Next milestone begins, as new hotel is on track to open by end of 2027

Indianapolis Airport Authority officials, along with community, construction, design and hotel partners, gathered today to mark the structural completion of the new hotel with a topping-out ceremony. The event celebrated the highest beam being hoisted into place — a construction milestone that signals the building has reached its full height and kicks off the next phase of work toward full completion and opening day.

“While we’re marking the topping out of the structure as a milestone, we’re actually celebrating what went into getting here — the local businesses, the construction crews, the people who brought their expertise to this project,” said Mario Rodriguez, IAA executive director. “Building a public asset like this with the skills, talents, and business savvy from right here in Central Indiana — that’s an investment that will compound long after construction is fully complete.”

More than 100 Indiana companies are involved in building the new hotel, with local trade and design team participation exceeding $150 million. By the time the hotel is complete, more than 1,500 construction professionals have worked on the site, averaging 120 crew members daily. The hotel will also create roughly 140 permanent jobs to help operate it upon opening.

“Today is a testament that IND is on track to open the front door of the front door of Indianapolis in late 2027 as planned,” said Matt Barnes, chief operations officer with Shiel Sexton. “Over the next few months, you’re going to start seeing all seven levels of the glass façade, the roof go into place, and crews will be working inside to begin building out guest rooms, dining and bar areas, meeting spaces and all of the amenities that will make this a hotel worthy of the Best Airport in North America.”

When it opens, the hotel will offer 253 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant, a fitness center, a seventh-floor bar and lounge, approximately 10,000 square feet of meeting space, and hotel-specific parking with valet. A pedestrian passage will connect the hotel directly to the airport’s parking garage, giving guests seamless access to the terminal.

With roughly one-third of IND passengers departing before 9 a.m., the on-campus location addresses a long-standing gap for early morning travelers who currently face a long commute or less-than-convenient, off-airport hotel access. Guests who join Marriott Bonvoy, the free loyalty program, can also earn points and access other member benefits during their stay.

The project team includes Shiel Sexton Company, Inc. as general contractor; CSO Architects as architect of record; FlickMars on public space interior design; Carson Design on guestroom interior design; and Louderback Group as owner’s representative for the IAA during construction. CHMWarnick serves as the hotel asset manager. Wischermann Partners will operate the hotel upon opening.

“This is a jobs and economic story, but at its heart it’s a community story,” said Barbara Glass, IAA board president. “Hundreds of workers have shown up every day to build something that will serve this city long into the future. When travelers check in, the revenue supports Indianapolis — and they’ll leave with the experience of Hoosier Hospitality. That’s what a good public asset investment looks like.”

The $205.8 million project is funded through airport general revenue bonds, Marriott key money and an airport equity investment. No tax dollars are being used. The IAA enters the project on strong financial footing — each of the three major credit rating agencies, Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings, has assigned the authority a stable outlook with ratings ranging from A to A+. Over the past decade, the IAA has increased its reserves by 88 percent and reduced its total debt by $127 million.

MEDIA MATERIALS: For photos of today’s event, construction images/video and renderings of the hotel, click here.