CARMEL — The hospitality industry has taken a hit throughout the pandemic, but leaders with a new hotel in Carmel say they’ve been staying busy and have already had to hire around a dozen new employees.
Hotel Carmichael opened in downtown Carmel last month. Leaders there say they’ve seen everything from weddings to staycations.
“We had five weddings the first weekend we were open and it has kind of continued. That social group scene is there. The staycations are great as well,” Zachary Tharp, director of sales at the Carmichael Hotel, said. “We are just starting to ramp up a little corporate business as well.”
Tharp said they follow Mariott Hotel’s social distancing guidelines. They also abide by directives from the state.
Hamilton County is not an area where local leaders have imposed additional, more restrictive guidelines like they did in Marion County.
The hotel was part of a public-private partnership. Leaders with the city of Carmel say they are confident the city will get their investment back.
“Personally, the bigger picture has always driven me," Henry Mestetsky, director of redevelopment for the city of Carmel, said. "I know how important this hotel is to the city. Pandemic or anything else that may happen short term is not going to derail the long-term effects of this hotel in our downtown”
Several job postings are listed for the hotel. You can find more information about those here: https://www.hotelcarmichael.com/careers.
