Hotels to offer free Wi-Fi but tighten cancellation policies
The big chains, those mega-hotels that cater to business travelers during the week, are finally following suit of the budget, side-of-the-road properties and offering free Internet.
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Southwest to add nonstop service to LA, Boston
Southwest will depart Indianapolis International Airport for Los Angeles once daily, and there will be two flights every day to Boston, the airline announced Wednesday.
LOU’S VIEWS: Music City earns its moniker
About 36 hours in Nashville, TN, revealed a town that truly embraces the music that made it famous. And knows how to show visitors a good time.
BASILE: Been to more than 100 countries? Join the club
The Travelers’ Century Club is a not-for-profit club consisting of about 2,000 people from around the world who have traveled to 100 or more countries.
TRY THIS: A caving adventurer discovers the upside of the underworld
We’re a three-person caving group about to enter Sullivan Cave. Our leader locks the gate behind us.
BASILE: For more fun, invite serendipity into your summer road trips
No matter what our plan, we are always flexible about modifying it if we come across some unexpected sight or event. Frequently the most interesting experiences are unplanned.
Hotel app maker to shift HQ accommodations to Indianapolis
Dallas-based Yikes, which automatically handles most hotel transactions for consumers, is planning on ramping up operations and settling its main office in downtown Indianapolis.
LOU’S VIEWS: Harry Potter star leads a Broadway stunner—plus more from NY stages
Reviews of “The Realistic Joneses,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Les Miserables,” and “Violet.”
LOU’S VIEWS: IBJ A&E road trip heading for Canada
Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Niagara Falls, and more are on the agenda. Hope you can join us.
No foolin’: New state tourism pitch is ‘Honest to Goodness’
The new tourism slogan, which replaces “Restart your engines,” is the hook for a widescale state rebranding campaign.
Visit Indy to map city’s strategy for tourism
The $178,000 study will answer key questions about how the city can better connect its highlights, attract and please business and leisure travelers, and hook up with corporate partners.
At Perfect North, there’s no business like snow business
“The first year, we had about 700 visitors,” said Chip Perfect. “That’s a typical Saturday for us now.”
Tourism makes up state’s sixth largest industry, study says
The industry maintains nearly 140,000 jobs and contributes $10 billion in revenue to Indiana businesses, according to a new report.
Big Ten football championship sells out, packs downtown hotels
The battle on Saturday between Ohio State and Michigan State, plus ESPN broadcasts and special events downtown, are expected to have a $15 million economic impact on Indy. That’s a vast improvement over the 2012 championship.
Westfield gearing up for big hospitality play
Westfield’s massive Grand Park Sports Campus doesn’t open until March, but city leaders already are focused on making sure the 1 million-plus visitors they expect next year want to come back.
MILLER: A mixed forecast for the travel business
The volume of travel in the United States exceeded the prior peak (2007) earlier this year and is likely headed for continued growth, although Indiana, with the exception of central Indiana, is not faring as positively.
Work starting on French Lick Resort expansion
A ceremony was held Monday to mark the start of a $15.5 million expansion of the events center at the French Lick Resort in southern Indiana.
BASILE: Odds are Branson visitors will be treated like family
Hokey? Sure. But other cities could learn something about customer service from how this Missouri country mecca.
LOU’S VIEWS: Pigeon Forge on a roll with new ways to lure tourists
In the Smokies, you can tumble down a hill in a Zorb, cheer on feuding lumberjacks, or take pictures with waxen Hollywood stars. And, of course, there’s Dollywood.
REVIEW: Walt Disney World, Universal Studios revisited
With both the 2010 opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and 2012’s New Fantasyland expansion at Walt Disney World, families with theme-park inklings have even more reasons to visit — or revisit — Orlando.