The revival of a famed midwestern town continues in Indianapolis with the renovation of the Omni Severin Hotel. The Omni is located one block from the Indiana Convention Center, connected by skywalks to the Circle Centre Mall. The hotel is also close enough to walk to Lucas Oil Stadium and the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
For several years, I’ve been invited to Indianapolis at least once a year for trips to visit museums. This year, I got a different invite.
The Omni Severin has completed a $24 million renovation as part of Omni’s strategy to update its portfolio of hotels. For history buffs, sports fans, and art lovers, Indianapolis is a town that shouldn’t be passed over.
Visiting the Omni was the perfect excuse for a long-overdue friends weekend with one of my closest girlfriends. We decided to make it an art retreat. On the Friday of our trip, we loaded up the car with art supplies and the few clothes we remembered to pack and headed off from Louisville up the road, just 1.5 hours to ‘Napptown.
What we didn’t count on was that the weekend we planned our arts retreat coincided with the NCAA Sweet Sixteen weekend, and our hotel, the Omni Severin, was designated Purdue Central. When we pulled into town and on the street towards our hotel, we had to wait in a long line for a valet, but from the minute we pulled up to the hotel, the attention to service was impeccable.
Built in 1913, directly in front of the old Union Station train depot, the Omni Severin served as a perfect rest stop for weary travelers. At one point, the hotel was even listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book founded by Victor Green. The Green Book, as it is often referred to in brief, helped Black travelers navigate the nation safely during the high incidence of racial violence and Jim Crow laws.
Now located in the still bustling downtown area of Indy, the Omni Severin maintains its charm as a stop for the weary traveler, now with a gorgeous update that hearkens back to its Art Deco past with a friendly and an on-point diverse staff.
When we arrived, we decided against our original plan to venture out into the city and chose to grab dinner and drinks at the Bar Cardinale. With its beautiful orb lighting, navy walls, and dark green, cream, and grey furnishings, it set the perfect mood for my friend and me to unwind on our weekend.
Bar Cardinale offers a fine drinks list with a good selection of bourbons and unique cocktails. My friend chose the Still Enchanted, a drink that arrives covered with a wooden top, when removed, reveals a gently smoking glass of Empress 1908 gin, italicus bergamotto, and Lillet Blanc. The flavor was divine with the notes of bergamot, citrus, juniper, and wood smoke.
I’m a simple bourbon gal, choosing my usual bourbon on the rocks with a splash of water — a solid standard in the Elijah Craig Small Batch.
We ordered apps (cheese & charcuterie and popcorn) and went with the beef sliders and ham and cheese for dinner. All solid choices to accompany the drinks.
After dinner, we noticed the lobby had been lined with dark velvet ropes and that crowds gathered on either side. The Purdue players trickled through on the way to their game against Tennessee. The crowd cheered and shook pom poms from the hotel desk.
We finished our drinks and joined the crowd in cheering for teams we knew nothing about.
Now, after the drinks, I can’t say that we were awake more than a couple of hours because we’re in the years when sleep is valuable and having beds to ourselves is a rarity.
The beds were divinely comfortable with pillows that blended soft comfort with solid support. For me, nursing an old shoulder injury, I slept with no discomfort. The next morning, in fact, we chose to stay in our beds longer than we’d planned, then had a fine room service breakfast.
Our original plan was to include three of Indy’s museums: Newfields, Eiteljorg, and the Children’s Museum for the Black Future exhibit.
We made it to the Eiteljorg, which was fantastic, then found ourselves on a side quest to the town’s witchy shops. We visited The Magic Candle and ended our quest at The Divine Key, meeting Michelle, getting a wildly accurate psychic tarot reading.
After the readings, we had sushi at Hasuno and went back to our room to paint, and of course, nest in the comfortable beds.
Overall, we spent a lovely, indulgent weekend at the Omni. The only improvement that would have made our stay better would have been a tea kettle in the room.
