I met with Jillian's a couple weeks ago and was treated to lunch. Do you know Jillian's? It's that restaurant/bar/club/bowling alley/billiards room/arcade entertainment venue in downtown Indianapolis just a few blocks from the Hilton Garden Inn. The food was delicious! I had a chicken pasta dish and sweet tea. Just a heads up, if you haven't eaten there, you should really take the time to check it out. Their menu is varied and my contact recommends just about everything!
During my meeting, we discussed an idea to set up a new Indianapolis hotel package for all you guests out there. It will partner our downtown Indy hotel with entertainment and gift certificate from Jillian's to keep you occupied while there. Another hotel deal I'm working on is with the Indiana Repertory Theatre, or IRT. Stay and see a play, experience the Indy arts scene. Keep your eyes peeled for a couple new packages coming this August!
Don't forget about our other packages we're always selling. Our hotel packages are a great way to find a discount hotel room in Indianapolis paired with great goodies from local businesses or from our hotel.
Indianapolis Zoo Package
Circle Centre Shopping Package
Wine Lovers Package and
Romance Package
Just go to our website and check availability for your preferred staycation date and see which one fits you best!
Last week Mike Campbell and I had the pleasure of touring the Efroymson Conservation Center, home of The Nature Conservancy in Indiana. In April the organization held their opening gala and we played host to some of their out of town guests in for the celebration. Since our Indianapolis green hotel is a member of some of the same treehugger groups as The Nature Conservancy, it was a natural (no pun intended) for us to partner up and provide their guests some rooms at our property.
The Efroymson Conservation Center is located on East Ohio Street, just a quick walk from our downtown Indianapolis historic hotel. Mike and I were greeted by some beautiful landscaping at the back and Indiana limestone, yellow poplar, red oak, shagbark hickory and maple flooring and paneling in the entry way. Our guide toured us through two levels, a basement and roof pointing out neat features along the way.
Some of my favorite green features: all lights are on motion sensors, suspended flooring with interchangeable tiles with vents for cool air and of course the green roofs! From Ohio Street you can see the intensive green roof which has native Indiana plants and a deeper soil base. The building rooftop has an extensive green roof with a shallow soil base and low-lying plants. The bees seem to love it up there and it has a great view of the Maxwell apartments and of downtown!
In the basement they have a wall of windows looking out onto a Live Wall. This wall consists of many cement blocks which are staggered and act as planters. Soil is planted in each one and four different cliff-dwelling plants are planted in the soil. It's pretty amazing and I really need to find a way to build my own...in the office...As downtown Indy hotels and other businesses continue their green efforts, I hope they will look to new construction projects like that of Efroymson Conservation Center for ideas and self-sufficiency. They won an award, you know!
The last I heard, teams from at least 28 countries will be visiting Indy to compete. Tickets are only $10 at the gate for adults and $6 at the gate for students. You can take the entire family out to see a great event, support Team USA and it won't break the bank!
Now, if you'd like to stay in our newly renovated hotel in Indianapolis, I've got something for you. There are four downtown Indy hotels which have special rates for friends and family. We have a great Indianapolis hotel package which includes an overnight stay and breakfast for you. If you click here, you can make a reservation at our three star hotel in downtown Indianapolis, enjoy a full, hot breakfast, ride the Red Line to the Natatorium and the rest of your time in the heart of downtown.
We hope to see you soon!
However, just this month, the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown received a 4 Green Keys designation by Green Key Global. We are the first hotel in Downtown Indianapolis awarded with this certification and the second in the city of Indianapolis. This is obviously something we are very proud of, but doesn’t represent the end of our continuing practice of adopting and developing new opportunities to enhance our sustainable operation.
Green Key Global is a international organization (US and Canada) that ranks hotels on 9 areas of sustainability (energy conservation, water conservation, solid waste management, hazardous waste management, indoor air quality, community outreach, building infrastructure, land use, and environmental management). This encompasses all facets of our business from our hotel meetings to our hotel sleeping rooms.
A Four Green Keys designation is described by Green Key Global in this way: “A hotel that has shown national industry leadership and commitment to protecting the environment through wide ranging policies and practices. Mature programs that involve management, employees, guests, and the public have shown substantial and measurable results.
If travelling green is important to you, and you need hotel accommodations Indianapolis, then we invite you to stay with us or check out our environmental statement above.
While perusing Twitter for interesting things around town, I came across this link. Indianapolis was listed in the top 50 bike-friendly cities in the country! Although there are many trails in Indy to ride, the most well-known and probably the most popular is the Monon Trail. It's beginning/end points are located in downtown, near 10th and Massachusetts, connects with the Monon Greenway at 96th Street and ends at 146th and Gray Road.
Mass Ave is a great place to start, too! The avenue touts some great local restaurants, unique shopping, salons, theatres and music venues. Our hotel is the closest of the downtown Indy hotels near Murat Centre, where touring bands, comedians and plays stop to entertain. Another staple, and one of my personal favorites, The Rathskeller is on Mass Ave. They have a great outdoor biergarten with concerts in the summer, a beautiful historic feel and a dizzying list of great German beers from which to choose! Also, many of the weddings booked at The Rathskeller find accommodations for their guests at our Indianapolis wedding hotel.
The Monon is paved and has great scenery along the way. From industrial warehouses to residential areas and a jaunt through Broad Ripple, the Monon has lots to see in its 15.5 miles. The Monon begins just 1.5 walking/riding miles from the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown. So you can start here, ride up, check out Broad Ripple and Carmel or start up there and come visit our hotel Indianapolis green hotel just off the greenway!
The Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown would like to announce and introduce ourselves as a new member and Preferred Hotel partner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We are very excited about our new partnership! Being one of the Indianapolis downtown hotels near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it seems natural we partner with the most famous sports venue in the world right here in Indianapolis.
I and the staff at the Hilton Garden Inn are committed to working hard to create competitive packages for our partners, like you, that include preferred partner benefits whether you are here for the races or other meetings and events in town. What are you waiting for? Let the Hilton Garden Inn put you in the driver’s seat for the 94th running of the Indy 500, scheduled for May 30 at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway! Don't forget about the Brickyard 400® and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP®!
**This is your opportunity to experience our HGI hospitality and the rush of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing® at a great Indianapolis hotel package price!
-=For package pricing and availability on our great Indianapolis hotel deal, please contact Camille Lauer at 317-405-5709 or clauer@fhginc.com.
Indianapolis is fast becoming a major destination for individuals and families looking for an enjoyable and affordable getaway! The beautiful, historic Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown hotel is an ideal hotel to select when seeking exemplary discount hotel accommodations for your next Indianapolis visit In addition to our out of town guests, HGI is becoming ever popular with local residents looking for the perfect, yet inexpensive “staycation”! Many of our guests like our staff and amenities so much, they visit us again and again. This allows us to develop an ongoing rapport with these visitors, and most importantly it allows us to individualize our services even more, to better meet the needs of these guests.
When considering y our next getaway, be sure to call the Hilton Garden Inn – Downtown Indianapolis (317-955-9700) and inquire about your next great hotel deal located in the heart of the city!
***While in Indianapolis, you might want to consider visiting one or more of the following attractions:
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
The State Soldiers and Sailors Monument and Civil War Museum
Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Museum (Home of the Indianapolis 500)
Lucas Oil Stadium (Home of the Indianapolis Colts)
Carrie Underwood, Academy of Country Music Awards Entertainer of the Year and the woman named Top Female Vocalist, will be in Indianapolis on Friday, April 9 at Conseco Fieldhouse! Carrie also recently won a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for "I Told You So" (with Randy Travis). Come see this country star shine! Great seats are still available and being one of the downtown Indy hotels near Conseco Fieldhouse, what better place to stay than with us?
If you're taking that special someone out for an evening on the town, top it off with one of our Indianapolis hotel packages. We have a great Romance Package that includes dessert to share, a bottle of wine (no underage drinking, of course!), breakfast for two the next morning and a 1pm check-out! Are you not planning a romantic getaway, but a trip with the girls instead? Another hotel package we have is our Girlfriends Getaway which includes an $80 spa certificate for Studio 2000, just across the street, and breakfast for two!
No, I'm not talking about the eco-friendly green! It's time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day (and our Guest Service Manager, Megan Mills's birthday)!
St. Patty's Day festivities begin on Saturday, March 13 with the four mile Shamrock Run & Walk. This run & walk starts and ends at Monument Circle, just one half block from our Indianapolis downtown hotel!
Mayor Greg Ballard will dye the downtown canal green in honor of
St. Patrick's Day on Wednesday, March 17 at 6:50am. At 11:30am the St. Patrick's Day Parade will begin. It starts at North and Pennsylvania Streets, goes south on Pennsylvania, right onto Ohio, then back north of Meridian Street. The parade ends at Vermont Street where there's a tent party featuring live entertainment, a beer garden and more! I have to work at my beautiful green Indianapolis hotel, but YOU should go in my place! If you have one too many pints of Guinness, you can find downtown Indianapolis hotel reservations with us!
For more information on the festivities, check out the Indy St. Patrick's Day site!
Guess what? Race season is just around the corner! There are three races this season: The Indianapolis 500 (The Greatest Spectacle in Racing), the Brickyard 400 (NASCAR) and the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP.
As a newly renovated hotel in Indianapolis, we are happy to offer rooms and rates during the Indy 500. Our Indianapolis group travel deals are great for your group if you need ten rooms or more. The Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown is the northmost Hilton hotel in downtown, making it the Hilton hotel nearest the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
For group rates and Indianapolis hotel reservations information, please contact Camille Lauer, Corporate Sales Manager at clauer@fhginc.com or 317.405.5710.
Now that we are on the other side of the process of making us the most newly renovated hotel in downtown Indy, I can share the green processes we used to lessen the impact to the environment. While we were able to incorporate several practices and introduce several products that were eco friendly, we also ran into several challenges that kept us from implementing everything we wanted to do with regard to this topic. So any suggestions of what we can do moving forward would be greatly appreciated.
Any time you do a renovation you have to balance what you need to do and what you want to do. Here’s our scorecard:
1. We were able to donate about 16,000 square feet of carpet and padding to another business.
2. That which we weren’t able to donate, due to condition or lack of interest, we sent to Kruse Carpet Recycling Center. This amounted to about 51,000 square feet of carpet and padding
3. We refurbished and reupholstered out common area seating on the second floor landings rather than replace the entire furniture piece as the frame was still in very good shape
4. We were able to utilize Sherwin Williams Harmony line of zero VOC paint for all accent painting done in the main lobby and in the elevator landings on each floor, and in the restaurant.
5. Much of our fabric in our new guestroom and lobby seating was made with 100% recycled fibers.
6. Any plastic or cardboard packaging that came with the new furniture was recycled this amounted to a tremendous amount of cardboard and the single stream recycling option from Waste Management made this a easy process and they were very helpful in working with us to remove the tremendous amount of cardboard that came with the packaging of our new guestroom chairs, lobby furniture, and restaurant seating.
7. We introduced dimmable CFL fluorescent bulbs into our restaurant area, and have experimented with LED lighting solutions in our lobby. To date the LED lighting solution does not deliver on adequate illumination in the lobby and we are told in about 3-4 months a satisfactory LED lighting will be available to replace a 250w flood lamp, which is our primary lighting source for the lobby. We are anxious to seeing this work.
I guess most important of all we were able to demonstrate to our management design company that several low cost/no cost sustainable solutions are available with a project like this and hopefully we can prod other hotels to take some of these same steps.
The Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown is the most newly renovated hotel in Indianapolis downtown. These changes make us one of the best hotels near Indianapolis Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium. As of today all projects are complete. The project required some great coordination by the housekeeping, maintenance, and front desk staffs to ensure that our guest service did not suffer during the renovation. We accomplished this by keeping any work well away from any guests that might be staying in the hotel at the time this work was completed. The results of the renovation are terrific. The designer took our comments about ensuring our desire to continue giving great hotel accommodations Indianapolis.
Already we are getting very positive feedback from frequent guests about the enhancements made to the décor as well as our conversion to the GSS bedding system. In addition to replacing the carpeting throughout the entire building, we added a new soft seating chair and ottoman that compliments the existing décor as well as being a comfortable place to watch the big game on our LG flat panel televisions.
I am by no means a great photographer, and these photos don't do the changes justice. The most dramatic change is to our lobby and restaurant . As an important historic hotel of Indianapolis, we had to ensure that the changes were in keeping with the great flavor of the Fletcher Trust Building. The new colors compliment the historic flavor of the building while adding a new design element . The restaurant design enhancements have opened up the area to a more relaxed atmosphere. Whereas the feel of the restaurant was classic and established, maybe even a little boring before, the new semicircular booths, additional flat panel TVs, and lighting enhancements give the area a trendier atmosphere that is more fun to hang out in.
Let me know what you think, or better yet stop in and see for yourself.
I received this email today from the Indiana Sports Corp. Help us bring the FIFA World Cup to the U.S. and to Indy! This would be HUGE for us and benefit not only downtown Indy hotels, but many Indianapolis area hotels! Talk about a boost for our economy, restaurants, retail, airport, transporation, etc. As a former server and bartender, I would salivate over an event like this just for the potential tips! Ha! But seriously, what a great event and a great opportunity for the U.S. and Indianapolis to show the world we care about this sport and welcome it to our country and our city.
Do You Want to See FIFA World Cup Soccer in
Forward this to soccer fans, sports fans, fans of world-class events in Indiana, your family, friends, co-workers, and all e-mails lists you can. Print this and hang it up in your office, your gym, your school, or anywhere else you can think of. Ask them to support
More than 40,000 fans have already shown their love of soccer and patriotic spirit by signing up.
Your support counts! Help us bring the FIFA World Cup to the
It's FOOTBALL SEASON!! This Thursday, September 3 marks the end of the Indianapolis Colts' preseason! Our first regular season game is Sunday, September 13. The Indianapolis Colts face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars at home! I don't know about your team, but we have Blue Friday here in Indy. Our hotel celebrates the Colts games by displaying larger-than-life Colts players in the lobby, flags in our lobby palm trees, and a banner or two.
Of course, most employees really love Blue Friday because we get to wear something a bit more casual and our Indianapolis Colts jerseys! You can check out our team spirit on our Facebook page photo gallery! We even bring out the war paint and temporary tattoos from time to time! Are you a member of the Colts Blue Crew? You should be!
Of the hotels near Lucas Oil Stadium, we may not be the closest, but we certainly bleed blue (most of us). When you are searching for Indianapolis hotel reservations, whether you're supporting the Colts or the Texans, 49ers or Jets, we'd love to have you stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown! If you're coming from out of town for the Titans game, or any other, call me to check for Indianapolis group travel options!
Home Games:
Sun, 9/13: Jacksonville Jaguars
Sun, 10/4: Seattle Seahawks
Sun, 11/1: San Francisco 49ers
Sun, 11/8: Houston Texans
Sun, 11/15: New England Patriots
Sun, 12/6: Tennessee Titans
Sun, 12/13: Denver Broncos
Sun, 12/27: New York Jets
September is a great month for things to do, music to hear and people to see in downtown Indy! If you read my carnivorous post a while back, you know the 14th Annual Rib America Festival kicks off the month. You also know our downtown Indy hotel is the host hotel and has a special room rate and package for the event.
September 12 is the next event. The Penrod Arts Fair takes place on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The IMA is only five miles from the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown. The Fair is the largest single day art event in the U.S.! And it's family friendly, so check it out! That same weekend, the Chinese American Festival kicks off with art, performances, food and Chinese medicine. The event is at Military Park, only six blocks from our three star hotel.
What's next? The 14th Annual Irish Fest, also at Military Park! Enjoy music, dancing, food and kid friendly activities like bounce houses. When you're done there, head over to the 29th Fiesta Indianapolis at the American Legion Mall, just a few blocks north of our downtown Indianapolis hotel. It's the city's premier Latino celebration!
Tying up the month will be the week long Indy Jazz Fest. This popular event ends with a huge concert at The Lawn at White River State Park on September 26 and 27. Also on the 26th is the Eiteljorg's WestFest. There's so much to do and see, hear and eat! September will definitely gear you up for the first two weekends in October: Circle City Classic and then The Original and Fabulous Germanfest!
Check out Indianapolis Downtown Inc.'s website for more details! Don't forget to make your Indianapolis hotel reservations at the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown hotel!
As a representative of a Downtown Indy Hotel I've recently been able to sit in on a few meetings that have highlighted some of the important steps that Indianapolis is doing to become a greener and more environmentally friendly city. Currently the Indiana Cultural Trail construction is already well underway and will pass within one block of our hotel sometime next year. Our central location on this trail will connect the Hilton Garden Inn hotel in all four directions via the trail to all the major cultural districts including the Fountain Square, Wholesale District, Mass Avenue and the Murat Centre, the Canal and White River State Park, and of course Monument Circle. If you know someone looking for a conference hotel in Indianapolis, another corridor of this trail will branch off to the Indianapolis Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium making this a very pleasant walk from the hotel for conventioneers, Colts Fans, or others on Indianapolis group travel.
Once completed, the Indy Cultural Trail will connect with the existing Monon Trail which will give guests staying at the hotel easy access to Broad Ripple Village as well. Check out the Cultural Trail's site if you get a chance. The storm water planters and natural vegetation will really add to the feel of Downtown Indy and enhance the experience for both cyclists and pedestrians. Very cool stuff.
To check out our own environmental projects check out our own environmental statement at the top of the screen.
We're near the Indianapolis Speedway and this is the perfect time to be one of many downtown Indy hotels close to that venue. Saving Abel is playing there this weekend, practice is running and the Brickyard 400 is Sunday! I'll be there, will you? There are lots of upcoming events this summer including some major conventions. GenCon, the Best Four Days in Gaming, will be held downtown in August and we are near the Indianapolis Convention Center - only a five block walk!
Since my favorite topic is live music, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra plays at Conner Prairie every year for Symphony on the Prairie. I've not been myself, but I hear it's great. If you'd like to stay in an Indianapolis area hotel after the Prairie, get online and check out our special rates for this event! Just input Group Code SOTP09.
There's only a couple months of summer left! Tell us how you'll make the most of it!
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! We will soon be setting up a Facebook and Twitter rate, too...stay tuned for more...
In my attempt to tie in the hotel to every blog, I have to tell you about that, too! For the second consecutive year, the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown hotel is the Official Hotel of the Rib America Festival! I have set up some great discount hotel rooms and a hotel package for the event. You can find hotel accommodations with us just five blocks from Military Park here. The package I created is a great hotel deal in Indianapolis, too! The package includes admission for two to the festival, 20 food/beverage/game tickets, an overnight stay in our three star hotel downtown Indianapolis and breakfast for two in our Great American Grill. I only set three rooms aside for this special package, so reserve your Rib America Festival Indianapolis hotel package soon!
The annual Sky Concert is canceled this year. But the Rib America Festival is definitely a great way to heat things up in downtown Indy!! If you have any questions, please feel free to call me directly at (317) 405-5710.
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Do you know which downtown Indy hotels are near the Indianapolis Speedway? Our three star hotel downtown Indianapolis is one of the closest! The Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown is located just six miles SE of the IMS. If you're looking for discount hotel rooms in Indianapolis, or group travel for the races, please call us! We have great rates and Indianapolis hotel packages for Indianapolis group travel - small and large! And even though Indy has a new airport terminal, don't be fooled. Downtown hotels near the Indianapolis Airport have not moved, a short drive will get you from the airport to our downtown Indy hotel and from here to the races.
Contact Camille Lauer today at (317) 405-5709 or clauer@fhginc.com to arrange your hotel accommodations in Indianapolis at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown!
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