What business traveler would disagree that there are those times in your life when there is nothing like a good airport hotel to rely on for a planned or sudden overnighter? Am I right? After all, the more you travel, the more likely you are to find that a sudden flight cancellation leaves you stranded in the middle of the night and, maybe, in the middle of the world. (I know I was. One time I was stranded in the middle of nowhere for nine hours due to such a cancellation.)
Well, it’s at such times when a world-class, onsite, airport hotel is worth its weight in gold (sorry for the cliché, but there’s no other way to say it). Ah, a clean and comfortable bed, a nice hot shower, a little room service, and you’re set to head home in the a.m. – most conveniently, I might add.
And, too, as a meeting planner, there might also be a situation where C-suite executives (or a celebrity speaker) need to quietly fly in and out as quickly as possible the next morning in a no-fuss-no-bother sort of way. That’s why, when a major hotel group moves forward with the construction of a new airport hotel – in our industry – it’s welcomed news.
This brings me to a new corporate-style airport hotel being built at Indianapolis International Airport, as recently announced by the Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA). According to Mario Rodgriguez, IAA executive director, “The original plans for the Midfield Terminal complex included a terminal-connected hotel, and through the years we’ve proceeded with careful and strategic planning to ensure the right build at the right time to increase the value of the airport to the public, and increase our contribution to the Central Indiana economic landscape.”
That hotel is the $205.8 million Westin Indianapolis Airport hotel, which will feature 253 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant serving three meals per day, a fitness center, a bar and lounge area, a pedestrian passage through the hotel to the airport garage, and hotel-specific parking with valet option. (I like the pedestrian passage from the hotel to the airport.)
Also, hotel guests who join the Marriott Bonvoy program, a free-to-join loyalty program, can experience benefits like free Wi-Fi, discounted rates, and the ability to earn points toward free nights and other rewards. And, as an actual corporate-style hotel, there will also be an approximate 10,000 square-foot meeting space.
According to the IAA’s official statement, “With approximately one-third of passengers flying out of the Indy airport before 9 a.m., and (our) coming off record-breaking passenger traffic, this new hotel will give weary travelers a convenient overnight option to save time before their early morning flight, with elevated amenities compared to a 45-minute to an hour drive.”
So, it was a big day that included more than 200 guests from city officials to community leaders, among others. Together, they joined Rodriguez and IAA Board President Barbara Glass for the ceremonial shovel event. Ceremonial vials of soil were handed out as Rodriguez proclaimed that the new hotel would serve as “the front door to the front door,” welcoming travelers from around the globe to what he called “the Best Airport in North America,” one with a new, world-class hotel.
To that comment, Glass added that with the hotel’s elegance and grandeur, the new addition will add to the terminal campus in a big way, and will also deliver an economic impact to the city. “The hotel will help cement the Indy airport’s reputation as ‘The Best Airport in North America’ for decades to come,” said Glass. “This hotel will not only be an iconic addition to the airport, but it’s the biggest investment directly benefiting the traveling public since the new terminal itself was built, and it will also be a revenue and job generator for Indianapolis.”
In summary, the Westin Indianapolis Airport hotel will feature 253 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant serving three meals daily, a fitness center, a bar and lounge area, approximately 10,000 square feet of meeting space, a pedestrian passage through the hotel to the airport garage, and hotel-specific parking with a valet option. Hotel guests who also join the Marriott Bonvoy program, a free-to-join loyalty program, can also experience benefits like free Wi-Fi, discounted rates, and the ability to earn points toward free nights and other rewards.
CSO, Inc., developed the construction drawings for the hotel, which included architectural, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and interior design services.
Shiel Sexton Company, Inc., developed the construction program and guaranteed a maximum price.
Wischermann Partners, Inc., is the hotel operator and assisted the CSO’s design team with overall programming of the hotel.
The IAA anticipates the new Westin Indianapolis Airport hotel will be completed in December 2027.
