INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) – Construction of a new 90-room boutique hotel in downtown Indianapolis is progressing and tourism officials say the work is a signal that Indy is doing better than Indy in the post-pandemic economy other cities. The Hotel Indy is due to open in October in the former state life insurance building. It will be the second specialty hotel to open in Indy within a year after the Bottleworks Hotel opened in December 2020 in the former Coca-Cola bottling plant in what is now the Bottleworks District.
“This is an anomaly that does not occur in other cities in the United States,” Chris Gahl, senior vice president of marketing for Visit Indy, told Around INdiana reporter Mary-Rachel Redman. “This is an anomaly that is attracting the attention of developers across the country and convention event professionals who say, ‘How is it possible to open not one but two in a year?
With scaffolding, building materials, and die-hard workers currently filling the six-story building, the $ 30 million project is slated to welcome its first guests this fall.
“This will be the vestibule you enter from Virginia Street,” said Tina Crawford, Hotel Indy sales manager, during a tour. “Check in here right away, soft seating here.”
Gahl says Hotel Indy will offer visitors a unique experience due to its location at the intersection of Washington and Delaware Streets.
“It is within walking distance of the convention center. It is also within walking distance to many restaurants and bars. It’s also across the street from the culture trail. Hotel guests can grab a bike or just explore the city on foot, ”said Gahl.
Indianapolis currently has 8,100 hotel rooms. While many hotels were temporarily closed during the pandemic, the current occupancy rate according to Gahl is around 50%, which is the national average. “We know that other big cities are still suffering. They do not host any events. They didn’t have a March Madness, they don’t have that swing, ”explained Gahl. “And that’s both rewarding and bittersweet because we know other cities aren’t in the position Indy is in right now.”
According to Gahl, Visit Indy’s forecasts show continued demand for hotel rooms in the third and fourth quarters of the year. “We know that these rooms will be in demand. We will continue to recover significantly and in a meaningful way. “
Gahl says tourism officials are eagerly awaiting construction of the new Signia Hilton hotel slated for the Pan-Am Pavilion in downtown Indy. It would bring another 800 hotel rooms to the city.
Click here to view Mary-Rachel Redman’s report.
