Hotel Review: The Alexander, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Photo c/o The Alexander

Disclaimer: In exchange for this hotel review, I received a two nights-stay in one of The Alexander‘s two bedroom California king suites.  (I had a last-minute need to be in Indianapolis, Indiana earlier than anticipated.  Fortunately, Jake, one of the front desk agents, was very helpful and proactively asked sales – on a Sunday, when they weren’t in-house – to get back to me about extending my stay from one night to two.)

It was around midnight when I had just stepped off of Amtrak’s Hoosier State service from Chicago . The Alexander, part of the Dolce Hotels and Resorts collection, is a short walk from both the Amtrak station and downtown; if biking is your thing, the hotel lets guests borrow a bike for free.  Considering the pleasant weather at the time, I decided to hop on the Monon Trail to visit the Broad Ripple neighborhood in the north.

Lobby — Photo c/o The Alexander

Although I checked in around midnight, Rebekah, the front desk agent at the time, was quite cheerful and eager to assist.  I was looking forward to my room, partially to see if a basket of fresh fruit would be available.  Well, Rebekah said that wasn’t the case, but she kindly went to Plat 99, the restaurant and bar next to check-in, to grab me some peaches and a pear.

Plat 99

Apple and cucumber water, and candies…quite welcome after a slog in that humidity.

The two peaches and the pear in my spacious suite.  As a New Yorker and one-time resident of Hong Kong, I’ve gotta say…those were good peaches.  OK, I mean, I’m not used to so much space.  Yes, having a suite clearly adds to the square footage, but even the standard rooms were generously sized.

More importantly, the common areas of the hotel, the restaurants, my room…everything looked immaculate.

The Indianapolis Art Museum helps to curate The Alexander with various works created by artists from around the world.

As a New Yorker and one-time resident of Hong Kong, I’ve gotta say…those were good peaches.  OK, I mean, I’m not used to so much space.  Yes, having a suite clearly adds to the square footage, but even the standard rooms were generously sized.

More importantly, the common areas of the hotel, the restaurants, my room…everything looked immaculate.  That’s not something I’m used to in a hotel, either.

That said, one of my two complaints is that it was quite easy to hear other guests through the walls.  In the suite above, it sounded as if a bacchanal was happening.  Raise the tv volume by a substantial amount, and there’s your stopgap.  Or, call the front desk, I suppose.

The Indianapolis Art Museum helps to curate The Alexander with various works created by artists from around the world.  Though I’m not much of a contemporary art fan, the pieces do help reduce the usual sterile feel that often plagues hotels.

I was offered a free buffet breakfast for both nights, and I’ll admit, for a US hotel, it was well-stocked.  You have the omelette corner, the breads and spreads, the mains, the cereal, yogurt, and dried and fresh fruit.

My second complaint about the hotel involves the rather slow service I had both days during breakfast.  After one of the waiters discovered that I was eating, he came by way too many times. The next day, the waitresses were slightly less intrusive, but in all, the service was not a high point.

Going overboard at the buffet is a specialty of mine.

Wandering around the hotel, the staff generally seemed eager to please.  One of the agents let me sneak in a coffee and some dried fruit from a station typically reserved for meeting-goers.

The Alexander is a popular business hotel in Indianapolis, but without the stuffy, cookie-cutter vibe of the usual chains.  If I was beckoned back to Indiana’s capital, I’d certainly consider them again.

The Alexander is located at: 333 S Delaware St, Indianapolis, IN 46204.  Their direct line is +1 (317) 624-8200. They opened in January 2013, and currently offer 157 guest rooms and 52 extended-stay units.

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