New hotels opening downtown

Two new hotels are scheduled to open in Bloomington this spring and summer.

Opening the hotels is part of an effort to accommodate more visitors and create local jobs, said Mike McAfee, executive director of Visit Bloomington.

The SpringHill Suites by Marriott Bloomington will open March 17, and the Hyatt Place will open in June. White Lodging Services will manage both hotels. The Hyatt is being franchised by REI Services and the Marriott by KPM Hotel Group.

“I think that they’re certainly creating jobs in Bloomington, which is a great story, and they’re providing some outstanding amenities for all the folks that want to be able to stay right there on the square and be right downtown,” said Chris O’Donnell, regional director of operations for White Lodging.

Bloomington is short on hotel rooms, and this can hurt potential tourism for the city, said Ashley Gerodimos, director of sales at the Marriott. It also prevents large conferences from convening downtown and makes it difficult for parents and alumni to visit IU, she said.

“We obviously know how busy the areas get in football weekends,” Swisher said.
“Having another option for incoming alumni and friends and parents to come visit not only for Bloomington in general, but also for the University is exciting.”

Both hotels will comprise suites 20- to 25-percent larger than the standard hotel room, said Kristine Swisher, director of sales and marketing at the Hyatt Place. The Hyatt

Place will have 172 rooms and 4,300 square feet of meeting space.

Each Hyatt room will have a pullout couch, mini refrigerator, wet bar and 42-inch flat screen television, Swisher said.

The Marriott will have 158 total suites, 75 percent of which will have two queen beds and a pullout sofa bed. The other 25 percent will have one king bed and a pullout, Gerodimos said.

In addition, the Marriott will have a bistro bar called the Ave, which will serve local wines and beers as well as seasonal dishes, Gerodimos said. There will also be complimentary breakfast and a private parking garage. Swisher and Gerodimos said they are excited about the positive effect the two hotels could have for Bloomington.

The hotels will give IU Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management students the opportunity to gain experience in the industry and potentially receive employment offers through the hotels after graduation.

“Our overall goal is to hopefully be able to offer them management positions when they graduate,” Gerodimos said.

Gerodimos said local artwork is important to create a hotel environment catered to downtown Bloomington. The Marriott hopes to provide outlets to local artists to sell their work through local art nights, she said.

“We want to make sure that, overall, whenever our guests come into the hotel, they’re not just in a Marriott,” Gerodimos said. “They’re actually getting a vibe of the whole city.”

O’Donnell said he believes both hotels will work perfectly with the original experience downtown Bloomington has to offer.

“I think that the design of the hotel really fits within the spirit and the culture of Bloomington,” he said, “and I think it’s going to be a great place for locals to hang out or for people coming in from out of town.”