SAN FRANCISCO—Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced its first property in Indianapolis—an adaptive reuse of a historic downtown building. The hotel is scheduled to open in early 2020.
The project will turn the notable Odd Fellows building into a 130-room hotel with a signature restaurant, more than 5,000 square feet of meeting space, and the first ever rooftop bar in the city. The top-floor event space will have expansive windows with views of downtown.
The hotel’s location, on the corner of Washington and Pennsylvania, is in the heart of downtown Indianapolis and a short walk to major sporting venues like Lucas Oil Stadium and Bankers Life Fieldhouse, as well as the Indiana Convention Center and a short ride to the Brickyard, home to the Indianapolis 500. It is central to key Indianapolis companies like Eli Lilly and Anthem Health Insurance.
“Opening a new hotel and restaurant in Indianapolis is an important milestone for us,” said Mike DeFrino, CEO of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. “We’re excited to introduce our brand of heartfelt hospitality to a new group of guests. Adding to the adaptive reuse projects in our portfolio is a great way to showcase our way of honoring the character of a historic building while transforming it into a stylish new hotel and restaurant.”
The project is an adaptive reuse of the historic Odd Fellows Building, designed by famed architect Francis Costigan in 1908. It was the first high-rise building in Indianapolis and used primarily as office space in the 1900’s. Recent Kimpton adaptive reuse projects include the Gray Hotel in Chicago, the Schofield in Cleveland and the Cardinal in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
“We visited many Kimpton hotels and were very impressed with the brand experience. Their creative approach to hospitality is a great fit for our company, and the timing is right for the City of Indianapolis,” said Drew Loftus, the founder of Loftus Robinson. “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Kimpton on such a prominent project. The boutique hotel, restaurant, and rooftop bar will breathe new life into a very deserving, historically-significant building.”
To maintain the building’s elegance and classic architecture most prevalent during the turn of the century, much of the property’s historic elements will be preserved. Kimpton Global Senior Vice President of Design and Creative Director Ave Bradley will spearhead the interior design and architecture.
Photo: Indianapolis skyline (Credit: Visit Indy)
