Richard P.
Yelp
After winning a one-night stay-cation at the Ironworks Hotel during a recent Yelp event, I will admit I found myself wondering if I would ever use it considering I live no more than 15 minutes from this relatively new Northside Indy luxury boutique hotel.
However, I couldn't resist the allure of a hotel that I kind of fell in love with during that Yelp event and also the opportunity to check out accessibility options that I'd heard about but weren't available to see during the Yelp event. So, I scheduled last night as my stay-cation as part of a 4-day weekend break.
I contacted Ironworks via telephone to make a reservation for my gift certificate. The prize offered one night in a traditional hotel room, which is their lower end room. They offer 12 different accessible rooms and, if I understood correctly, the rooms offer a variety of options. As I'd toured a traditional room and realized that most of their rooms have a step-over into the showers, I made sure to emphasize my need for accessibility and to also emphasize I was in a wheelchair and would be staying alone. In other words, an accessible shower was a "need" and not a "want."
I received a couple e-mail confirmations of my room. I arrived right at check-in time - 3pm. Check-in is on the 2nd floor with both stair and elevator options to access it. It's noteworthy that you cannot access guest rooms without a key card that also operates the elevator. Check-in went smoothly with a slight delay that wasn't really explained.
I was assigned to Room 529 - on the 5th floor of the five-story hotel. The first floor is comprised largely of retail/restaurant space including a sushi joint, Rize, and Massage Heights.
Parking is in a parking lot - it is free and there's plenty of ADA compliant spots. They do have complimentary valet parking for hotel guests, though I wouldn't subject anyone to my Kia!
Room 529 was accessible. I quickly checked the bathroom and was pleased to see the roll-in shower and grab bars near the commode. The shower included a shower bench that fit with the hotel's decor. The shower includes both a rainforest and traditional hand-held shower head. I loved that they didn't compromise on luxury in making things accessible.
The bed was a bit lower, a great thing for someone in a wheelchair, and the only thing I saw that might be questionable in terms of access would be the blinds for their large windows. The windows are amazing, but the blinds really required that I stretch to pull them down at night.
Televisions are 60" or 70" and include pay, Netflix, and Amazon options. There's several smart features in the rooms and those smart options increase in their higher-end rooms. The penthouse rooms were shown to us during the Yelp event and they are stunning.
Amenities include free hi-speed wireless internet, coffee service, parking, and business services. They have pet friendly options for a fee. Blue Sushi Sake Grill, Provision, and Rize are within the hotel. Sangiovese, Yolk, and Ruth's Chris are within walking distance across the parking lot.
So, how was it?
I debated my rating, quite honestly, between a 4 and a 5-star rating. 4.5 is probably most accurate as there are some service issues - mostly due to inattentiveness at times.
The front desk is not particularly wheelchair friendly - it's high and my arrival took a couple minutes to be acknowledged. I had the same issue, and an even longer wait, when I checked out. On check-out, the person at the desk was looking at their smart phone - how about looking at the customer? Once she noticed me, she was incredibly friendly and attentive but that momentary inattentiveness is the difference between a "luxury boutique" and a Marriott. On the other hand, the evening crew on Sunday was absolutely stellar - top notch in every aspect.
I like that they will deliver ice to your room - it's a minor touch, but nice considering once you arrive in your room you may not have cause to go to the 2nd floor again. It's a subtle reminder "we're luxury."
Overall, I'd put service in the 4-4.5 range. It's good, maybe even very good, but could use a little tweaking.
The accessible shower? It may be the best accessible shower I've experienced in a hotel. It's accessible without compromising luxury. It sends the message "We want your busy and WILL accommodate you." While a large power chair may struggle a bit in terms of spacing, it's easy to pull in and move over to the bench. They also added ingenious draining that prevents the bathroom floor from getting soaked.
The rooms are very industrial in design, darker and more intimate with the exception of white bedding. The facility is remarkably quiet - you can occasionally hear distant noises, but it's not intrusive. They have stellar Guild & Pepper bath products.
Service: 4-4.5; Atmosphere: 5; Accessibility; 5. If I could go 4.5, I probably would but even service concerns were minor glitches and this was top notch all the way. So, 5-star it is.