NJUPINTHEAIR

Conrad Likely to Raise The Bar for Other Downtown Hotels

By Renee Jameson

Construction on a new 23-story luxury hotel in downtown Indianapolis is already underway, but there was a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site on Wednesday.

The Conrad Hotel will be the city’s first five-star hotel. It will be located at the northeast corner of Washington and Illinois Streets. Site preparation is now complete and construction on the hotel itself will begin immediately.

Conrad hotels are the luxury brand of the Hilton family of hotels. The Indianapolis Conrad will provide 243 guest rooms, including 23 suites, several residential condominiums and apartments. The hotel will also offer a full service spa, a fitness center and an upscale restaurant....

The Conrad is expected to create 300 jobs. The hotel will be owned by Kite Development Company and managed by Conrad hotels. It's expected to attract high-end corporate functions and board meetings when it opens in 2006.

http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.a...0&nav=0Ra7OXDf

uastarflyer

Sort of takes away some of the Conrad brand "panache" when they start setting up their locations in places like IND. No offense to IND, but the current limited locations (great worldwide locales) makes staying in the Conrad just that much cooler.

jimmac

They may also just be being good businesspeople and going where they see an assured market. I was in Indianapolis a few years ago to look at it as a possible conference site. A Marriott had just opened and looked OK but until then the 'best' hotel in town had been the Westin. It was the worst Westin I had ever been in....poorly maintained, lousy service. If it were rated without the name on it, I doubt it would have qualified as a 3 Star hotel. And I was there as a client who might bring an 800 person convention to town! Unless things have changed in Indianapolis Conrad will have the upper end of the market to themselves and 242 rooms is not a lot to fill on a regular basis.

bowdenj

June 11, 2005

5-star hotel almost ready to book you
Ceremony to place final beam on 23-story Conrad Indianapolis will be held Thursday.

By Jaime Malarkey
[email protected]

The new five-star Conrad Indianapolis -- featuring a 200-seat French-inspired restaurant and luxury spa -- will start taking individual reservations as early as next month.

Groups began booking reservations last month, though the Downtown hotel at Washington and Illinois streets isn't slated to open until March.

After more than a year of construction, crews will hoist the final beam on the 23-story tower in a "topping off" ceremony Thursday and begin work on the building's interior.

The Conrad Indianapolis is the third of Hilton's elite brand hotels in the country -- the others are in Miami and New York City.

The European-themed restaurant at the Conrad Indianapolis will occupy the historic Goodman and Taylor buildings, which have been integrated into the hotel tower.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...plate=printart

AIRcop

I have a res there for next Jul. I have never stayed at a Conrad. What can one expect as a DIA.?

andrzej

http://hhonors.hilton.com/en/hhonors...s/levels.jhtml


At U.S. and Canadian Hilton hotels, and at Conrad and Doubletree hotels with Towers or Executive Levels, Diamond VIPs will be provided with a guest room on the Towers or Executive Level floor, whenever possible. In cases when Towers or Executive Level accommodations have been fully booked, Diamond VIP members will be offered the use of the Towers or Executive Level lounge, including complimentary continental breakfast each morning for the member and one additional person or (2) personalized certificates for each day of the stay for the member and one additional person valid for complimentary continental breakfast in the hotel coffee shop or all-purpose restaurant. At hotels without a Towers or Executive Level, Diamond VIP members will be offered complimentary continental breakfast each morning for the member and one additional person. And when in hotels or when paying a rate where a complimentary breakfast is a benefit for all guests, Diamond VIPs will be offered a special amenity as an expression of our appreciation.

indyscott

This hotel isn't scheduled to open until April 2006, so don't expect any hotel-specific information until after that.

I believe they are working to have it open for NCAA Final Four weekend.

AIRcop

Ya, I realize this property isn't open yet, but I have never stayed at a Conrad before. Upgrade policies aside, what is so different about a Conrad over say, a high rated top Hilton somewhere, besides higher rates ???

BNAChairman

Not much will be different. Read the threads on the Miami Conrad and you'll find the same hit or miss service as a US Hilton property. Some on this board rave about the Conrad in Dublin, but service at EU hotels, as a general rule, is superior to American Hilton properties. The front desk clerks at the Sorrento Palace Hilton in Italy, for instance, offered to call the airlines about my lost luggage several times a day until it was found. I've never had that experience at a US Hilton.

TacoSmith

I'll be staying here on April 14th, so I'll do my best to post a description a few days after that.

bowdenj

Multiple dates for IND Conrad opening - soft versus grand opening versus hard opening

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...73239356971573

AIRcop

This should soon be open. When someone has a chance to post a report, please do so prompto.... ^

TacoSmith

I'll be staying there in 3 weeks, and I'll make sure to have a review up. If things go well, I'll have my hands on a digital camera, so I can get pictures to go with the review as well.

Edit:

BTW, not sure if anyone wants this, but the email address for the HHonors Manager is [email protected]

mcgahat

I work next door to the Conrad. It is open but they are still missing some furniture in the rooms currently. They originally had a soft opening date of March 24th but moved it due to the delay in the arrival of some of the furniture. I did see the doormen out, the check in people all at attention and it did appear to be open as I walked by yesterday evening but nobody was in their customer wise. The hotel is a pretty good location and looks like a nice property. The lobby does not look large but very nice. If I am downtown tonight I may stop in for a drink and get some more info.

francophile

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/03/1...anshotels.html

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March 19, 2006

In Transit

High-End Hotels Cropping Up in Suburbs

By MICHELLE HIGGINS

In an effort to expand their market reach, upscale hotels are increasingly heading to the suburbs and so-called second-tier cities.