Six years after the initial idea was hatched, the Hyatt Place Hotel in downtown Evansville held its grand opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Members of the hotel's ownership group alongside Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and representatives from Visit Evansville, the Southwestern Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District were on hand for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting Wednesday afternoon to officially make the five-story hotel open for business.

Located on the corner of 2nd and Chestnut Streets downtown, construction of the new 139-room hotel was first announced in October 2016 followed by the start of construction nearly two years later in March 2018. As Mayor Winnecke and members of the ownership group noted during remarks made at Wednesday's ceremony, despite the COVID pandemic and a number of weather delays slowing construction down a bit after the initial groundbreaking, all were beyond happy to see the hotel make its debut.

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In addition to the 139 suite-style rooms, the $18 million hotel also features a number of amenities including a fitness room and indoor pool for guests to enjoy, an outdoor patio space complete with a gas-powered fire pit, a spacious dining area just off the lobby where guests can order food around the clock, seven days a week, and the Ford Center, the Victory Theater, the Old National Events Plaza, Tropicana Casino, and the Main Street Walkway all within walking distance or a short drive.

I attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday along with other members of the media. The staff was kind enough to let me walk around and take a few pictures of the inside to share with you. Take a look.

See Inside the New Hyatt Place Hotel in Downtown Evansville

Open as of June 23rd, 2021, the Hyatt Place Hotel was privately funded and will create 40 new jobs for the community, according to Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.

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