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Story by Melanie Votaw
Photography by Jame Thompson
Canterbury Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana
The Canterbury Hotel brings a touch of England to what may seem like an unlikely place – Indianapolis, Indiana. It’s an independent boutique property in the heart of downtown Indianapolis and just 6-1/2 miles from the airport.
My stay at the Canterbury in June was a delight. I had a Parlor Suite, which included two rooms – each with its own telephone and flat screen television. One room was a living area with a couch and desk, and the other room was the bedroom with a large Chippendale four-poster bed, a bureau, two chairs, large closet, minibar, terry bathrobes, and marble bath. (I’ll take a wood four-poster bed over a modern bed any day!) The hotel also has an elaborate Presidential Suite and five Penthouse Suites that are bi-level. Now, that’s luxury!
I was astonished by how quiet the Canterbury’s rooms are considering that it’s in a very busy area and next door to the Indianapolis Convention Center, as well as the Circle Centre Mall. In fact, there’s a direct entrance to the hotel from the convention center and mall which can only be accessed with guest room keys.
The Canterbury is a historical property, so the owners are required to maintain many of its original design elements, such as some of the beautiful wood floors and decorative molding. It maintains its old world charm with antiques and a piano in the lobby where guests can hear music and enjoy a traditional English tea service.
 The Canterbury building is the second to be built on the site. The original hotel was built in 1858. At that time, it was the only building in the area except for the train station, and it served as accommodation for train travelers. (Incidentally, Thomas Edison worked at the train station at the time the hotel was built.) The building that stands today was built in the late 1920’s. It contained a speakeasy during Prohibition, and the current library was once a barber shop.
In the early days of hotels, rooms tended to be small, so the Canterbury (which has had several different names over the years) began with 200 rooms. Today, the hotel has just 99 rooms with several different levels of suites and has, of course, been renovated for the modern traveler. It has served many celebrities, including Meryl Streep, several sports teams, and both of Indiana’s most famous natives – David Letterman and Michael Jackson.
The Canterbury was the first downtown Indianapolis hotel to add wireless Internet service, which is complimentary to guests. A hot breakfast buffet is also included with your room, and room service is available 24 hours a day. While the property doesn’t maintain a spa, in-room massages can be arranged through the concierge desk. The fitness center is small, as is customary in boutique hotels, but guests who want a full workout can get complimentary passes to the nearby National Institute of Fitness. This is a very nice and unusual perk.
One of the most impressive things about the Canterbury, however, is that the majority of its staff members have worked there for a long time, and the hotel prides itself on highly trained, multilingual personnel. In fact, the man who greeted me when I entered the hotel has worked there since it was named the Canterbury in 1983, and the current Sales Manager started out as a pianist in the lobby. The hotel has also won numerous awards for service excellence, and it’s the only hotel in the entire state of Indiana which belongs to a prestigious concierge organization based in France.
The hotel prides itself on repeat business. The fact that the staff doesn’t turn over as fast as in most hotels means that people are recognized when they come back. I was told that couples often return to the hotel every year for their anniversary.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to sample the hotel’s AAA 4-diamond restaurant, Danielli, which also serves as an art gallery and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with American and continental cuisine. A meal at Danielli costs $30 and up, and the Canterbury’s room rates vary from about $200-$450USD per night.
The hotel also has a bar and conference and ballroom areas that can accommodate 150. The library is frequently used for board meetings because it has direct access to the kitchen, allowing meals to be served quickly and easily. The hotel is often used for wedding receptions, and it hosts many of the guests for the annual Heartland Film Festival, which is the third largest film festival in the world (after Cannes and Sundance.)
I wouldn’t hesitate to stay at the Canterbury again when I’m in Indianapolis. It’s convenient to all of the city’s museums and main attractions. There are other “name” hotels in the downtown area, but now that I’ve experienced the Canterbury, I can’t really imagine staying anywhere else while in Indianapolis.
© September 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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