The Yellow Rose Inn, Indianapolis, IN

Originally published April 30, 2009

My wife and my experience in Indianapolis Indiana was cut short and we were only able to visit two bed and breakfasts in town. However the two that we did stay at were both fantastic in their own way: The Old Northside Bed & Breakfast was run by a warm and caring innkeeper (who even let us do our laundry) and had all manner of lovely features to make us feel so much at home that we were compelled to try and pull our own load (keep our space tidy, clean our own dishes, pick up after ourselves, etc). The other Bed and Breakfast that we were able to stay in, The Yellow Rose Inn was different in a very splendid way.

The Yellow Rose Inn is run by another very warm and caring innkeeper. Innkeeper Betty Davis is a collector. She has traveled all over the world and has made a point of accenting her huge home with all sorts of lovely artwork, stained glass, sculpture and such. Step inside of the Yellow Rose Inn and right away the observant guest is presented with a myriad of these accent pieces: the wonderful full-wall mural opposite the front door which gives the home a wonderful depth and immediate sense of calm. There is an electric piano softly playing familiar tunes all the time in the main lobby area on the first floor. There are sodas, water, coffee, tea, and more always available in the common pantry area and Innkeeper Betty is very eager to accommodate any personal dietary needs and such.

What most impressed my wife and I about the Yellow Rose Inn, beyond the overt gregarious nature of the innkeeper, were these huge rooms. Innkeeper Betty showed us all four of the guest rooms as well as the carriage house which was located in the back of the main residence. All the rooms were quite nice but Innkeeper Betty saved the best for last. All the guest rooms in the main house of the Yellow Rose Inn are off the ground level. Up one flight of stairs are the first three rooms; all of which were quite nice. However, the fourth room, up one more flight of stairs was the room that we stayed in and cause for great celebration.

My wife and I have lived in cities for the last nine or so years; so we're very cognizant of things like square feet. Before we checked in to the Yellow Rose Inn I didn't get to spend very much time perusing their website. If I had done my requisite homework, I probably would have seen the figure 1800 square feet. That's not 1800 square feet per floor or even 1800 square feet of guest space; this is 1800 square feet for one room. The room that we stayed in at the Yellow Rose Inn, The Ballroom Suite is "one of Indiana's largest guest suites" weighing in at an impressive 1800 square feet. The layout of the Ballroom Suite reminded my wife of a "loft" space; there was a raised sleeping pavilion in the middle of the room, sheathed in checkered purple shear, a very svelte couch in front of a big-screen TV, a 1873 Brunswick Monarch pool table and a pair of cues, a kitchen with full working fridge, microwave, stove, and cabinets galore, a two person hot tub, wonderful massage table (with book on massage techniques), a curved sloped ceilinged bath nook with shower, a separate bedroom with two lamps and a queen sized bed, and a floor to ceiling mirror along one wall with a ballet bar! The Ballroom Suite was epic and is without a doubt worth your attention.

Also of note; something I thought at first was exclusive to folks in the Ballroom Suite (but that's just because there was a direct staircase to it from the Ballroom Suite) is the roof deck. This 1200 square foot roof deck has a six person jetted hot tub and overlooks the majestic Indianapolis skyline. This roof area was without a doubt one of the most stunning places I've ever been to. The Yellow Rose Inn sort of peeks its head over its neighbors and the experience of being on that roof, hearing the distant traffic whiz by on the highway, watching the late April, late day sun set overhead, all the while relaxing in a hot tub with my wife as 104 degree bubbles percolated all around; it was an experience I will not soon forget.

At the end of the day Bed and Breakfasts are famous for two things though; the bed and the breakfast. To speak for a moment about the bed; this thing was amazing. We slept in the center loft area king sized bed and on top of it being in the middle of the room and very wonderfully appointed, it was comfortable as all heck. A king sized bed with two long pillows per person (4 total), wonderfully comfortable sheets and comforter, and the gentle buzz of the sleeping birds was all that I needed on this day to achieve bliss.

Breakfast the next day was another story entirely. Innkeeper Betty kept insisting that we have room service in the morning. I'm an able bodied man and I'd just assume have breakfast like everyone else in the dining room. (Besides there was no need for this wonderful little lady to have to climb two flights of stairs unnecessarily!) So on this morning after our blissful slumber my wife and I made our way to the dining room. This dining table can seat a lot of people (the inlets that can be put in extend this thing to seat 20) but all the way at the far end sat two goblets of orange juice, so we got the message. Cheerful Innkeeper Betty doted over our every whim; filling our juice glass, bringing us water, and always refilling our coffee cups. For our first course at breakfast we had a homemade granola with sliced banana, cranberry, green and purple grapes, and yogurt. Then Innkeeper Betty brought out the big guns; she made this omelet with potatoes which was just amazing. Freshly cooked and laced with basil and cheese (a mystery cheese; blue cheese, I think) this omelet was delicious.

Then the talking began. Innkeeper Betty is a wonderful woman and she had all sorts of questions for us and all sorts of stories to tell. My wife and I were quite taken with this lovely woman; her inn was completely different from the other bed and breakfast in Indianapolis we'd reviewed; the Old Northside Bed and Breakfast; however the Yellow Rose Inn is no less good. The next time you're in Indianapolis, Indiana and you need an event space, want to have a massage or are just hunkering down for a place to lay your head, the Yellow Rose Inn is a great choice.