Indianapolis Meeting Hotel

Ways to participate in Super Bowl XLVI without a ticket, ideas 5-1:

5. Check out the new Chase Near East side Legacy Center and Indianapolis Youth Education Town

The NFL supports the development of a Youth Education Town in each city.  This leaves a lasting legacy for the youth and families in the area.  Indy's Super Bowl will focus on Arsenal Tech High School.  You can see the webcam of the center's pr ogres here.

4. Stay Connected with Super Bowl XLVI

Sign up for newsletters and updates leading up to the Big Game.  Keep in touch with 1st & Green, Super Service and more!  Keep in touch with our hotel as well!  Find the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown on Facebook and Twitter!

3. Encourage kids to be active with the NFL Play 60 Challenge

You've probably seen the commercials.  This program is geared toward schools, but you can certainly apply its principles to your neighborhood, after-school care, kids, etc.  The challenge to to get kids outside and playing actively for 60 minutes a day at school and home.  Let's help prevent childhood obesity!  Our Indianapolis meeting hotel staff is considering starting up a workout program a couple evenings a week.  The cookies at the Front Desk continue to put pounds on all of us!  Ha!

2. Celebrate "all things football" in Super Bowl Village

Georgia Street is under construction to turn into a great pedestrian-only boulevard in the heart of downtown Indianapolis.  It will lead directly to the NFL Fan Experience in the convention center.  We are one of many hotels near the Indianapolis Convention Center even at six blocks away.  NFL will be represented with all 32 franchises surrounded by bars, nightlife, great dining and live music!

1. Be your own pro-football star at the NFL Experience

An interactive theme park dedicated to football?  Yes, please!  Memorabilia.  Kids' football clinics.  Autograph sessions.  More.  More! MORE!!  The most exciting thing?  TICKETS ARE AFFORDABLE FOR THE NORMAL PERSON!

• Dracula by Steven Dietz - September 7 to October 1, 2011
• Going Solo Festival - September 20 to October 23, 2011
• William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar - October 21 to November 5, 2011
• Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol - November 25 to December 24, 2011
• August Wilson's Radio Golf - January 10 to January 29, 2012
• God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza - February 28 to March 24, 2012
• Fallen Angels by Noel Coward - March 13 to April 15, 2012
• The Miracle Worker by William Gibson - April 17 to May 20, 2012

"When things go smoothly at a hotel, there is really no way to judge how they truly operate. It is when a problem occurs, that you can tell what management's attitude is."

This is my new favorite hotel quote.  A guest recently stayed at our hotel and wrote about her visit on the blog 2 Wired 2 Tired.  Although we have many guests stay with us who may review their stay on Expedia, TripAdvisor and through Hilton's guest satisfaction survey, it really catches our interest when a guest posts something on their blog.  Blogging a review usually evokes more of a story-telling dialog and we can find out more in depth how things went instead of a simple satisfaction scale.

We had no idea "Tired Grandma Judy" was here to write about her stay and her trip to Indianapolis.  So when our General Manager came to the morning staff stand up meeting with her blog post, we were excited to hear what she wrote.  Of course we'd like it to be a glowing review of our downtown Indy hotel!  It wasn't.  As soon as we heard the quote above, we all took a deep breath, preparing ourselves for what we were about to hear.

Upon settling in to their room, Judy and Grandpa Randy had multiple phone calls from the Front Desk but no one could be heard on the line.  Then a knock on their door presented someone from our maintenance department to switch out the broken phone, which Grandpa Randy said wasn't needed.  Another phone call and Judy "was beginning to get irritated."

They opened the door again and there stood Megan Mills, our Guest Service Manager and Dave Kalbfleisch, Chief Maintenance Engineer.  Megan explained that one of the valet drivers accidentally scratched the bumper of their car on a wall and she wanted them to come down to look at it.  Maintenance was still there ready to replace the phone.

"The damage to our car was minor [but] the Hilton Garden Inn offered us a rental to get around the city the next day, while they got it repaired. I told them I just wanted to take it home to the person I knew. They agreed and asked us to get an estimate and they would mail the check out immediately."

After day two passed and they hadn't yet received the check, Judy was followed up with by our General Manager, Richard Letko.  The check was received the next day to cover the scratches.  "We were very pleased."

"Pleased with the valet for reporting it, he easily could not have and we probably would not have noticed until after we had left Indianapolis. We were also pleased with the front desk for being persistent and handling the incident in an appropriate manner."

PHEW!  What a relief!  Although we're never happy when a guest has an issue or inconvenience during their stay, we are pleased that we were proactive in contacting the guest, being completely candid about what happened and quick in following up and resolving what happened.

Judy goes on to say,

Weddings, reunions, get-togethers, holidays – Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis has been host to events aplenty. But, it’s not casual events and fun outings alone that attract people to our hotel. Our conference hall has witnessed its share of formal conferences and meetings.

So if you are looking for a conference hotel Indianapolis has us to offer. There are many reasons why you should choose to host your meeting at Hilton Garden Inn. Firstly, we are one of the few hotels near Indianapolis airport and therefore transportation is very convenient for the members participating in the conference or meeting.

Secondly, we have a conference hall that has just the right setting to promote brainstorming and successful, productive interactions. Thirdly, we have excellent facilities to enhance presentations during your conference including projectors of all conceivable kinds, microphones, speakers, 32” television with DVD and VCR facilities, wireless internet…you name it, we have it.

In addition to providing excellent conference facilities, we also have unmatched food, cold beverages, professional decorations including floral arrangements and banners for the conference, awesome accommodations and an ever-ready staff.

Once you've made your hotel reservations, Indianapolis will not remain a conference location alone. There’s a lot happening in downtown Indy these days. Once your meeting is done, you can take a walk down the streets, do some shopping, attend a sports event, visit a museum or do one of several other things that Indy has to offer. Who said conferences can't be fun?

1. Visit the Groups & Meetings Page of our website.
2. Click on the "Get Started Now" button on eEvents
   • If you're not ready to book your meeting and just need pricing, click on the "Get Started Now' button in the Pricing Request box.
3. Follow the steps and fill out all information completely.
   • The more information we have, the less we have to bug you!
4. Submit!
5. The sales manager in charge of servicing/managing your event will call you within a day to confirm the details of your meeting.

In any organization, a centennaial year is of grand importance.  This year Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. celebrates 100 years of achievement and is having their 80th Grand Chapter Meeting in Indy from July 5-10, 2011.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity was founded on January 5, 1911 on the campus of Indiana University.  Since then the organization has grown tremendously "uniting college men of culture, patriotism and honor in a bond of fraternity."

No doubt if you are a Kappa Alpha Psi brother, you are planning on company to Indy to celebrate 100 years of Kappa.  If you are looking for hotels near Indianapolis where you can stay during the meeting, then you want to check out our green hotel Indianapolis as an option.

The Official Centennial Celebration Kick-off Events are held from Jan. 4th-9th, 2011.  Here is a quick list of the events that are planned for this exciting occassion:

• Fireside Chats and Historical perspectives from Kappa IU Icons
• Welcome Dinner hosted by Bloomington (IN) Alumni Chapter
• Wine and Cheese Social
• Kappa Centennial Kick-off Ceremony
• Official Pilgrimage/Kappa Trail
• Centennial Luncheon hosted by Alpha Chapter
• Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Founders Graves
• Centennial Founders’ Day Banquet & Celebration

Please feel to reach out to us if you are looking for a hotel deal Indianapolis while you bond with and enjoy the company of your Kappa brothers.

Summer in downtown Indianapolis is the time for festivals.  There are many to choose from in the summer months: 500 Festival, Italian Street Festival, Let's Meet PBS KIDS in the Park, El Dia De La Familia, 4th of July, Indiana State Fair, Rib America Festival, Chinese Festival, Irish Festival, Fiesta Indianapolis, Jazz Fest and Vintage Indiana!

Vintage Indiana is located in Military Park in downtown Indianapolis.  Military Park is just five blocks from our three star hotel downtown Indianapolis.  This particular festival takes place on Saturday, June 4, 2011 and features Indiana wineries from all over the state.  Beginning May 1 you can purchase a ticket for only $22 which allows you to sample wine and food, listen to local musicians and check out artwork from 11am to 7pm.  Tickets will be available at Marsh Supermarkets and other vendors; check the website for details.

Designated drivers can even have a good time!  With more than just wine, and a $10 ticket, DD's can enjoy the festival and receive free soft drinks and purchase wine to take home (no sampling).  The event has a big draw each year and happens RAIN OR SHINE!  I've not been able to attend yet but plan on going this year.

If you want to make a night of it to relax after sampling all day, make your Indianapolis hotel reservations at our downtown Indy hotel.  You can walk back from Military Park, put your DD to work or take a $5 cab ride; tell the driver "Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown, please!"

To get more out of your weekend, book our Wine Lovers' Package!  You'll receive a bottle of Easley Winery's Reggae Red, two Indy Wine Trail glasses, two bottles of water, valet parking, breakfast for two and 10% discount off any non-alcoholic merchandise at any of the seven Indy Wine Trail wineries.

The Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown is considered an Indianapolis historic hotel.  Although the hotel was not the original purpose of the building, our property was constructed in 1915 as the American Fletcher Bank.  In 2003 the building was converted into our three star hotel downtown Indianapolis.

Kurt Vonnegut, Sr., the famous author's father, was one of the architects of our building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Now open in downtown Indianapolis just a few blocks from our downtown Indy hotel is the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library.  Located in the Emelie Building at 340 N Senate Avenue, the library already has the author's artifacts displayed and will add more in January.

I was honored to meet the author in 2004 when he visited with his wife just before he passed away.  The library's hours are:
Noon-5pm Friday and Saturday beginning December 3
Noon-5pm Monday and Wednesday through Sunday beginning late January

For more information on the the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, please visit http://www.vonnegutlibrary.org/.  Don't forget to stop by our historic hotel Indianapolis to see what the author's father and the architectural firm accomplished by building the first skyscraper in the city!

• Fri Nov 26 - Nov 27 2010  IHSAA State Football Championships 
• Sun Nov 28 2010  Indianapolis Colts vs. San Diego Chargers 
• Tue Nov 30 2010  International Motorsports Industry Show Reception 
• Wed Dec 1 2010  Beck's Hybrids Christmas Extravaganza 
• Wed Dec 1 2010  GER & D 2010 Team Meeting 
• Fri Dec 3 2010  Midwest ISO Holiday Party 
• Sun Dec 5 2010  Indianapolis Colts vs. Dallas Cowboys  
• Fri Dec 10 2010  Indianapolis Housing Agency's Year End Celebration 
• Sun Dec 19 2010  Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars 
• Sun Jan 2 2011  Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans 
• Sat Jan 29 2011  Monster Jam 
• Fri Mar 4 - Mar 6 2011  Indianapolis Home & Flower Show 
• Sat Mar 12 2011  Supercross 
• Thu Mar 24 - Mar 26 2011  Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) 

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!