Hotel and Travel
Posted by Ben Dalton
Hotel Information
As reported earlier we made a tactical error in our timing this year. The annual Hilly Hundred bike race is the same weekend and has sucked the town dry of hotel rooms. We have been scrambling and scrounging to find rooms. The results of our efforts are below. They are not the four-star best of what Bloomington has to offer, but the rates are good and they have all been good to work with. Keith Danielson of the BFusion/BFlex staff went out to visit them. His appraisal is listed. (A nod to Shannon Dillman for putting us on to some of these options.)
- Vista University Inn (812) 349-0350 – BFusion/BFlex rate $54/night. Keith says “Vista has a great breakfast seating area and a decent lobby/lounge area. Until recently this hotel had a bad rep for shady clientele (self admission by the new management) but they’ve worked hard to change that and are serious about doing so. The rooms are decent but you can tell it’s a work in progress (still a bit rough-looking in places) and the parking lot backs up against some rough-looking apartments. (Bear in mind this is Bloomington, IN.) It’s also a bit closer to campus/downtown. Probably the best option for those on a tight budget and medium-low expectations.”
- Summerhouse Inn (800) 371-0934 – BFusion/BFlex rate $65/night. Keith says “Summerhouse is nice enough, though the lobby and breakfast areas are small and less than impressive. The rooms are average and the grounds are decent. This hotel gets a good overall rating by past guests. Location is also good (straight shot into campus) though a bit further out from downtown. Maybe a better option for those attending with spouses or families.”
- Fourwinds Resort & Marina (800) 824-2628 – BFusion/BFlex rate for the nights of Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25, 2009 varies between $79 & $89, depending on the room size. The Fourwinds Resort & Marina located at Lake Monroe, south of town and Keith did not visit this one. The name for the block of rooms is “BB Guest” and are being held until Monday, 10/19. Visit http://www.fourwindsresort.com/ to view information about their rooms and services.
- Other options: We continue to call around for more hotels. If you fancy something more in the line of a B&B check out the Lodging page of the Our Town guide (choose Lodging from the drop-down). As we find more we’ll post them here.
Transportation to/from Fourwinds and Conference: Last year we had a shuttle between the hotel and the Kelley School of Business where the event is held. Right now we don’t have a shuttle lined up, but there is free parking available at Kelley. If we get shuttles, we’ll let you know, but don’t bank on it.
Shuttle Service To/From Airport
If you plan on taking either of these shuttles to Bloomington it will bring you downtown locations. If you are staying at the Fourwinds you will need transportation from there. Please use our forum (coming back to the site soon) to coordinate ride share or to ask locals for a lift.)
Bloomington Shuttle Service: This company offers both bus and private car service from the Indianapolis airport to Bloomington. Pricing: bus $25/ea way, private car $97/ea way (up to 4 people). To make a reservation, visit their website or call 800-589-6004 (812-332-6004). For more information please visit www.BloomingtonShuttle.com.
Star of America This is a newer, cheaper shuttle from the Indianapolis Airport. To see the schedule or make a reservation, visit their website or call 800-933-0097.
Car Rental
There are all the typical car rental options at the Indianapolis Airport. If you would like to hook up with other travelers to share a rental we will be establishing a forum on the website for that.
Directions To Conference
The event is being held at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. There are two buildings at Kelley. We will be in the Godfrey Graduate & Executive Education Center on the NW corner of Fee Lane and 10th Street. (1275 E. Tenth Street 47405) There is a parking garage immediately behind (north) of the building, accessible from 11th Street. Parking is free on the weekend.
From Indianapolis: Take Indiana State Road 37 South from I-465 to the first Bloomington exit (College Avenue). Stay on College Avenue until the second traffic light and turn left onto the 45/46 Bypass. Stay on the Bypass until the second traffic light. Turn right at this light onto Fee Lane. Take Fee Lane south until you go under a railroad trestle at the bottom of the hill. Take your next right, 11th Street, and you will find the entrance to the parking garage.
From the South: Take Indiana State Road 37 North until you reach the intersection of 37 and 46. Take the 46 East exit. Go through 3 stoplights. At the fourth traffic light, turn right onto Fee Lane. Take Fee Lane south until you go under a railroad trestle at the bottom of the hill. Take your next right, 11th Street, and you will find the entrance to the parking garage.
From the East: Via I-65 or I-74, turn onto Indiana State Road 46. As you enter Bloomington, SR 46 becomes East Third Street. At the College Mall shopping plaza, turn right onto the 46 Bypass. Continue on the Bypass until the second traffic light. Turn left at this light onto Fee Lane. Take Fee Lane south until you go under a railroad trestle at the bottom of the hill. Take your next right, 11th Street, and you will find the entrance to the parking garage.
Visitor / Tourist Information
- Our Town, a great new magazine with a tremendous amount of information about Bloomington
- The official Bloomington Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (http://www.visitbloomington.com/) has info on going out for food and drink, interesting goings-on, things to do that are uniquely Bloomington, and more
- A slightly less official but packed with local flavor, Bloomingpedia (http://www.bloomingpedia.org) also has great suggestions on things to do and places to visit while you’re in town
View BFusion/BFlex Conference Map in a larger map
