The Grant Street Inn closed in March 2020, reopened in July, and closed again in January 2021.
The pandemic put the hospitality and tourism industry through a roller coaster, but the boutique inn plans to reopen on May 1.
Jim Murphy is the president of CFC Properties and said the inn is excited to reopen just in time for its 30th anniversary.
Murphy said he remembered the building being placed in its current location at 310 N. Grant Street in the early 1990s.
“I happen to have been here whenever we relocated the building, picked up that 70-ton building, the Ziegler House, when we moved it down the street and we set it in place where it is now,” Murphy said.
The Ziegler House was originally a seven bedroom apartment building behind First Presbyterian Church. It was eventually connected to the Gilstrap House.
The Ziegler House's current location is 310 N. Grant Street. The flagship building houses 10 of the inn's 40 rooms.
The House was built in 1883 by IU School of Law Dean, William Rogers. Today the inn is divided among five buildings.
The Ziegler House originally opened in 1991 with 14 rooms. In the same year, the inn expanded to two adjacent apartment buildings and added 10 rooms. In 2012, the Hoosier House added another 16 rooms.
While some things have changed over the years, several of the guests have not.
Paul Wagoner is the Grant Street Inn hospitality manager and said the same guests have been visiting on IU football weekends for more than 18 years.
“Although fans couldn’t be in the stands for IU football,” Wagoner said. “October was a very respectable month for us, especially on the weekends because people still came to town.”
Wagoner said business was steady into November, but the inn was only accommodating three to five guests a week by the middle of December.
IU’s online-only intersession was aligning with another lull in business.
“Indiana University is certainly huge in terms of attracting people to Bloomington and the inn,” Murphy said. “But also arts and entertainment and restaurants and businesses.”
Murphy said the inn intends on reopening in time for IU graduation and will stay open through the year.
To learn more about the history of the Grant Street Inn or to make a reservation, visit grantstinn.com
Interview excerpts of Jim Murphy from Wednesday, March 17.
