My father-in-law has been a train aficionado his entire life. So when I came across online pictures of a “train hotel” in Indianapolis, I thought it could be a fun thing to experience. Living in the Chicago area, Indianapolis is only a little more than 3 hours away by car. So my wife, her parents and I drove down to Indianapolis to stay one night at the Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown Union Station — a.k.a. “The Train Hotel”.

History

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel was originally the first “Union Station” built in the United States in 1888. When train travel was at its peak, over 200 trains a day came through Indianapolis’ Union Station. The tracks moved famous passengers like former presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

After falling into disrepair in the 1970s, the city revitalized the building in 1986. That year it re-opened as a mall called the Festival Market Place, containing restaurants, shops and clubs. Then in 1996, it became the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Today, the current railroad station sits adjacent to the hotel, with trains passing through on a regular schedule. From time to time you can hear the muffled sounds and feel the subtle vibrations of the trains as they roll through.

While the hotel seems a bit dated, it’s kind of by design. There are life-sized “ghost statues” located throughout the hotel, which bring guests back to a time when train stations were the hub of travel. Some of the nostalgic ghosts we found included a valet, sailor, paperboy and three boys trying to jump onto a train car.

Location

Indianapolis has made itself into one of the top convention cities in the United States. The downtown area is setup perfectly with numerous hotels and restaurants to cater to the convention crowds.

The Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown is located next door to the Indiana Convention Center and is directly connected to it via a skywalk. In addition, Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, can be accessed via the convention center’s climate-controlled connecting walkway.

Parking

There are two options for hotel parking as there is no complimentary self-parking. The hotel has a valet with in/out privileges for a rate of $45 per night. The other options is to park in the Pan Am Plaza self-park garage, located adjacent to hotel front drive, which costs $28 a day.

Lobby

The lobby is fairly large and contains several more “ghost statues” to continue setting the atmosphere. Checking in took a matter of minutes and the employees at the front desk were friendly. If interested, ask for a pamphlet that goes into detail on the history of the building.

Walking further into the hotel, behind the front desk, we were immediately greeted with the enormous steel beams of the lobby atrium. These beautiful beams and overall industrial theme further enhance the hotel’s ambiance.

The Room

The hotel offers 273 guest rooms but what makes it truly unique are the 26 authentic Pullman train car rooms. Still set on their original tracks, the 13 train cars each house two guest rooms named and decorated after famous personalities from the 1900s.

The two trains, one green and one blue, sit on opposite ends of the hotel’s second floor.

As you might expect, the train car rooms are narrow. However, it was only really noticeable when walking past the bed towards the bathroom. I kind of felt as if I had to turn sideways a bit to get by. Otherwise it’s a very standard room with a king bed, seating area, coffee counter, refrigerator, and closet. 

The small bathroom is located on the other side of the bed. While the door at the very end of the room connects to the train car’s other guest room.

The Bathroom

Unfortunately the bathroom did not meet our expectations and is in need of a facelift. It’s tiny, which is understandable, considering the narrowness of the train car. And although it had everything you’d need, including a shower/tub, single sink, and toilet, it felt pretty cramped. Finally, there was several areas where paint was peeling off the ceiling. This was even more pronounced in my in-laws’ bathroom.

Hotel Amenities

Dining

We didn’t eat at the hotel but it does have two restaurants on-site. 123 West Restaurant and Taggart’s Lounge serve classic American fusion cuisine.

Event and Meeting Space

The hotel has over 55,000 square feet of event and meeting space. The largest is the Grand Hall, which can fit up to 800 people. It seems to be a popular place for weddings and we even saw a wedding ceremony in progress while we were exploring the hotel.

The ambiance outside of the Grand Hall continues the journey back in time. A century ago, half a million people would’ve rushed through here to board one of the 200 steam trains.

Pool

There’s an on-site pool with daily swimming hours between 9am and 10pm. The pool is located on the first floor at one end of the lobby atrium. I’d imagine that the rooms surrounding the pool could be pretty noisy, so it might be worth asking for a room away from this area.

Fitness Center

The 24-hour fitness center is located just off the hotels’ main lobby. It features weights, mats, exercise balls and cardio equipment, each with iPhone/MP3 player ports and individual TVs.

Bottom Line

Overall, staying one night at “The Train Hotel” proved to be a fun experience. The hotel is certainly a one-of-a-kind place that really leans into setting the 1900s atmosphere. The industrial beams, the “ghost statues”, the Pullman train car rooms and even the rumblings of current trains, all enhance the guest experience.

Even with all of those positive aspects, I probably wouldn’t here stay again. The hotel is definitely dated, partly by design but also because it needs a facelift. If I find myself in Indianapolis again, I’d look for something newer like the JW Marriott or one of the other Marriott hotels located in the Marriott IndyPlace complex.

All that being said, the Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown Union Station is unique, so I would recommend staying here if you never have before. That’s especially true for people who’d really appreciate the train car rooms like families with small children, train enthusiasts and lovers of American history.