Which are the best luxury hotels in Indiana: Indianapolis, Carmel, and Jeffersonville with executive club lounges? JW Marriott, Hyatt Regency, Renaissance North, Marriott Downtown, Westin, Sheraton at Keystone Crossing, Renaissance, North, Crowne Plaza, or Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel?
Indianapolis, often shortened to Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County.
1. JW Marriott Indianapolis
JW Marriott Indianapolis is a Marriott Bonvoy Rewards Category 5 Points hotel, and it is definitely one of the most luxurious hotel options in Indianapolis, plus it has the best executive club lounge in the city.
The hotel is inside a beautiful high rise, over 30 stories high, which is made of stunning tinted glass. It forms a lovely part of the Indianapolis skyline. The lobby has a bar, a store, and a couple of acclaimed restaurants. On the second floor is a Starbucks. There’s also an executive lounge on the 31st floor.
The hotel actually has skywalk access to Indiana Convention Center, Circle Center Mall, and Lucas Oil Stadium. Luxury rooms and suites offer plush beds topped with sumptuous duvets. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide stunning, panoramic views of the sweeping skyline.
Their on-site sports bar offers drinks, or you can try classic Italian cuisine at OP Italian, featuring a stylish wine bar.
The club lounge here is open 7 days a week and offers some of the best club lounge food in Indianapolis with a decent main spread, including empanadas, spring rolls, hummus, salad, and nibbles, followed by 4 desserts in the evening. The highlight of this lounge is, however, the brilliant views, because the lounge is so high up. Alcoholic drinks are available at a fee.
2. Hyatt Regency Indianapolis
Hyatt Regency Indianapolis is ideally located downtown on Capitol Street, a few blocks from Lucas Oil Stadium, Conseco Fieldhouse, and Monument Circle, and plenty of restaurants.
It is modern with an impressive and hugely high atrium area, and rooms were recently refurbished (in 2018). The Regency Club here has also been recently renovated and is nice, although it is rather tiny. Expect a rush at peak times like breakfast.
Inside the club lounge, there are two workstations, a food area with a coffee machine (a decent one) a fridge full of a nice variety of soft drinks, including sparkling water. Breakfast is complimentary and continental. This means that it’s cold with the usual cereals, yogurts, fruit, pastries, and bread, nothing special but enough to satisfy. In the evening, there are light bites and an honor bar.
Because this lounge, and in fact, the entire hotel, has been recently renovated, this is definitely one of the best luxury hotels in Indianapolis with one of the best executive club lounges in Indianapolis, even though it’s small.
The Sheraton Downtown is a few blocks away and is also a nice choice but, as far as we know, it doesn’t have a club lounge. The Hyatt is the more luxurious option. Is it worth paying more for? Probably, if it costs just a little bit more. If you book via our concierge, we also offer free benefits at most Hyatts.
3. Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown is a Marriott Bonvoy Rewards Category 5 hotel and has a skywalk access to Indianapolis’ most popular destinations including Circle Centre Mall, Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium.
Conner’s Kitchen + Bar is a restaurant at the hotel that serves classic home-style cuisine with an elevated flare. Rooms have Sumptuously plush bedding, Smart TVs, and panoramic city views.
In the morning, stop by Loaf + Vine, their grab-and-go market, for a tasty breakfast pastry and coffee. Or book a room with access to the M Lounge (which is closed on weekends), which includes free breakfast, Hors D’Ouvres, and light drinks (nonalcoholic).
4. The Westin Indianapolis
The Westin Indianapolis is a Rewards Category 4 Marriott Bonvoy hotel located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis.
A skywalk connects guests to Circle Centre Mall for upscale restaurants, shopping, and nightlife, while the roar of Lucas Oil Stadium is just steps away. Rooms have the world-renowned Heavenly® Bed. Additional amenities range from a 55-inch LG HD TV to High-Speed Internet Access.
The club lounge here was refurbished at the end of 2018 and has a good reputation.
5. Renaissance Indianapolis North
Renaissance Indianapolis North is a Marriott Bonvoy Rewards Category 4 hotel. It offers easy access to The Palladium, the Coxhall Gardens in Ritz Charles, Peace Water Winery, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as world-class golf courses and major corporations.
Club Level rooms are nice but generic and not large. They are appointed with pillow-top mattresses, ergonomic workspaces, and flat-panel TVs with plug-in technology. The bathrooms are also very small. It is worth noting that the hotel rooms in this hotel do suffer from hallway noise as there’s no carpet to deaden the sound.
The gym here is good with a good selection, including dumbbells up to 50 lbs and a cable machine, along with all cardio machines. The gym is next to the indoor pool, which is also nice to use.
The club lounge at Renaissance Indianapolis North is closed on the weekend but is open on Sunday evening and for breakfast Monday morning through to Friday morning. When it’s closed on the weekends, premium Marriott Bonvoy members get a continental breakfast in the restaurant instead. The lounge itself is nice but small and crowded.
Overall this is a good solid hotel. There’s also a Residence Inn and the Courtyard nearby, which are cheaper and similarly good if you are looking for a less expensive stay.
6. Sheraton at Keystone Crossing
Sheraton at Keystone Crossing is a Rewards Category 4 Marriott Bonvoy hotel. This hotel is directly connected to The Fashion Mall at Keystone and is located amid the city’s most affluent area, just a few miles away from the Indianapolis Museum of Art and iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Refresh in the sparkling waters of the heated pool or get in a workout at the fully-equipped fitness center.
This hotel has a clean club lounge with great staff and breakfast and evening canapes along with drinks and snacks throughout the day.
7. Indianapolis Marriott East
Indianapolis Marriott East is a Marriott Rewards Category 4 hotel located just a few minutes from Downtown Indianapolis. It has a good concierge-level lounge but beware that the rooms have a very tight toilet and shower.
The club lounge food is very good here, with two hot and two cold items for dinner and a good breakfast spread. This club lounge is open all week but is closed on weekends when Marriott Bonvoy Platinum guests get a free full breakfast in the restaurant. Leisure facilities include a modern fitness center and a recreational indoor pool.
8. Marriott Indianapolis North
The Marriott Indianapolis North is a Rewards Category 4 Marriott Bonvoy hotel at Keystone Crossing. This location is ideal for the attractions in Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, and still less than 30 minutes from Downtown. Discover Grand Park, Butler University, and Indianapolis Children’s Museum.
Guest rooms offer pillow-top mattresses and plush bedding. Many rooms have lake views and balconies. In the evening, recharge with dinner in the Lake View Solarium restaurant or have a cocktail in the Lobby Lounge. leisure facilities include a 24-Hour state-of-the-art Fitness Center or a one-mile lakeside walking trail.
Kick start your morning in Bistro 33 for a healthy breakfast to energize you for the day, or pick up free breakfast in the executive club lounge and free light bites and soft drinks in the evening.
This club lounge is open all week but is closed on weekends when Marriott Bonvoy Platinum guests get a free continental breakfast in the restaurant.
9. Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel
Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel in Jeffersonville has a club lounge and is a really nice Rewards Category 6 Marriott Bonvoy hotel. The hotel is located in Jeffersonville, Indiana, just across the bridge from downtown Louisville, providing unrivaled access to several popular attractions such as the Kentucky International Convention Center, Fourth Street Live, and Waterfront Park.
If you want to check out Louisville, this location is not ideal as you are across the river from the city. You are somewhat retreating from what Louisville has to offer, although the river views are nice. The local area has been re-done, and you will find a Pizza place, Hooters, and Bristols on one side of the hotel, but there’s not much within walking distance. Interestingly, they have a shuttle bus that will take you into town within a couple of minutes and will even collect and drop you off at the airport. This hotel can also offer much better value than the downtown hotels.
Within the hotel, you can lift weights in the fitness center or take a lap in the heated indoor pool. The rooms are decent and well-maintained. and for additional luxury, you can reserve one of the club-level rooms to receive exclusive access to the executive lounge. The lounge includes complimentary breakfast, snacks, and beverages. This club lounge is closed on weekends, so there are no evening snacks on Friday night, and the lounge is completely off-limits from noon on Friday until noon on Monday.
There is also a Delta Hotels Indianapolis Airport Marriott hotel and a Delta Hotels East, but neither of these Marriott Bonvoy hotels has an executive club lounge. The Conrad by Hilton in Indianapolis does not have an executive club lounge either. As an alternative, you might want to try the Courtyard Indianapolis Carmel, which has facilities including a small windowless gym and an indoor pool and spa. This hotel has a nice outdoor patio and seating area but no fire pit.
10. Crowne Plaza Indianapolis – Downtown Union Station
Crowne Plaza Indianapolis – Downtown Union Station is my favorite hotel in Indianapolis. It is a dream come true for anyone who loves trains and travel. It’s located in a historic train station, a building listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
It’s also right in the heart of Downtown, and even though most of the rooms are modern but standard Crowne Plaza rooms in style, they do offer 26 unique rooms in authentic Pullman retired 1920s era Pullman passenger carriages that rest on their original tracks on the 2nd floor of the hotel.
The hotel has an executive lounge, but it’s not great. Hence, this hotel position at the bottom of our list. The hotel is great, but the lounge is small, with the usual snacks but with no windows. Not the kind of place you want to hang out.
The hotel is connected to a real-life train station, so you can vaguely hear the trains pulling in and out of the station, although there have not been reports of noise problems when sleeping at this hotel.
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