Covington

Located in Northern Kentucky at the edge of Bourbon Country on the Ohio River, Covington is about ten miles from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), which services nearly a dozen major airlines—so you can get here fast from practically anywhere! 

Check into a hotel on the riverfront for great views and full-service amenities like on-site dining and fitness centers plus convenient access to business venues like the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. Standard perks like private workstations and free high-speed internet access make it easy to work without missing a beat. If you want to sprawl out, reserve a meeting room. To work among bustle, head to the lobby. But make sure you add some play to that work—Covington boasts several nearby entertainment sites such as the home stadiums of the NFL Bengals and MLB Reds, Newport on the Levee dining and entertainment hotspot, plus delicious restaurants and breweries.

Guestrooms at the recently renovated Marriott RiverCenter offer spacious desks with easy-access electrical outlets, two-line speaker phones with voice mail, plus the option to upgrade to enhanced high-speed for video chatting, downloading large files, and streaming video. All 226 suites at Embassy Suites by Hilton Cincinnati RiverCenter offer separate sleeping and living areas; two phones with voice mail, dataports, and speakers; plus desk-level electrical plugs, HSIA connections, and phone jacks. Enjoy breakfast every morning and drinks in the open-air atrium each evening, all complimentary. For distinctly local flavor, check into the one-of-a-kind Hotel Covington where all 114 guestrooms boast desks with two USB charging outlets and guests are pampered with luxuries like in-room dining, a locally-curated mini bar, and overnight laundry services.

For a breakroom vibe, head to Braxton Brewing Company and snag a private table indoors or on the rooftop to use as a desk while sipping some of the best brews around. Treat yourself to coffee at Roebling Books & Coffee that pours creations like Spicy Mochas and Redlegs (raspberry and white chocolate) lattes. If you're visiting between May and September, Eishaus offers tasty coffee drinks plus German ice cream shaped like spaghetti and meatballs. 

Vent frustration at Flying Axes in the Mutter Gottes neighborhood; grab a cold beer and throw axes inside a private throwing lane. Clear your head by walking across the Purple People Bridge, a pedestrian-only bridge over the Ohio River that was originally built in 1872. Reward yourself for a job well done at any of the distilleries or bars along The B-Line, the city’s unique celebration of bourbon culture.

Hungry? Award-winning dining options abound, including the new Libby’s Southern Comfort where you’ll find upscale comfort food, a great bourbon selection, and a comfortable outdoor patio. Bouquet, Rich’s Proper, and Coppin’s Restaurant & Bar also have gorgeous patios.

Frankfort

Kentucky’s capital city sits on the shores of the Kentucky River between Covington and Bardstown and is also midway between Lexington and Louisville. The city’s central location makes it an ideal working hub that routinely hosts business travelers.

Set up your away-from-home office at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Frankfort where all guestrooms offer workstations with desk-level electrical outlets, two-line phones, free local calls, and free high-speed internet access. Other complimentary perks include a heated indoor pool, fitness center, and wake-up calls so you never miss a crucial video conference. Or check into Home2 Suites where freebies include breakfast, WiFi, parking, newspapers, and a business center. All rooms include spacious work areas with desk-level electric plugs, HSIA connections, and phone jacks. For maximum privacy, consider a vacation rental property, whether you prefer an apartment or house to keep up productivity.

Get refreshed while exploring Frankfort’s Public Art Tour. Or paddle Elkhorn Creek on a canoe, kayak, raft, or stand-up paddleboard from Canoe Kentucky. Celebrate well-deserved kudos with a visit to Buffalo Trace Distillery, the most award-winning distillery in the world.

Tote your laptop downtown and you’ll find free WiFi just about anywhere. Treat yourself to from-scratch pastries and quiches at B’s Bakery or organic coffee drinks and homemade comfort foods at Kentucky Coffeetree Café. Sip while working at the popular Mortimer Bibb’s Public House, a lively place with Irish flair; Bourbon on Main, known for creative cocktails and craft beers; or Goodwood Brewing, where over 30 bourbons and 15 beers are poured. Dig into a healthy or decadent meal at Rick’s White Light Diner, a Cajun/Creole eatery featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”; Main Street Diner, a family-owned 1950s-style eatery; The Stave, known for its upscale Kentucky fare; or Riverboat Grill, where eclectic fare is served on the Kentucky River. Can’t leave your desk? Grub Hub and Door Dash deliver from almost all local restaurants.

Savor a nightcap at Capital Cellars, Frankfort’s only combination restaurant, bar, and wine, beer and spirits retailer. Experience the local scene at The Brick Alley, a neighborhood bar with darts, pool tables, and karaoke nights, or The Cooperage Bar, where you can pair a tasty sip with a game of pool or shuffleboard.

Bardstown

As Kentucky’s second-oldest city, Bardstown has long hosted working visitors. Join more than a third of the world’s aging bourbon by resting awhile in the beautiful hometown of the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

Two new hotels offer up-to-date working spaces. All 92 guestrooms and suites at Fairfield by Marriott Bardstown boast ergonomic workstations with desk-level electrical outlets and complimentary WiFi; upgrade to enhanced high-speed for video chat, to download large files, or stream videos. Grab free coffee in the lobby and reserve the on-site meeting room to access 1,200-square-feet of space. Holiday Inn Express & Suites is now open with 80 guestrooms, all with free high-speed internet, workstations with desk-level electrical outlets, two-line phones, and free local calls. Schedule a wake-up call to make sure you’re awake for that client call. Multitask by working at the pool or fitness center.

Rent space at Bardstown Bourbon Company to raise the cool factor of your meeting, team-building experience, or to win “most enviable Zoom background.” Among the options, the Fusion and Discovery rooms both offer HDMI-ready big-screen displays with integrated sound. Pete’s Place is a private tasting room with floor-to-ceiling windows revealing hundreds of aging barrels. The Vintage Library showcases whiskey and can be reserved as a private space.

Take a break walking around downtown Bardstown, “The Most Beautiful Small Town in America,” on a self-guided historic walking tour with 48 points of interest. Find inspiration at My Old Kentucky Home State Park, the place that inspired Stephen Collins Foster’s famous song, “My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!” Get reenergized hiking or biking the trails at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. Celebrate your success at any of the 11 distillery experiences in or near Bardstown, including Barton 1792 Distillery, the city’s oldest fully-operating distillery; the recently renovated Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center, the nation’s largest family-owned spirits producer; or Preservation Distillery and Farm, the region’s first and only 100-percent pot-distilled producer.

Relax after a busy day at Old Talbott Tavern, one of the nation’s oldest bars. Try a contemporary creation and innovative cocktail at newer The Bar at Willett.

Once you work in Bourbon Country, you won’t want to return home. During your midweek escape you’ll discover that there are lots of fun things to do! 

Explore ComeFindBourbon.com for more trip ideas and find even more reasons to visit at meetNKY, Visit Frankfort, and Visit Bardstown.