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Crowne Plaza Hotel
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Indy Metro
123 W Louisiana St
Indianapolis, IN 46225
(317) 631-2221
123 W Louisiana St
Indianapolis, IN 46225
(317) 631-2221
- Price Range:
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$$
5 reviews for Crowne Plaza Hotel
This place is a fine place to stay if you understand that you are staying in an active train station and your room will shake a couple times a day from trains. The pullman car rooms are adorable, but very small and narrow.
The front desk and bell desk staff was beyond sweet and helpful. Wonderful customer service.
My boyfriend and I recently stayed in this hotel following the 2008 Drum Corps International World Finals. We managed to get upgraded to one of the traincar rooms and it was absolutely beautiful. The first night we stayed in a regular room which did not have a minifridge or flat-panel TV like the traincar room.
Small but adequate workout facility. The pool is located on the main level and is out in the open, which I thought was a bit strange. The trains rumbling by are a bit unnerving at first but during our 3-day stay I eventually grew accustomed to this occurrence.
The staff here was very friendly and accommodating whenever we needed directions or a suggestion on where to order pizza. The hotel is located right next to Indy's downtown area and was within walking distance of everything we wanted to do. Budget for parking ahead of time since it is not included in the hotel price; parking in the ramp next to the hotel was $20/night.
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I was here for a conference, not as a guest. So let's start out by saying that Heather L's description is dead-on. The hotel is at Union Station, so everything is based on a train theme, beaten to death, revived, then beaten to death again over and over just for fun. As a hotel, that might be fun, but as a convention center, OMFG it just plain sucks. Here's why.
Because this is basically a converted train depot, the space is small and not designed for what it is. Conventions are NOT meant to be held here, but are forced to be anyway... the result? Booths that are tiny (8x8 vs. the standard 10x10)... booths spread out literally all over the complex, in the hotel and throughout the adjoining "grand hall and convention center" which spans two blocks and two floors, so confusing that even a map won't help you find what you need... stairs interrupting everything... old elevator shafts in bizarre places... poor signage.... cramped space outside for drop-off/pickup/valet.
The train theme might make for an interesting hotel stay, but it's a convention nightmare.
Let me begin my reminding everyone that I originally hail from Wisconsin. As in: Wisconsin, home of The Gobbler, a motel & supper club that (when viewed from the air) looked like a turkey. Built sometime in the late 60's or early 70's, The Gobbler embraced the key-party generation and offered such treats as blue, red, and purple shag carpeting, "passion pits," and 8-tracks (but only in the business suites). The Gobbler, and its demise, have been well documented online, so I'll go no further in the description. Suffice it to say, though, I've been raised with a natural appreciation for unorthodox theme establishments.
Still, it took me a minute to adjust to the Crowne Plaza in Indy. They have a train theme and, by golly, they are stickin' with it. I attended a conference here recently, and when I booked my room, I learned that the hotel sits in America's first Union Station. And that they boast 26 Pullman train car sleeping rooms. And that the hotel is decorated throughout with white fiberglass statues depicting rail passengers of the early 20th century. These statues are dubbed, "ghost travelers." Yes, I did my research.
But, as is my practice, the research was half-assed, for I somehow missed the fact that this is still an active railroad station, and freight trains go a-chuggin' through at all times of the day and night. As my brochure explained it, "the muffled rumbling and subtle vibrations of the trains...enhances the ambiance of staying in our hotel, where you can experience the authenticity of a living railroad station." OK, but the first time I heard those subtle vibrations I thought someone was wheeling a huge dumpster right outside my room. Not my kind of ambiance.
After a few eye-rolls and "I can't believe this" head shakes, I flipped my bitch switch to the "OFF" position. The hotel was pretty nice, after all. There were friendly staff who upgraded me at check-in, even at the government rate, to a suite in the gated portion of the hotel (the rest of you should have worked a little harder, I guess). There were nice conference rooms. There was tasty hazelnut-flavored Seattle's Best Coffee with the continental breakfast (which almost made up for the Folger's bullshit in my room). And there was even a sleep kit containing an eye mask, ear plugs, and a "Sleep Advantage" CD. Unfortunately, the disc's constant "Whoosh,Whoosh, Whoosh" sounds, coupled with the unfamiliar male voice telling me to "relax [insert name of body part here], coupled with my neighbor playing his CD at full volume, kept me awake far longer than if I've just tried the sleep thing unassisted.
Still, this place gets high marks for effort and for its commitment to the theme. If the Gobbler had shown the same level of committment, it may still be with us today.
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Great building full of amazing history. The layout is a little confusing for conferences - we had a hard time figuring it out and explaining where everything was to the attendees - could use a little more signage or a printed layout. Staff was very helpful and friendly. Great location in downtown Indianapolis - very close to everything.
