The operator of the city’s convention facilities reported its best monthly financial performance since the pandemic led the Indiana Convention Center to temporarily close down in March 2020.
One thing that hotels across the board are considering is whether many of their customers are willing to accept fewer services than before, such as daily room cleanings and sizable breakfast spreads, analysts say, and that might mean a smaller hotel workforce.
The incident occurred under the entrance canopy at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, across from the Indiana State Museum and near White River State Park.
Indianapolis-based KennMar LLC acquired the former Caribbean Cove water resort property on the city’s north side and another Drury hotel site at Interstate 465 and West 71st Street.
The Indiana Hospitality & Entertainment Grant program is intended to help those businesses “largely excluded from other government assistance programs,” the state said.
The overhaul follows the hotel’s acquisition by an Atlanta-based firm for $118.3 million in August 2019.
Hospitality leaders say no, although it will be some time before occupancy rates are back to normal.
With thousands of visitors in town for the NCAA basketball tournament and other athletic events, occupancy rates at downtown Indianapolis hotels were the highest in the nation for the past two weekends, breaking the pandemic tourism setback that settled in a year ago.
The move will allow fans and other visitors to use the Hyatt Regency, Westin and JW Marriott hotels for the first time in 10 days, after the three properties were fully booked by the NCAA for tournament needs.
Teams must undergo a quarantine and testing period when they arrive in Indianapolis—and no one from the schools was allowed to make the trip without seven consecutive days of negative tests.
Former JW Marriott employee Lisette Woloszyk watched things go from bad to worse in March, as cancellations for the city’s hotels racked up alongside COVID-19 cases.
The tradition started in 2012, when what was essentially a giant decal of the Lombardi Trophy—the prize for winning the Super Bowl—went up on the front or eastern face of the 33-story hotel.
Town officials have grown “frustrated by a lack of transparency and communication from Loftus Robinson despite our multiple requests,” as well as the firm’s effort to continue batting away responsibility for the project.
Five of the city’s most prominent hotels, accounting for more than 2,800 rooms, will house the 68 teams in the three-week NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament that tips off March 18.
Hosting the entire 68-team NCAA men’s basketball tournament is likely to be a landmark event for Indianapolis and another boon for the city’s hospitality efforts, industry observers say.
The herculean effort over the next 2-1/2 months will involve city and state officials, tourism and civic leaders, and likely thousands of volunteers.
Nearly all of downtown’s nearly 7,600 hotel rooms could be used for the tournament, as well as additional hotels in other parts of the city as well.
The Tribute and Aloft hotels—both of which were announced before the pandemic began—are among the few downtown lodging projects that are continuing to make progress.
The usual plan, which involves packing people closely on as many cots and mats as Wheeler Mission’s shelters can hold, isn’t an option under social distancing guidelines.
The 139-room hotel will be among the first components of the $300 million Bottleworks District to open. Additional tenants—including retailers, restaurants and entertainment-focused businesses—will begin opening early next year.
