Novelist Charles Dickens was an especially noted guest of this original Galt House, which he called "a splendid hotel" where he was "handsomely lodged as though we had been in Paris, rather than hundreds of miles beyond the Alleghenies".

Known as the center of Louisville's social life during this time, noted guests included presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt as well as Grand Duke Alexis of Russia.

[1] Over a half a century later, in 1972, the Galt House Hotel was re-established by developer Al J. Schneider as part of Louisville's Riverfront Urban Renewal Project.

The West Tower is 25 stories high and features 130,000 square feet of meeting space, deluxe guest rooms, corner suites, and six restaurants – Walker's Exchange, Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar, Down One Bourbon Bar, Al J's, Thelma's, and Swizzle Dinner & Drinks restaurant on the 25th floor, which opened in spring 2020.

[citation needed] On August 21, 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump visited the Galt House to deliver the keynote address at AMVETS 75th National Convention.

At the end of the speech the president signed a presidential memorandum, directing the United States Department of Education to forgive all student debt incurred by disabled military veterans.