Bourbon Ball Inn is a three-suite bed and breakfast in a restored circa-1795 house at 110 East Broadway, a couple of blocks from Court Square. It is small, personal and very well reviewed: a perfect 5.0 on Tripadvisor from about 150 reviews and 4.9 on Google. Each suite has a private bath, a coffee station, a mini fridge and a microwave, some have gas fireplaces, and the innkeeper bakes the breakfast herself. Book it when you want a quiet, walkable base and do not need a bar or a pool.
The house and the innkeeper
The inn occupies a home the owners date to about 1795, which makes it one of the older houses you can sleep in around downtown Bardstown, a town that was only settled in 1780. The inn’s about page describes a careful restoration that keeps the old craftsmanship and adds modern comforts.
The owner and innkeeper, Hannah, bought the property in 2023 and came to it with a long hospitality background. The inn’s name gives away her other passion: she describes the place as built on “hospitality, bourbon, and confections,” and her homemade baking is what guests remember. Bourbon balls, for the record, are the Kentucky candy of bourbon-spiked filling dipped in chocolate; our guide to Kentucky foods to try covers where else in town to find them.
The suites
There are only three, which is exactly the appeal. Every suite has:
- a private en suite bathroom with spa-quality bath products
- individual climate control, so nobody fights over a thermostat
- a coffee station, mini fridge and microwave
- a flat-screen TV and upscale bedding
Gas fireplaces are in select suites, not all three, so if a fire on a January night is the whole point, ask which suite has one when you book. Suite names and bed sizes are not broken out on the website, and the booking engine is the best place to see what each one offers. Rates are not published either; you see them when you pick dates.
The mini fridge and microwave matter more than they sound. Distillery gift shops, the downtown bakeries and a to-go box from dinner all fit, and you can have a quiet night in without leaving the house.
Breakfast
Breakfast comes with the stay and is made fresh by the innkeeper, whom the inn describes as serving “hearty breakfasts.” Guest reviews single out her baking, cinnamon cake in particular. With only a handful of guests at most, breakfast is relaxed and sociable, and a good time to ask for restaurant tips from someone who lives here.
If you have an early tour, say so ahead of time. Small inns can often adjust, but only if they know.
Booking and policies
The inn takes reservations through its online booking system, linked from its homepage, and it also appears in Visit Bardstown’s lodging listings. The policies page is short and clear:
| Policy | What it says |
|---|---|
| Deposit | 50% of the total at booking; balance due at check-in |
| Cancel more than 10 days out | Full refund |
| Cancel within 10 days | 50% fee |
| Cancel within 48 hours, or no-show | 100% charged |
Check-in and check-out times, children and pets are not covered on the website, so call (270) 499-2616 or use the inn’s contact page with those questions. Given the size and the age of the house, assume there are stairs and ask about them if they matter.
Where it is: Broadway and Museum Row
East Broadway runs parallel to Stephen Foster Avenue a couple of blocks to the north, and the inn sits near its downtown end. The inn says you are about a two- to three-minute walk from the main street, which puts Court Square, the Old Talbott Tavern and the North Third Street restaurants well within strolling range after dinner.
Walk the other way and you are on the stretch known as Museum Row. The Civil War Museum of the Western Theater and its neighbors, including Old Bardstown Village, are at 310 East Broadway, a couple of blocks east. It is an easy morning on foot before a distillery afternoon.
A few other walks from the door:
- the free Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon History in Spalding Hall, a few blocks west
- the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, on West Stephen Foster Avenue beyond the square
- the downtown tasting rooms around Court Square
For the distilleries out in the county, you will want a driver or a tour. Our guide to bourbon tours and transportation lays out the options, and none of them involves you driving after a tasting.
Who it suits
The Bourbon Ball Inn works best for couples and for small groups who can fill all three suites. With the whole house booked, a bachelorette weekend or a bourbon trip with two other couples gets a private base with a host on hand and a breakfast table to plan the day around. See our weekend in Bardstown itinerary for a plan that fits this kind of stay.
It is not the place for a pool, a lobby bar or a late-night check-in desk. For a B&B with its own bourbon lounge, look at Bourbon Manor. For another small, top-rated house, the four-room Red Rose Inn on Stephen Foster Avenue is a close match.
When to go
Fall is peak season here, as everywhere in Bardstown. September’s Bourbon Festival weekend and the Arts & Crafts Festival on the second weekend of October both put crowds on the streets around Broadway, and the inn’s three suites fill first. Spring, from April into May, brings mild weather with highs in the upper 60s and 70s, though May is the wettest month.
The case for winter is the gas fireplaces. From January to mid-March, the town is at its quietest, lodging is easiest to find, and a suite with a fire is a good place to be between distillery visits. Some attractions trim their schedules then (the My Old Kentucky Home mansion runs Wednesday to Sunday until March 15), so plan around them. Our winter in Bardstown guide covers what stays open.
Is it worth it?
On the reviews alone, yes. A 5.0 average across nearly 150 Tripadvisor reviews is rare for any property. The combination of a walkable address, private suites with kitchenette basics and an innkeeper who bakes is hard to fault. Budget roughly 10% on top of the rate for Kentucky and local room taxes.
The catch is supply. Three suites fill fast in September and October, and on Bourbon Festival weekend they go early. Check the live map on this page to compare the Bourbon Ball Inn’s rate for your dates with the rest of the historic inns and B&Bs downtown.
