>> SEVERAL NEW BOUTIQUE HOTELS
HAVE OPENED ACROSS THE STATE
OVER THE LAST YEAR GIVING
TRAVELERS... AND LOCALS,
ALIKE... UNIQUE LODGING
EXPERIENCES. HERE ARE FIVE
HOTELS TO ADD TO YOUR BUCKET
LIST JUST IN TIME FOR
VALENTINE'S DAY OR A WINTER
STAYCATION.
IN THIS MONTH'S TRENDIANA,
YELP'S DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY
CAMPAIGNS, BRITTANY SMITH HAS
MORE.
BRITTANY, WELCOME TO THE SHOW,
AS ALWAYS.
>> THANKS SO MUCH, GERRY.
>> Gerry: WE WERE TALKING BEFORE
THE INTERVIEW HERE OFF CAMERA,
THE PANDEMIC HAS MADE IT
DIFFICULT ON THE HOTEL INDUSTRY
IN GENERAL.
DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES,
THE BOUTIQUE HOTEL SEGMENT OF
THE INDUSTRY HAS ACTUALLY DONE
PRETTY WELL, RIGHT?
>> DEFINITELY.
THIS CATEGORY IN PARTICULAR HAS
BEEN BOUNCING BACK AT A MUCH
FASTER RATE.
FOLKS ARE LOOKING FOR A REALLY
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY WHEN THEY GO
FOR THEIR LODGING EXPERIENCE, IT
IS NOT JUST A PLACE TO REST
THEIR HEAD, THEY WANT TO SEE
LOCAL INGREDIENTS, ONE-OF-A-KIND
RESTAURANTS, THEY WANT A
MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR
HOTEL.
>> Gerry: YOU HAVE A GREAT TRIP
AROUND THE STATE OF INDIANA,
SOME NEW BOUTIQUE HOTELS.
WE BEGIN AT A TRADITIONAL PLACE,
THE UNION CLUB HOTEL AT PURDUE
UNIVERSITY IN WEST LAFAYETTE.
>> YEAH, IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT
IN 1929, LAST YEAR COMPLETELY
REIMAGINED.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT YELP REVIEWS,
FOLKS ARE NOTING THE CLEVER AND
TASTEFUL TOUCHES OF PURDUE
HISTORY YOU FIND IN EACH ROOM.
THE DECOR, EVEN AN ON SITE
COCKTAIL BAR, PASTRY AND COFFEE
BAR, AND A MODERN BISTRO.
A LOT OF THEM ARE DOG FRIENDLY.
>> Gerry: CERTAINLY METRO AREA
IS GETTING THEIR FAIR SHARE
BOUTIQUE HOTELS IN DOWNTOWN
INDIANAPOLIS, A PROPERTY HOTEL
INDY.
>> THIS ONE IS GORGEOUS.
I WAS THERE YESTERDAY MORNING.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A GREAT
LOCATION, JUST A COUPLE BLOCKS
FROM MONUMENT CIRCLE ALONG THE
CULTURAL TRAIL, COULDN'T ASK FOR
A BETTER WALKABLE LOCATION.
FOLKS ARE LOVING THE INTO TO
CEILING WINDOWS, MID CENTURY
MODERN DESIGN, A ROOFTOP BAR
KNOWN AS THE CANNONBALL LOUNGE,
HALF PRICED WINE BOTTLES MONDAY,
LIVE MUSIC THURSDAY.
ALSO A FUN DESTINATION WHEN YOU
THINK ABOUT LOCALS WHO MAYBE
AREN'T STAYING THE NIGHT, A
PLACE YOU CAN GO FOR DINNER.
>> THERE IS A ROOFTOP BAR AT THE
BRADLEY IN DOWNTOWN FORT WAYNE.
FORT WAYNE REALLY UNDERGOING A
DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE.
BRADLEY IS BIG PART OF THAT.
>> TRUE.
A GREAT EXAMPLE OF FORT WAYNE
COMING BACK.
THIS HOTEL IS TRULY AN EXAMPLE
OF VERA BRADLEY FASHION.
FEATURING STUNNING DESIGN
TOUCHES, VIBRANT WALLPAPERS,
FEATURED IN ARCHITECTURAL
DIGEST.
ROOFTOP BAR FOR FUN VIEWS OF
DOWNTOWN.
IT'S A REALLY FUN SPOT.
>> UP TO ELKHART NOW.
SO COOL TO BLEND HISTORY INTO
SOME OF THESE BOUTIQUE HOTELS,
HOTEL ELKHART JUST REOPENED IN
2021.
>> YEAH.
AFTER BEING CLOSED SINCE THE
1970S.
JUST REOPENED, 93 ROOMS THERE,
GREAT MEETING SPACES, AND A LOT
OF ELKHART AUTHENTICITY, LOCAL
ART, AMISH WOOD FURNISHINGS, AN
EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS
ABOUT, MANAGERS WINE HOUR,
CORNER BAR AND CAFE, HOMEMADE
BREAKFAST AND DESSERT.
STAY IN YOUR HOTEL ROOM THE
WHOLE TIME.
>> NORTHWEST INDIANA, MICHIGAN
CITY, AND THE BREWERY LODGE AND
SUPPER CLUB.
>> IT IS GREAT AS A HOME BASE IF
YOU WANT TO EXPLORE THE WINE AND
BEER OF THE REGION.
A 12-SUITE BOUTIQUE HOTEL,
REALLY INTIMATE, ON A 40-ACRE
WOODED SETTING.
VERY RELAXING ATMOSPHERE, PONDS,
WILDLIFE, HEARTY FARE, TOMAHAWK
STEAKS, ELK BURGERS, GOOD FOR A
WINTER STAYCATION.
>> THIS INTEREST IN STAYCATION,
PLAYS RIGHT INTO THIS BOUTIQUE
HOTEL TREND.
>> COMPLETELY.
REALLY HOTELS THAT ARE PART OF
THE COMMUNITY.
EVEN IF I'M NOT GOING TO STAY
THE NIGHT, I CAN BE PART OF THE
RESTAURANT OR THE ROOFTOP BARS,
SOMETHING FOR THE LOCALS AS MUCH
AS THE TOURIST.
>> BRITTANY SMITH, AS ALWAYS,
GREAT TOUR OF SOME GREAT
BOUTIQUE HOTELS AROUND THE STATE
OF INDIANA.