As a family trip during spring break this year, Irish Woman and I took the kids to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum.  We made it an overnight, and wanted to stay somewhere different. I happened upon a rather unique hotel smack dab in downtown Indianapolis.

The Crowne Plaza Downtown / Union Station is one of the nicest hotels we have ever used.  As the name indicates, it is built on the old train station in downtown Indianapolis, and the decor shows it.  The central part of the hotel maintains the high ceiling and exposed girders of a 19th century train station.  Scattered throughout the hotel are statues of travellers, from nuns waiting for their train to a shoeshine boy plying his craft.  The train theme carries into something that I have put on my list of things to do:  hotel suites built into antique railroad cars that sit on actual tracks.

The ambience and decor of the hotel is wonderful.  Everything was absolutely clean and well maintained.  The small pool is good for a soak and playing, but not for laps.  The staff is helpful, cheerful, and friendly.  The food from the hotel restaurant, Pullman’s Restaurant and Lounge, was very well done.  I had the Mediterranean pasta for dinner, while Irish Woman had their sirloin burger.  Both meals were great, and the kids enjoyed their fare as well.  Dinner for 4 was about $80, and the breakfast buffet was about $15 a person.  That’s a little steep, but the food and service were excellent, and after marching around the museum with 14,000 of our closest friends, we picked convenience over price.

One note on the hotel:  it is co-located with a still-used Amtrak station, so every now and then you will hear a train engine or whistle, or feel a rumble as a train moves through.  To me, this was a treat, but if you’re a light sleeper it might disturb you.

The only downsides of the hotel were the cost of parking and the size of our room.  Parking is located in an underground parking garage next to the hotel, and it cost me $22 per night to use it.  Valet parking is available if you prefer to use it.  Our room, which included two double beds, was on the small side.  If you are travelling with two adults and three children, I suggest getting two rooms.  It was quite tight for us.

The hotel is next door to Lucas Oil Field and the Indianapolis Convention Center, and is within walking distance to the state capitol, many business centers, and a ton of chain and local restaurants. It was a 10 minute drive to the Children’s Museum, and more importantly, it was a 10 minute drive back to the hotel when we were exhausted and frazzled.  It’s also very close to the Indianapolis Zoo, which is also on our list of things to visit in Indy.

The cost for a stay was quite reasonable, considering the quality and location of the hotel.  Our stay was on a Thursday night with no special events happening in the area, and our rate was $160 plus tax.  This is more than we would have paid to stay at a hotel further out in the city, but the closeness to the Children’s Museum and the unique nature of the hotel made it worth the $40 or so a night we would have saved.

Overall, I’d give the Crown Plaza – Downtown / Union Station 4.5 out of 5 stars.  We will definitely be staying there again when we make family trips to Indianapolis.