Indianapolis Meeting Hotel

The following post is a guest blog from Kirk Stelsel who has been a client, a guest and a fan of our hotel since 2010 when we hosted his wedding party and guests.  Kirk's post comes to us voluntarily and he was not paid or encouraged to write on our behalf.  Follow Kirk on Twitter: @kirkstelsel  THANKS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION, KIRK!

Being put in charge of planning a bachelor party is both an honor and a burden.

Anyone who has ever planned an event of any sort knows how hard it is to please an entire group of people by meeting everyone’s needs, ensuring everyone has fun and getting everyone on the same page.

Thankfully, one part of my planning was easy – picking the hotel for our downtown Indianapolis bachelor party. When it came to location, price, quality and service – I knew the service was good based on the way they handled my wedding – the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown was the only place I needed to contact.

Dinner at a local favorite for pretty much all the guys involved, Scotty’s Brewhouse, was a short walk down Pennsylvania Street from one of our favorite downtown Indianapolis hotels. After dinner, moving on to the best place to enjoy nightlife in the entire city, Mass Ave., was easy to walk as well.

If its basketball or football season and you want to take in a game as part of your bachelor party, the HGI is one of the closest hotels near Bankers Life Fieldhouse for a Pacers game and is an easy walk. Catching a Colts game at Lucas Oil Stadium is just across a compact downtown, so either a healthy walk or a very short cab ride. If music is your thing, the Murat Centre (now the Old National Centre) is right down on the street on the aforementioned Mass Ave.  The HGI is one of the closest hotels near Murat Centre.

I’ve stayed at this hotel three times now, and had countless wedding guests stay there, and every time has been exceptional. The rooms are always clean, the staff is always friendly, and both my bachelor party and wedding guests went out of their way to tell me what a great hotel I had picked for them. If you want a downtown Indianapolis hotel for your bachelor party with bang for your buck, service and some pretty cool history, check out the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown.

New to the area? Looking for an Indianapolis meeting hotel to gather up all your friends? The Hilton Garden Inn has you covered. On top of that, we've got some interesting things going on in Indianapolis that you should know about to have the best time here possible.

There are just so many things happening in the Circle City all the time! There are also many attractions you'll want to visit, such as:

• Indiana Convention Center
• White River State Park
• The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
• Indianapolis Museum of Art
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Mass Avenue Shopping District
• ...plus everything in between all these sights!

To get in on all this action, you'll need to look at hotels near Indianapolis Convention Center so that you don't spend most of your time driving. The Hilton Garden Inn - Indianapolis Downtown is perfect for this. Also nearby is the opportunity to go utilize Circle City Tours.

Circle City Tours stops at all of the aforementioned places. Instead of visiting the area and having to pay for a rental car, you can spend $15 on an adult ticket and $8 on a child ticket to be taken to the grand sites of Indianapolis. On a daily basis, Circle City Tours completes four round trips to these six different sites. Although the bus can only hop-ons and hop-offs from these sites, you are free to do exploring in between them, and then return to the comfort of the bus, which has air conditioning, heating, and cushioned seats. You may arrange to be pickd up at the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown, though!  Interested parties should call Carrie at 317-899-9285 to get their tickets today, and don't forget to book us as your three star hotel downtown Indianapolis!
 

Cheerleaders and cheer fans alike should rest easier knowing we have some great Indianapolis hotel packages for them. With the World Spirit Federation Indy Showdown coming up, look no further for a better hotel deal. The Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Indianapolis can give you what you need. Because the hotel is located in the same area as the competition, you'll have an easy trek to it and won't have to spend too long traveling. We know how important it is for participants, judges, and interested family members to get to the Convention Center without any problems. We also provide some space if you're looking to use an Indianapolis meeting hotel simply to get together with other participants and interested parties before the Indy Showdown.

If you're just now hearing about this event, you should know that you and your team of cheerleaders or dancers can participate if you register and pay at least eight days before the event! The competition features categories for both dance and cheer and great seating for anyone who wants to witness it. The Indy Showdown 2013 takes place from December 21st until the 22nd of this year. While registrants have to pay to participate, spectators get in free. Since the event lasts a full two days, starting to look for hotels near Indianapolis Convention Center is a good idea. Luckily, we are located so close to the arena that it's worthwhile to look into our current Indianapolis hotel packages, especially if you want to see who will qualify for the United States All Star Federation.
 

Don't miss out on the festivities this year. Black History Month is only one month out of the year and you will not want to lose out on this opportunity, so take advantage of it by booking an Indianapolis area hotel so that you can enjoy all this month's festivities. This month truly gives us reason to celebrate the accomplishments of African-American culture, and the city itself can attest to that. Here's an outline of this month's festivities so you don't regret not having participated:

• Feb. 1st - "Art & Soul," a celebration of African-American artists in Indiana
• Feb. 5th - free Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Concert
• Feb. 9th - Sankofa Black Heritage Festival, free event celebrating the heritages of all African peoples, featuring drum, dance, gospel, and choir performances
• Feb. 7th - special exhibits at the Children's museum, discussion of achievements in history, science, art, and music
• Feb. 24th - meet the family of "Roots" author Alex Haley
• Today until March 23rd - view the works of 15 different African American artists at the Central Library
• Every Thursday in February - watch performances about the life of Madame Walker
• Every Friday and Saturday until Feb. 16th - watch a play called "Jackie and Me" about a student who researches Jackie Robinson and then finds himself taken back in time to meet him
• All February until the 28th - take the Black History Challenge online to get the chance to win Indians Tickets and more

As you can see, the city of Indianapolis has a lot to offer this month, and you do not want to be the only person who misses out on this! If you're coming from out of town, take advantage of one of our downtown Indianapolis hotels to get the most out of this month.
 

Happy New Year!  In the city of Indy, 2013 will be a weird one when it comes to conventions - we are going to have fewer conventions than usual.

For example, the Men’s and Women’s Big Ten Basketball Championships as well as the FFA and CEDIA conventions are in alternating cities this year.

As a result of this absence, our newly renovated hotel Indianapolis can offer group discounts and meeting space and catering during dates we have not had available in previous years.

What sort of group event are you planning?  Is your company looking for a place to have their annual sales meeting?  What about a family reunion or a high school reunion?  Are you a coach or part of a sports team that needs to look into an Indianapolis hotel pacakages?  Are you looking for a place to have your wedding reception?  Or even your ceremony?  What about a wedding group that needs to book some rooms?  Or a Bachelor or Bachelorette party that is having a night out in downtown Indy? 

Great opportunity for that company meeting (contact Camille Lauer), reunion or sports group (contact Lindsay Gill) or wedding guest room block, reception or ceremony (contact Celia Belden).

If you are looking for the ideal place at which to schedule next year’s meetings, events, or conferences, look no further: the historic hotel Indianapolis Hilton Garden Inn is guaranteed to be the perfect venue for you.  Start 2013 on the right foot before the year even begins by booking Indianapolis meeting hotel rooms for all of your upcoming meeting and events!  The HGI First Quarter 2013 Event Planner Promotion begins November 29, and by booking meetings and events held next year between January 1 and April 6, you will be able to partake in it.  This promotion gives you triple Event Planner HHonors points, plus a 5% rebate to the master account on the guest rooms!

If you want to take advantage of this opportunity, please request the “First Quarter 2013 Event Planner Promotion” when making your reservation.  Standard Event Planner Program terms & conditions apply, but airline miles will not apply to this promotion.  The master account rebate applies to guest room revenue.  Click here or call the hotel directly for more information.  And if you want a discount hotel Indianapolis for your upcoming meetings or events throughout the first quarter of 2013, be sure to make a reservation at the Downtown Indianapolis Hilton Garden Inn starting a week after Thanksgiving.
 

The Indianapolis downtown hotel Hilton Garden Inn continuously strives to keep comfortable, spacious accommodations and customer satisfaction as top priorities so that each guest has a quality experience.  We are excited to announce that our September 2012 rankings reflect this dedication to our customers: the Hilton Garden Inn achieved placements within the top 10 of several categories among all Hilton Garden Inn hotels in the Midwest region.

The Midwest region hotel locations included are Cincinnati, Dayton, Indiana, Kentucky, St. Louis, and parts of Illinois including the downtown Chicago area and Interstate 80.  When guests stay at a Hilton Garden Inn location, they are given surveys to rank their satisfaction with their time spent at the hotel.  

Our guests ranked the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown as follows:

• #3 for loyalty
• #4 for overall service
• #7 for overall service year to date

The historic hotel Indianapolis Garden Hilton Inn is dedicated to providing positive hotel experiences for all customers, and we believe this dedication is reflected in the guest rankings.  The Garden Inn boasts quality accommodations and a convenient location in the heart of Indianapolis.  With our deluxe amenities including room service, a fitness center, and a heated pool and spa as well as onsite catering and over 6,500 square feet of meeting space, The Indianapolis Garden Inn acts as the perfect venue for both weekend getaways and business functions.  See what all of the hype is about and make hotel reservations Indianapolis for your next night away!
 

There’s a special event that started in 2010 and took place just recently here in 2012. Twenty-four Australian and American men and women joined together to show support and respect for the honor, and sacrifice made by our military and emergency responders while also remembering the tragic events of 9/11 and celebrating the alliance between Australia and the United States.

This group’s mission is to call to remembrance both of our nations’ commitments to freedom and peace while also celebrating those who serve their communities and countries. The name of this happening is the Tour of Duty Ride 2012, and their plan united members of military, police and fire department personnel to journey together across this beautiful land from San Diego all the way to New York City from August 12th to September 10th.

We had the honor of meeting them when they stayed in our Indianapolis downtown hotel in August during one leg of their ride from Louisville to Indianapolis. And we have to say this is an amazing group of individuals representing and serving their countries in a way that makes us all proud.

Their effort raises funds to support the widows and children of NYC police and fire departments as well as the Wounded Warrior project. If you would like to learn more about their inspiring and charitable team, please visit their website or Facebook page.

We hope to see them again next year in our beautiful city. For those planning a visit to Indy, make sure to check our website for Indianapolis hotel packages. We even offer special pricing for Indianapolis group travel and know you’ll enjoy your stay as much as we enjoyed the Tour of Duty team’s visit with us!

For 10 days in October, find inspiration when the 2012 Heartland Film Festival brings films with a positive message to Downtown Indy. From October 18th to October 27th this family friendly event offers independent and international films that show the positive side to all that this life has to offer.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the filmmakers, and watch as more than $150,000 in cash awards are given for best documentary, short and narrative to name a few. There’s even a category for high school films as well. The schedule of events will be online shortly so be sure to visit the film festival’s website for further details. (http://www.trulymovingpictures.org/heartland-film-festival/about/) Here’s a brief listing of events scheduled so far:

• Opening Night – Oct 18th at the Indianapolis Museum of Art
• Screenings – Oct 18th at AMC Castleton Square 14
• Awards Ceremony – Oct 20th at Old National Centre
• Reel Conversations – Oct 21st at the Omni Severin Hotel
• Closing Night Screening – Oct 27th at Indianapolis Museum of Art
• Closing Night After Party – Oct 27th at Jazz Kitchen

Staying at Downtown Indy hotels offers guests the opportunity to stay close to all the action of the film festival and other entertaining attractions. Our historic hotel Indianapolis Hilton Garden Inn offers comfortable accommodations that make you feel right at home while enjoying all the screenings and parties available during the film festival. Give us a call today or visit our website to learn more about any October Indianapolis hotel packages available for your stay.

While the heat of summer may have you wishing for cooler weather, you can always dream of a winter white wonderland by planning for the holidays now. Meeting and banquet room reservations fill up fast particularly as fall approaches so it’s really time to start thinking about the holidays in order to reserve your spot before it’s too late.

Companies delight in hosting their holiday parties in our historic hotel Indianapolis ballroom, the Benjamin Harrison, or dining and dancing on our historic Mezzanine. This year you can make this event one to remember for many years to come by booking early.

We’re even offering special party packages with 10 percent discount per person on food and waiving both the meeting room rental and bartender fees. Overnight guests also benefit with a full breakfast in the morning, and each event includes one complimentary suite night for every 15 rooms booked. Our holiday special is based upon availability so don’t miss this great hotel deal Indianapolis Downtown.

Call to schedule your next social event or holiday party at the green hotel Indianapolis Hilton Garden Inn by contacting our Catering Sales Manager, Celia Belden, at (317) 405-5711. She may also be reached by email at cbelden@fhginc.com.
 

The historic hotel Indianapolis Hilton Garden Inn Downtown is committed to bringing quality accommodations to our guests while making sure they are satisfied with every aspect of their stay. For July 2012, we are proud to announcement our top 10 status out of all Hilton Garden Inns for the Midwest Region.

The Midwest region is composed of other locations in Cincinnati and Dayton, Indiana, Kentucky, St. Louis, Missouri and parts of Illinois including the Downtown Chicago area and hotels south of Interstate 80. When guests stay at a Hilton Garden Inn location, they are given surveys to rank their satisfaction with their time spent at the hotel.

Our hotel accommodations Indianapolis location received the following rankings by our guests:

#1 for Problem Resolution
#2 for Least Problems Experienced
#2 for Overall Service and
#9 for Loyalty (returning guests)

Our deluxe amenities and superior quality service shines in everything we do, and Indy guests enjoy our conveniently located hotel right in the heart of Downtown. Our services include free internet, heated pool and spa, fitness center and room service. With over 6,500 square feet of meeting space and onsite catering, our Indianapolis meeting hotel can handle large events, meetings, conferences and weddings with ease. Give us a call for reservations for your next trip to Indianapolis or contact our event specialists for information about planning your next meeting or conference today.
 

Beginning fall 2012, Butler University sports teams will be saying goodbye to the Horizon League. Teams will be moving to the Atlantic 10 conference a year ahead of schedule.

In the competitive sports of soccer, volleyball and cross country, the teams for both women and men will play in fall for the Atlantic 10 league.  During the winter of the 2012 to 2013 school year, the Bulldog teams of basketball, women’s swimming and indoor track will begin A10 play, and then in the spring, the remaining baseball, tennis, golf, softball and outdoor track will start their Atlantic 10 competition.

As Butler University’s preferred hotel, we offer special group rates and individual reservations to parents, students, guests and other visitors to the school. Our luxury historic hotel Indianapolis offers all the comforts of home with a few extras to make your stay special. Guests will enjoy wireless internet, hospitality center, indoor heated pool, hot tub and fitness center.

Our convenient location is nearby all the Butler University activities as well as popular Downtown attractions. Butler University visitors will want to contact our reservations desk to receive preferred rates and discounts, and for Indianapolis hotel packages that meet your family budget, also see our hotel specials page.
 

With just days left until this year's Indianapolis 500, you might be looking for last minute hotel accomodations Indianapolis.  There's good news because our three star hotel downtown Indianapolis still has a few rooms left.

While you're in town, you might want to take advantage of some of the great Indy 500 events happening, leading up to the race.

• Wednesday, May 23 - 500 Festival Community Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - for $8 in advance and for $10 at the gate, you can buy tickets to get autographs from your favorite Indy racers.
• Thursday, May 24 - Practice/Qualifications for the Firestone Freedom 100 - this event is FREE.  From 9am - Noon is the Firestone Indy Lights Practice, then from 1:15pm - 2:15pm the Firestone Indy Lights Qualifications Begin and from 2:30pm - 4pm are the Vintage Car Laps.
• Friday, May 25 - Miller Lite Carb Day - for $20 (kids 12 and under are FREE) you can enjoy the IZOD Performance Pit Stop Challenge, the Firestone Freedom 100, the Final Indianapolis 500 Practice and a concert in the afternoon headlined by legendary rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
• Saturday, May 26 - Legends Day at the Indy 500 presented by Shell V-Power - for $10 (kids 12 and under are FREE), come and enjoy a full field autograph session and the public drivers meeting.  Gates open at 8am and the autograph session begins at 9am.
• Sunday, May 27 - RACE DAY! The 96th Running of The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race - Tickets start at $30 and the snake pit opens at 7am! 

What are some of your favorite traditions when it comes to the Indy 500?  Does your family go every year or do you go every year with a friend?  Where do you come from?  We want to hear your stories and favorite memories!  Please share them in the comment section below.

Visiting downtown Indy hotels promises to bring great accommodations and close proximity to plenty of great activities for all ages. If you’re on a budget, you might think your options for entertainment will be limited. Fortunately, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Give your budget a break with the following fun activities that also happen to be free for both residents and visitors alike.

• Take a free tour of the Indianapolis Childrens Museum of Indianapolis. Family nights happen the first Thursday evening of every month, and they also offer free admission on El Dia de Los Ninos, President’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Christmas Eve.
• General admission to the Museum of Art and Lilly House is free during the months of April through December. The Fairbanks Art and Nature Park offers 100 acres for walking and picnicking.
• Easley Winery offers free tours on the weekends, and the Mass Avenue Wine Shoppe features free wine tastings on Tuesdays.
• The Soldiers and Sailors Monument offers free visits to the Civil War Museum located in the monument’s basement from Friday to Sunday.
• Stroll through Downtown’s four cultural districts: the Canal & White River State Park, the Wholesale District, Indiana and Mass Avenues.
• The Indy City Market is open daily Monday through Saturday with plenty to see and do, and in the summer, the Farmer’s Market makes its debut each Wednesday from May to October and in the winter on Saturdays from November to April.
• Walking the Central Canal’s scenic pathway will take you near fine examples of contemporary architecture and historic churches along the Canal Walk.
• Circle Centre Mall offers plenty of opportunities for window shopping.
• The War Memorial Museum is the place to visit to view city memorials.
• The first Friday of every month, 35 art galleries associated with the Indianapolis Downtown Artists & Dealers Association sponsor an after party where visitors can meet local artists.

For more dozens of additional activities in Downtown Indy, visit the Indianapolis Downtown website to learn more about the schedule of events.

And for premiere accommodations in the heart of all the action, be sure to visit the Historic Hotel Indianapolis Hilton Garden Inn. Our Indianapolis hotel packages offer affordability, convenience and deluxe amenities.

Eat, drink and be merry when you visit the Tomlinson Tap Room brewery just a short distance from our Indianapolis Downtown hotel. In fact, you’ll find plenty of drinking and food delights at the Indianapolis City Market where the popular Tap Room is located.

This neighborhood pub crafts the finest Indiana brews right on the premises so you will know you are getting the fresh and distinctive taste straight from the maker’s tap. While the brewery serves some snacks, they also allow guests to bring their own from the numerous food places in the City Market.

Visitors will enjoy the convenient location of our historic hotel Indianapolis Downtown.  We’re close to all the events as they happen at the Convention Center, Airport, Speedway, area universities such as Indiana and Butler as well as Lucas Oil Stadium.

Our Indianapolis hotel packages include affordable rates for deluxe accommodations along with room service, fitness center, pool and hot tub. With over 6,500 square feet of conference space, your group will have all the room needed for successful meetings and events. Call us today to book your rooms or group travel (317) 955-9700.

This June brings an event that families will just love. That’s when PBS Kids in the Park will return again to Military Park to bring live entertainment, exciting games, popular PBS characters and lots of fun to kids of all ages.  

This free family event offers meet and greet sessions with favorite characters from PBS kids shows. Children will see these TV characters come to life with opportunities to meet such favorites as the Cat in the Hat, Clifford, Elmo and Curious George. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 9th. Additional details about the event are located on the WFYI Indianapolis Public Television website.

Special Indianapolis hotel packages at our historic hotel Indianapolis are available for the PBS event. A special block of rooms are reserved from June 8th through June 10th so visitors can stay nearby and enjoy all the attractions that Downtown Indy has to offer. The PBS Kids in the Park hotel special includes breakfast for 4 and a membership to WFYI Public Television. Learn more about our hotel deal Indianapolis rates by giving us a call at (317) 955-9700.

Where can you find black tie, formal gowns, gourmet food and wild animals all together in one place? Why at Zoobilation, of course.

This outdoor taste extravaganza sponsored by the Indianapolis Power & Light Company is the large black tie fundraiser in the country with benefits going to the Indianapolis Zoo conservation and research efforts. The zoological journey begins in the lush tropic paradise where guests can enjoy flocks of tropical birds and plants. Money raised in this charitable event also helps pay for the care and feed of animals and plants at the zoo.

Guests enjoy a little feeding of their own with over 50 restaurants in attendance to provide delectable tastes for the foodie in everyone.  Ticket sales opened on February 1st for the June 8th event. Reserve your table or purchase premium tickets by phoning (317) 630-2188 or visiting the Indianapolis Zoo website.

There’s nothing better than making a weekend of the gala festivities by staying in our Indianapolis Downtown Hotel. You and a loved one will be close to the event and other area attractions so make the weekend special for a little one on one time while also benefiting the animals.

And this year, our very own Great America Grill will be a featured vendor so guests can sample their specialties at the zoo event and also while enjoying their stay in our historic hotel Indianapolis location.
 

After the exciting Super Bowl festivities of 2012, Indianapolis is the place to be. Mayor Greg Ballard on the eve of this famous football weekend discussed the event with Fox Business in the following video: Indianapolis Mayor on Super Bowl Impact

With expectations that the city could see an average of $200 million or more in profits from the festival, Indianapolis spent about $12 million on creating the Super Bowl village and additional monies on preparing the city for the onslaught of football fans.

As the 12th largest city in the United States, Indianapolis and downtown in particular provides plenty of hotels near Conseco Fieldhouse. And, with all the attention many meeting planners, travelers and even locals are coming to the realization that Indianapolis is one of the best places to host group meetings, conventions and weddings. From Murat Centre to Lucas Oil Stadium, the choice of attractions such as theatre, fine dining and sports make Downtown a happening place for every event imaginable.

As the premier conference hotel Indianapolis travelers choose, the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown provides all the necessary amenities to make groups quite comfortable for meetings with over 6,700 square feet dedicated meeting space and luxury room accomodations to make guests feel right at home.

In addition, of all the Indianapolis wedding hotels in downtown ours with the historical beauty to make every bride and groom’s day something special. Find out more about our group and wedding packages by giving us a call at (317) 955-9700.
 

Meeting and wedding planners are in for a real treat this April at the preferred conference hotel Indianapolis residents and visitors favor time and time again, the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown.

For the entire month of April when you book a block of rooms for a wedding, meeting or conference, you can earn some pretty useful rewards:

• Reserve a $3,000 room block, and you’ll earn a $100 Gift Card
• Book a $6,000 room block and receive a Kindle Fire
• For a $9,000 room block reservation, enjoy a 2 night stay in Chicago

Our luxury Indianapolis meeting hotel features 6,700 square feet of meeting space flexible enough to meet any group’s needs. Complimentary Wi-Fi, flat panel TVs with digital satellite and in room hospitality make every guest feel right at home.

Business travelers will appreciate our free fitness center for the chance to work out and then relax in our steaming hot tub. Our complimentary business center has all that’s needed to work when away from the office, and after a long day, plenty of food and libations are available in our full service restaurant and bar.

So when you are making plans for Indianapolis group travel, you need look no further than the Hilton Garden Inn. Your group will experience an action packed downtown location with all the luxury amenities to keep everyone satisfied….and a nice gift card, Kindle or 2 night stay too!

Give one of our sales representatives a call for more information or to book your group today at (317) 955-9700.
 

More than likely, if a family member is graduating from Butler University or IUPUI and if you have a large group that is coming in for the celebration, then you might be looking into a hotel deal Indianapolis.

We have blocked out a group of rooms for those of you that plan on attending the Butler Commencement, and you can read more about the Butler Commencement Weekend 2012 through our reservation site.  Act quickly because these rooms fill up fast.  In fact, rooms are available until April 27 or until the block sells out, whichever is first.

You can get 2 double beds or 1 king bed from $99/night.  If you have special arrangements or needs, we can help with those as well.

Both Butler and IUPUI will have their Spring 2012 Commencement on Saturday, May 12, 2012.  Below are direct links to each university's websites, so that you can check out more of the details of the day:

Butler Spring Commencement 2012
IUPUI Spring Commencement 2012

Please feel free to check out our newly renovated hotel Indianapolis to see if it meets your group's needs.  We have several Indianapolis hotel packages that you all can take advantage of to make the most of your visit to Indy and to celebrate that college graduation in style.