World's Largest JW Marriott Opens in Indianapolis

JW Marriott will open the company's largest hotel to date in downtown Indianapolis this Friday.

The 34-story hotel is the tallest in the state of Indiana, and features 1,005 guestrooms, 53 meeting rooms, and a 40,500-square-foot Grand Ballroom, the largest hotel ballroom in the Midwest.

Rooms at the JW Marriott Indianapolis include 40" LCD televisions and a plug-in panel that integrates laptops, MP3 and video players. A three-course Italian restaurant and a sports bar are also located on the property.

The hotel is part of a $450 million complex of Marriott hotels that takes up seven acres along the west side of downtown Indianapolis and connects to the Indiana Convention Center.

"The new JW Marriott Indianapolis Downtown is truly the 'crown jewel' of the Marriott Place development," says Scott Blalock, general manager of the JW Marriott Indianapolis in a statement.

"With the variety and flexibility of meeting and event space that we offer, as well as accommodations at various price points, we can suit almost anybody's needs," he continues.

The hotel is part of a $3 billion urban investment project in downtown Indianapolis. In combination with the newly expanded Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium, and a new International Airport, the hotel is helping the city shape up as a viable destination for prominent events.

"The Indiana Convention Center's recent expansion, a new airport, new stadium hosting the Super Bowl, and now touting the world's largest JW Marriott -- Indianapolis has arrived on the national tourism scene and is the envy of destinations across the nation," says Michael Browning, chairman of the board for the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association in a statement.

Nightly rates for a stay at the new hotel start at $159.