Merrillville’s Star Plaza Theatre, hotel set for closure
Hotel officials say Merrillville's Star Plaza Theatre and its adjacent Radisson Hotel will be demolished next year to make room for a new hotel.
Tourism & Hospitality
Articles
Gen Con wants more lodging options in Indy to fuel growth
Total attendance for last week’s Gen Con show in Indianapolis inched up over last year’s record numbers. More hotel spaces could help the show expand, according to an organizer.
Fishers-based vendor loves doing business at Gen Con
In 2006, just three years after Indianapolis became the home of the national gaming convention, Tom Anders of Fishers decided to turn his gaming hobby into a business.
Bankers Life Fieldhouse restaurant getting major overhaul
The Indiana Pacers are set to unveil a revamped floor-level restaurant inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse—and a new naming rights deal to go along with it.
Peer-to-peer housing debate hits area communities
Indianapolis-area communities stayed out of the home-sharing-platform debates—until Zionsville ordered a couple to stop offering an apartment above their garage to out-of-town guests.
Marketing initiative Film Indy hires first commissioner
Teresa Sabatine’s role will be to position Indianapolis as a production-friendly city for TV commercials, TV shows, corporate training videos and movies.
Hospitality industry braces for new overtime rules
While the new law applies to all employers, it could hit the hospitality sector harder than most. The hotel industry is one that relies heavily on modestly paid middle managers, who are exempt from overtime, to pick up the slack—and extra hours—when called upon.
New report exposes Indy convention soft spots
The annual report of the city’s Capital Improvement Board shows the number of events at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium—and the total attendance for those events—fell sharply from 2014 to 2015.
Hamilton County sees flurry of hotel projects
Nearly 10 projects are in various stages of development, including three in Westfield. Once the announced hotels are open, Hamilton County’s room count could increase 35 percent.
Zionsville officials deny couple’s Airbnb request
Two Zionsville residents who have used Airbnb to rent an apartment above their garage to short-term visitors can no longer do so. The town’s zoning board saw no wiggle room in existing rules.
Zionsville stirs up debate over lodging service Airbnb
A local couple wants permission to list a garage apartment through the lodging platform. Some residents think Airbnb could attract tourism dollars, while others worry about safety and the area’s character.
Indiana amusement park seeing more visitors under new owner
Officials say the park has already sold 10,000 more annual passes than last year, and general admission sales have increased.
Indianapolis Foundation plans new downtown festival
More than 20 light installations on downtown's Central Canal and along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail will be part of a free, two-day festival in August staged in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis Foundation, organizers announced Thursday night.
Indianapolis Zoo ready to reopen ride that stranded riders
A ride that carries Indianapolis Zoo visitors along an elevated track above the orangutan exhibit is scheduled to reopen after being closed for almost a year.
Central Indiana showcased as 200 mayors come to town
Mayors, their staffs and policy experts from across the country—about 1,200 conference attendees in all—will attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual summer gathering that runs Friday through Monday.
Gen Con’s expansion to Lucas Oil is test for conventions
Gen Con is the biggest and highest-profile convention to use both the stadium and convention center since the 2011 expansion—and others are watching to see how it works.
Proposed $20M Carmel development includes steakhouse, town homes
Chuck Lazzara, who owns the Ritz Charles with his wife, has revealed plans for Monon and Main, a mixed-use project on the southwest corner of Main Street and the Monon Trail.
Indianapolis Zoo closing 28-year-old polar bear exhibit
Tundra, a 29-year-old polar bear at the Indianapolis Zoo, is being moved to the Detroit Zoo, officials said Monday.
Indy lands convention with 50,000 visitors, $35M impact
Primerica Inc.’s annual gathering will be one of the city’s five biggest conventions in 2017. The deal came together in a matter of weeks, which is exceedingly rare in the world of mega-conventions.
Restroom neutrality becomes hospitality sales tool
Only 1 percent of the events booked over the last year at the Indiana Convention Center asked for gender-neutral bathrooms, but hospitality experts say it’s a big and growing issue.