H. Miller
Google
I come to Indianapolis for business every few months and always stay at Hotel Indy. For years, the best part of my trips was the Cannonball Lounge — a classy, low-key rooftop spot with mid-century modern charm, a small but stellar staff, and cocktails that were genuinely works of art. The bartenders knew their craft, the atmosphere was relaxed yet sophisticated, and it felt like a hidden gem.
I came back last week after three months away and… wow. What a letdown. The Cannonball Lounge is gone, replaced by something called “Elevate Bar” — and they’ve stripped away everything that made it special. The decor now looks cheap and clubby, the unique cocktails have been replaced with generic, forgettable drinks, and the expert staff I looked forward to seeing has been replaced mostly by very young, inexperienced bartenders. Loud club music blasts late into the night (and yes, you can hear it in the hotel rooms on the same floor — terrible if you actually want to sleep).
And the kicker? There’s an arcade basketball hoop on the rooftop. Who thought that was a good idea? I watched balls flying across the patio like projectiles — one nearly took out my drink. This is a liability waiting to happen, not to mention incredibly out of place.
The only thing that’s improved is the food, which is decent. But overall, “Elevate” feels like a cheap attempt to make the space “chic” and “Instagrammable” at the expense of actual quality and atmosphere. They took something exceptional and authentic, gutted it, and served back a loud, unsafe, overpriced shell of its former self.
If you’re looking for a cool, unique rooftop bar in Indianapolis — this is no longer it. Huge disappointment.
