work a possibility for those with remote work positions.
“The pool is open year-round,” Craig adds. “It’s designed to be comfortable when the air temperature is [as low as] 40 degrees.”
Surrounded by chaise lounges and daybeds, the space also boasts a recessed, semi-private seating area dubbed the Myriad Swim Club Firepit, which can be rented for small parties up to 12.
The property can also accommodate social celebrations or corporate gatherings for up to 30 guests in Bar Keep, a retail space, lounge, and dining area, as well as in the reception space under the orange tower, which features a mix of high- and low-top seating. Both event spaces offer easy access to the poolside bar, which serves craft cocktails and light bites from Paseo.
“We’re going to continue to grow [and expand] our offerings,” Craig says. “But the weather is amazing right now … It’s balmy. Just right. And the music and the vibe is so spot-on.”
All photography courtesy of Weyland Ventures.
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