Checking in at the Boone Tavern

Travel Blog  •  Alexander Basek  •  05.21.09 | 3:33 PM ET

Photo by Alexander Basek

Swinging through the positively quaint town of Berea, Kentucky, last week, I had the chance to stay at the refurbished Boone Tavern. The hotel, which is owned by Berea College, just across the street, celebrated its 100th anniversary this year with some renovations that are now more or less complete; they were laying a snazzy brick design in the parking lot turnaround when I was there.

Because Berea is a work college, some of the staff is made up of college students—which makes check-in and ordering an educational experience on both sides. Who knew you could order poached eggs soft, medium or hard? Nonetheless, it’s hard to dislike a property where you can sit on the front porch in a rocking chair and watch the evening settle in. It’s good for eavesdropping, too; one night, I heard two ladies of a certain age tut-tut their friend for wearing false eyelashes.

Part of the renovations included greening the hotel—it’s now Kentucky’s only LEED-certified property—and refreshing the rooms, which incorporate furniture made by students in Berea College’s highly respected Crafts program. Also of note is the Tavern’s restaurant, which incorporates locally sourced ingredients on the menu. Yes, of course, I had the fried green tomato salad, though it occurs to me that something fried in a salad mitigates the health benefits one gets from the vegetables. When in Rome, though ...

Tags: Eco Travel, Hotels, Restaurants, North America, United States, Kentucky, News and Briefs

Alexander Basek is a food and travel writer based in New York City. He is the Best Deals reporter for Travel + Leisure. His writing has also appeared in the New York Post, Time Out New York, and Fodor's.


1 Comment for Checking in at the Boone Tavern

Tammy Clemons 05.22.09 | 9:46 AM ET

Boone Tavern is not yet LEED-certified, but it was LEED registered 6/26/2007 when the renovations began.  When it’s certified, it will likely be the first LEED hotel in Kentucky.  Lincoln Hall, Berea College’s administrative building, was the first LEED-certified building in Kentucky in 2004.  There are now at least 14 other certified buildings in Kentucky (http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/Project/CertifiedProjectList.aspx) as well as numerous registered projects in progress.

*Tammy Clemons
Berea College Sustainability Coordinator

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