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Even with nearly 30% of its rooms closed for renovations, the Crowne Plaza at Union Station will enjoy a record weekend for revenue during Taylor Swift’s visit to Indianapolis.
Jim Dora Jr., CEO of General Hotels Corp., which operates the Crowne Plaza, said the hotel’s available 188 rooms were sold at a premium Friday through Sunday to correspond with Swift’s “Eras Tour” shows at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“The rate we were able to command in the market is a very strong rate,” Dora said.
The Crowne Plaza, 123 W. Louisiana St., is less than a block north of the stadium, and 81% of Swift ticket holders are non-Indiana residents.
During Friday’s concert, Swift said the attendance figure was 69,000—a record-breaking number that was expected to be replicated on Saturday and Sunday. Dora said thousands of people without tickets are happily “hanging around” downtown each day to experience Swift-related atmosphere.
He credited a local organizing committee, made up of entities including Downtown Indy Inc., Visit Indy, Capital Improvement Board and Indianapolis International Airport, for setting the stage for businesses to succeed this weekend.
“We’re always punching above our weight class compared to what other cities actually pull off,” Dora said.
The IBJ checked in with Crowne Plaza’s Dora as well as representatives of three other downtown hotels and three downtown restaurants as “The Eras Tour” arrived.
Chris Martin, president of Finney Hospitality Group, said his company’s Social Cantina restaurant was ready for a crush of customers. Social Cantina, 148 S. Illinois St., doesn’t accept reservations.
“Events like this weekend, with 200,000 people in town over just a couple of days, it’s pretty much an ‘Open the doors and let it rip’ mentality,” Martin said.
In a year that’s included the NBA All-Star Game and U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Indianapolis, Martin said anticipation surrounding Swift’s concerts matched any other event.
“It won’t have the sustained impact of the swimming trials or Gen Con,” Martin said “I think it will probably be more similar to NBA All-Star Weekend, which was phenomenal.”
The swimming trials featured nine days of competition at Lucas Oil Stadium in June, and Gen Con brings four days of tabletop gaming to the stadium and Indiana Convention Center each summer.
Martin said Swift’s out-of-town fans are similar to fans of sports teams that visit Indianapolis.
“Those fans get out and investigate what’s cool and different about Indianapolis,” said Martin, whose company owns Social Cantina as well as the Tap, 306 N. Delaware St. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us to show Hoosier hospitality.”
Brian Shapiro, owner of Shapiro’s Delicatessen, said he was on a Thursday flight from Atlanta to Indianapolis. He estimated that 70% of his fellow passengers were Swift fans.
Shapiro said he enjoys seeing families attending the “Shake It Off” singer’s concerts as a bonding experience.
“You see a parent and a daughter,” Shapiro said. “It’s kind of a delightful thing.”
Meanwhile, Shapiro said his restaurant’s midday business was down on Friday. He theorized that downtown workers steered clear of the area to avoid the influx of concert attendees. Shapiro said he expected more customers through the weekend.
“One-third of our customers every day of the week live more than 100 miles from Indianapolis,” he said of Shapiro’s, which originated as a grocery store in 1905.
For historical context, Shapiro said his restaurant does especially well when Ohio State University’s football team plays in Big Ten Championship games. Shapiro said the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis generated all-time profits for the restaurant, topping even the 2012 Super Bowl played in Indianapolis.
At Le Meridien hotel, 123 S. Illinois St., general manager Cassy Kirk said “The Eras Tour” is making an impact.
“We’ve been talking about it a lot as a team,” Kirk said. “When is the next time you can experience anything like this? We just need to enjoy it and have fun.”
Le Meridien is hosting artist vendors for on-site shopping, and the hotel’s guests are receiving painted henna tattoos at no charge.
Kirk said all 100 rooms at Le Meridien were sold out Friday and Saturday and initially said the hotel had “a handful of rooms left on Sunday, but I don’t expect that will stay that way for long.” Indeed, the hotel was sold by Sunday morning.
Dora, CEO of the company that operates the Crowne Plaza, said Indianapolis can’t afford to bask in the success of this weekend. The hospitality industry needs future events to attract visitors, he said.
“Two weeks ago, it was a 10% market during the week because there was no corporate business travel and no conventions or events,” Dora said. “While this is a fantastic weekend, it gets spread through the month to cover everything.”
At The Block Bistro & Grill, 115 W. Market St., owner Terry Anthony hired DJs to play music on the patio outside his restaurant from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
“People have been waiting years and spent thousands of dollars to come see this lady,” Anthony said of Swift. “We want to make sure our city is as inviting as it can be.”
Anthony, who served as a guest chef at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during NBA All-Star Weekend, opened The Block restaurant in 2021.
He describes The Block as an affordable option for diners seeking something akin to an Applebee’s or O’Charley’s downtown.
“We try to fill that void,” Anthony said. “It’s great that you have $50-a-plate spots downtown, but when you have a family of four that may not be realistic.”
Ben Weatherhead, director of sales and marketing for the dual-branded Hyatt Place/Hyatt House, 130 S. Pennsylvania St., said all 316 rooms at the hotel were sold Friday through Sunday.
Although entertainment is the driving force of “Eras Tour” weekend, the potential for future business accompanies every traveler, Weatherhead said.
“You never know who’s in town,” he said. “You don’t know who is a decision maker and where. What I love about Indianapolis is the ability for the whole hospitality industry to come together under one cause and then all row the boat in the same direction.”
A display of Swift-themed IndyCar racing helmets is an attraction shared among 10 hotels this weekend, including one helmet each at the Crowne Plaza, Le Meridien, Hyatt Place/Hyatt House and the Alexander, 333 S. Delaware St.
Sarah Brezik, director of sales and marketing at the Alexander, said all 200 rooms at the hotel were sold Friday through Sunday.
The Alexander is hosting a daily “Champagne Problems” brunch (a name borrowed from the title of a Swift song), and three fashion boutiques are selling items in the lobby. A Swift-themed game of “Singo”—a musical variation of bingo—is scheduled for Sunday.
“Everybody is here to have a good time together,” Brezik said. “And there’s glitter everywhere.”
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