Industrial Style Hotel Discovery: From Bottleworks to Ironworks

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by Bev Posted on

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How one great hotel led me to another in Indianapolis.

  • The entrance of the Ironworks Hotel with blonde brick and rust iron facade, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    Ironworks Hotel
  • A guest room, a messy bed in the foreground and a wall of large windows with a moody sky in the background at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    A guest room
  • An American flag art on the wall made of industrial machine parts painted to look like a flag and in the shape of the US at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    Wall art made of industrial parts

2721 East 86 Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240

Key Takeaways

  • The article describes an experience at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
  • The author found this hotel through a previous stay at the Bottleworks Hotel, which led to discovering Geronimo Hospitality Group.
  • Ironworks Hotel features unique industrial design elements, combining comfort with vintage machinery and luxury touches.
  • Guests can enjoy dining at Provision and Rize, both offering locally-sourced dishes and great atmospheres.
  • Ironworks Hotel has received accolades, including a spot among the top 15 hotels in the Midwest by Conde Nast Reader’s Choice Awards.

The Tale

Here’s how I found the Ironworks Hotel: I was obsessed with the Bottleworks Hotel in Indy—seriously, it’s this old Coca-Cola bottling plant turned into the coolest hotel. I loved it so much that I wanted to know who created it, which led me to Geronimo Hospitality Group. I had to check out what else they offered, and that’s when I discovered the Ironworks Hotel. As a bonus, that’s also how I found The Delafield Hotel up in Wisconsin. Ironworks has this industrial-chic feel. It’s unlike any hotel I’ve been to and easily one of the most unique industrial style hotels I’ve experienced.

The Hotel

Ironworks Hotel is technically pretty new—they built it from the ground up—but it’s got major old-school industrial vibes. You walk in, and you’d swear this place has been around forever. They went all in on the details, so you’ll spot all kinds of vintage machinery (most of the time I have no clue what it even is) as soon as you enter. Exposed brick, iron, aluminum, big ductwork, and pulley systems: if it screams industrial, it’s here.

  • The lobby full of wood and metals at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    The lobby
  • A steel staircase with a large industrial tower of some sort as decoration in the middle that leads to the lobby of the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    The entrance that provides access to the lobby on the second floor
  • The exterior of the hotel, showing a rust colored steel structur that makes up the patio of Provision Restaurant and the private patios of certain rooms on the top floor at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    The exterior steel structure of the patio for Provision and the terrace rooms

If you’re looking for an industrial style hotel near Indianapolis, this place absolutely delivers on the theme without feeling overdone.

When you pull into the parking lot, the first thing you’ll notice is the big steel structure at the end of the building, a two-story configuration that includes the large covered deck for Provision on the second floor.

Oh, and heads up: the hotel is about 20 miles north of downtown Indy.

The Room

Don’t let that industrial vibe scare you. The rooms have all the luxury and comfort I have come to expect in my hotel stays, so you can too. If you reserve a hotel on the top floor, you get that same great wall of windows as the Bottleworks Hotel has. And if you’re really ready to go all in, book a Legacy Terrace room complete with, yes, a private terrace AND a gas fire pit (I wish I had gotten this on my trip!)

  • A low view from the end of the bed and the row of large angled windows in a guest room at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    A guest room
  • A dark leather and wood chair in the corner of a guest room next to the large angled windows in a guest room at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    A guest room
  • A unique disc-style deco lamp in dark blue, dark blue walls, and a side table next to the bed in the guest room at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial-style hotel in Indianapolis.
    A guest room

These comfy beds make it tough to get up in the morning, and the big showers with rainfall showerheads are fantastic. Plus, there are cool touches of steel beams, wood, and brick walls throughout.

What makes this industrial style hotel stand out is how well it balances the rugged industrial design with luxury touches that make the rooms feel warm, comfortable, and inviting.

The Food

Right off the lobby on the second floor is Provision. Sit on the deck, it’s as close to a rooftop I am going to get, and it is a pretty cool place to grab a glass of wine from their large wine menu. And dinner…man, was that dinner good. They source much of their ingredients locally. I ended up splurging and having dessert, too!

  • Dinner at Provision on the second floor patio off of the lobby at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    Dinner at Provision
  • A chocolate dessert with ice cream and port wine with a view of the second-floor patio of Provision, the restaurant at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial-style hotel in Indianapolis.
    Enjoyed dessert and port while taking in the view at Provision
  • A mimosa on the table of the ground floor breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant Rize at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    Enjoyed a mimosa on the patio located on the ground floor at Rize on a second trip

For breakfast or a light lunch, head downstairs to Rize on the first floor. They say they use “fresh ingredients from the farms of Indiana.” On my first visit, I had the classic eggs for breakfast. The next time I went for brunch, I ordered a mimosa and sat on the outdoor patio.

There are also multiple restaurants within the Ironworks campus, including several in the building itself on the first floor.

What Else?

Ironworks has been voted one of the top 15 hotels in the Midwest by the Conde Nast Reader’s Choice Awards. Plus, it has a 2025 Michelin Key.  

Parking is free with a large parking lot just outside the entrance. They also offer valet service for a fee.

The lobby is on the second floor; you can take the stairs or the elevator.

You can bring your pet for a fee.

They have meeting and event space.

  • Upside down wine bottle in a wine stand made with an oil can in a guest room at the Ironworks hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    In the guest room
  • Hallway, gray walls one side, wood plank walls on the other, at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    A guest room hallway
  • Hotel lobby, large industrial sized windows on left, flag shaped as the US map in the background wall, columns on the right side, and candles on the table in the foreground at the Ironworks Hotel, an industrial style hotel in Indianapolis.
    The lobby

Bottom Line

Ironworks Hotel turned out to be one of those happy discoveries that began with a completely different trip. With its industrial design, comfortable rooms, great restaurants, and little details throughout the property, it’s easy to see why it has such recognition! Whether you’re visiting Indianapolis on business, like I was, planning a weekend getaway, or just looking for a unique place to stay, Ironworks is a hotel that’s worth adding to your list.

More from Geronimo Hospitality Group:

Bottleworks Hotel: A Boutique Hotel in Indianapolis’ Historic Bottleworks District

A Delafield Hotel To Remember: Part of the Geronimo Hospitality Group, it is a Classy but Unstuffy Hotel Worth Visiting.

Where to find breakfast while in Indy:

A Local Restaurant for Breakfast in Indianapolis: Petite Chou

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