Stay up to date on the latest venue openings and property renovations, including these found in the Midwest.
Indiana
A new Hilton property has opened inside an existing church in Indianapolis. The dual-branded Hampton Inn by Hilton and Homewood Suites by Hilton Indianapolis Canal IUPUI is located on the Indy Canal Walk and built on the historic religious site of the Bethel AME Church. Guests will enter the church and into a hotel designed and built around an existing three-story church that dates to 1869.
Amenities include a 24-hour fitness center, indoor pool and two outdoor patios with firepits and a grill for guest use. The Hampton Inn offers 123 rooms while the Homewood Suites offers 108 rooms and suites—totaling 231 rooms and suites. Guests can enjoy free breakfast at both brands as well as a Starbucks and McAlister’s Deli, scheduled to open in 2022.
Planners can make use of 11,000 square feet of event space, including an outdoor rooftop patio.
In early January, Home2 Suites by Hilton Whitestown Indianapolis NW debuted, offering 107 suites and convenient access to attractions like the Indiana Motor Speedway and Grand Park Sports Campus. Guests can expect all-suite accommodations with full accessorized kitchens, a combined laundry and fitness area, grab-and-go market, an indoor pool and complimentary daily breakfast.
The new hotel is about 30 minutes away from downtown Indianapolis, and Indianapolis International Airport is about 24 miles away.
[Related: Best Places for Meeting Attendees to Eat and Drink in Indiana]
Missouri
St. Louis’ posh Central West End neighborhood, known for its upscale retail and plethora of great restaurants, recently welcomed AC Hotel St. Louis, located on the Eastern edge of the city’s famous Forest Park. The 192-room hotel opened December 2021 after a $44 million, ground-up build. This is the first AC Hotel to open in the St. Louis market.
Art lovers can appreciate the signature work featured in the bar lounge of the hotel, created by St. Louis-born artist John O’Hara, who is known for his large-scale abstract decorative art. Design firm DLR Group worked on the hotel’s interior design, which includes a European-inspired aesthetic combined with modern touches like natural wood and clean marble throughout the lobby and guest rooms. Onsite F&B can be found at the AC Kitchen and AC Lounge.
Planners can host small meetings and social events in the property’s event room, ideal for corporate meetings, training sessions and presentations.
Historic downtown Columbia hotel The Tiger Hotel has been rebranded as voco The Tiger Hotel. The IHG Hotels & Resorts brand has taken the reigns of this college town’s beloved landmark, with its famous neon Tiger sign, that captures the magic of the Roaring Twenties.
Onsite dining at Glenn’s Café is a must-try, for delectable Southern fare that includes weekend brunch. For something more stylish, guests can try dirty martinis at the speakeasy-inspired Vault bar. Versatile meeting and event space includes the Black & Gold room and the Grand Ballroom.
An Upscale Gem With History in North Dakota
Downtown Fargo, North Dakota, is now home to an upscale boutique hotel with a dazzling signature restaurant. The 125-room Jasper Hotel pays homage to Jasper B. Chapin, Fargo’s third mayor and a well-known hotelier in the early days of Fargo (and nicknamed the “Father of Fargo”). Throughout the hotel, guests will find red accents that are a nod to Chapin’s signature red bowtie, as well as embroidery inspired by his wife, Emma.
The new hotel, a part of Aparium Hotel Group, spans 18 stories, with a flagship restaurant and lounge on the ground floor, Rosewild, featuring an open wood-burning hearth oven. The menu “honors and elevates Dakotan sensibilities and rural Nordic foraging, butchery and fermentation techniques.” Rosewild serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
Planners can work with more than 4,500 square feet of event space, including the 250-person Continental Ballroom, named after Chapin’s original hotel, The Continental Hotel. The space features floor-to-ceiling windows and a 1,500-square-foot outdoor terrace. Meeting space can also be found in the 656-square-foot Great Northern Boardroom, named after the Great Northern Railway. It features a carpet design inspired by Nordic quilts and views of Broadway Square.
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