Essential Toolbox
Convention Centers & Facilities
Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium (749,000 sf of exhibition space, 71 meeting rooms, and a 33,335 sf ballroom)
ROOM TAX: 17 percent
Banker's Life Stadium is open for events
The Indy 500 may get pulses racing, but Indianapolis has invested in new green spaces and reinvigorated its hotel product to rev things up for the meetings market.
Last year the Circle City celebrated 100 years of the Indy 500 and saw the opening of the largest JW Marriott in the world. This year will see the completion of the $50-million Indianapolis Cultural Trail, an eight-mile oasis with a designated biking and walking trail bordered by lush landscaping and public art.
In January, the 499-room Hyatt Regency Indianapolis wrapped up a nearly $20-million restoration of its guest rooms, suites, and ballroom. The property features 35,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including the 9,408-square-foot Regency Ballroom. The Hyatt Regency Indianapolis is connected to the convention center via an enclosed walkway.
Last year the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium completed a $275-million expansion. The combined facilities now boast 749,000 square feet of exhibition space.
Of course, an expanded convention center calls for more hotel rooms, and last year Marriott stepped up to the plate with the 1,006-room JW Marriott Indianapolis. The property has 55 meeting rooms, making for a total of 104,000 square feet of meeting space, and two restaurants. The 34-story mega-hotel is known affectionately as “Big Blue” by locals.
The 560-room Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel and Suites is expected to debut a $12-million renovation later this month. Upgrades include new windows and exterior panels and new bedding, furniture, and televisions for most of the property’s guest rooms.
This fall, Dolce will open a 157-room hotel in town, with 15,000 square feet of function space, a 1,200-square-foot lounge with city views, and an American-style brasserie.