Meeting urgent demand

The need for hotels in Hamilton County was desperate a year ago, leading to the 10 projects currently in development now. Some of this is due to Grand Park in Westfield which brought 1.3 million visitors to Hamilton County last year. An improved economy has led to an increase in travel, as well. When all of the projects are complete, another 1,200 rooms will be added to the area. Brenda Myers, president and CEO of Hamilton County Tourism Inc. is pleased with the growth and the high occupancy rates. Myers cited the new Drury Plaza Hotel near 96th Street and U.S. 31 in Carmel as a reason for her optimism. In June, the Drury opened with more than 300 rooms—and it immediately filled 100 of those. In 2017, another 500 rooms are on tap to become available.