Indianapolis now has a 'tiny house hotel' near Lucas Oil Stadium

If you're heading to a Colts game and looking to stay the night, think small. 

Indianapolis' new Tiny House Hotel opened March 1 in a lot close to Lucas Oil Stadium, near the intersection of Senate Avenue and McCarty Street. The cozy community boasts five under-200-square-foot homes on wheels that sleep two to three people.

The Tiny House Hotel is a five-minute walk to Lucas Oil Stadium and about a 15-minute walk to Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but guests also get a parking spot for one vehicle.  

"The location is pretty hard to beat," owner Maggie Daniels said. "You get a free parking spot and the experience of trying out something cool and different." 

Each home on wheels sleeps two to three people and features hot running water, showers, flush toilets, full-size beds, kitchens and sitting areas. Several of the homes have lofted beds, with living areas nestled below. Heating and air conditioning are part of the package. 

Guests also have access to a common area with two fire pits, a grill, lawn games and picnic tables. 

How it started

Daniels grew up in a decidedly non-tiny home in Indianapolis. She graduated from IU Bloomington's business school before heading to Wall Street, where she logged seven years as a financial analyst for the Lehman Brothers and Barclays.

But Manhattan forced her to go minimalist, squeezing her into a just-over-400-square-foot studio apartment with a bed that folded out of the wall. And the now-32-year-old financier discovered something surprising: She didn't really miss her full-sized home. 

When she moved back to Indiana in 2014, she bought an 1,800-square-foot home. She rented it out on Airbnb to make extra cash, staying in a tiny home on wheels on her property when her full-sized home was booked. But she got tired of moving out for the weekend. 

So she decided to try renting out her "tiny" home instead. And it proved more popular than her larger digs. 

Daniels realized she'd stumbled upon a promising market and started Try it Tiny at the end of 2016 to connect tiny homeowners across the country with prospective renters. Daniels describes the company, which has more than 500 listings in 40 states, as an Airbnb for pint-sized properties. 

"It's a website for tiny house and private land rentals," she said. 

Then she got what she calls a "comical" idea that unexpectedly proved a big hit: She rolled a fleet of three pint-sized homes onto a lot a mile southwest of IMS during the 2017 Indianapolis 500 weekend, billing her "Indy 500 Pop-Up" as a boutique hotel within walking distance of the track. 

Prices ranged from $150 to $270 night for the 200 square-foot homes. Daniels gave them cute names like "The Bindle Drum" and "The Tiny Pint House." 

They sold out.

She brought her "Tiny House Hotel" back to IMS in 2018, this time officially affiliated with the Indy 500 and offering a four-night, four-person package that included Race Day, Carb Day and Legends Day tickets and a stay in the IMS infield. The price tag this time around was heftier: $3,000 for four days, or about $187 per person per night. Each of the 15 homes boasted a kitchen, shower and flushable toilet.

It was twice the price of the IMS "glamping" package, which came in at $1,500 for four nights in one of IMS' queen bed luxury tents.

They sold out in less than two days, and will be back for the 2019 Indy 500 — but Daniels said they're already sold out.

A 'pop-up neighborhood'

The 500 package proved so popular that Daniels decided to get into the hotel game. She brought five tiny homes to a rented lot just south of Lucas Oil Stadium in February. Try it Tiny's Tiny House Hotel opened March 1.

"It's neat that it's its own pop-up neighborhood," Daniels said. "Guests will meet in the courtyard area to hang out, and we have lots of grills and games." 

With names like "Indy 500," "Circle City," "Colts," "Pacers" and "Monon Trail," each provides a catchy check-in location that's prime for social media posting.  

So which home should you choose?

Daniels said "Monon Trail" is the most difficult home to squeeze three people into because there isn't a second sleeping space. The largest of the five is "Indy 500." 

But her personal favorite is the "Circle City" home.

"Personally, I think that one's pretty cute," she said. "It has a really slick living room area and a loft that you access via stairs." 

The homes are currently only available for rent through November (or possibly December, depending on the weather). Daniels said that while some units are already booked as far out as November, there are plenty of dates still available. 

Guests can rent individual units or the whole hotel, which has a capacity of 10 to 15 people. All the homes currently go for $75 per night. 

Daniels hopes the hotel will accommodate both out-of-state visitors and Hoosiers looking for an unorthodox stay-cation. 

"It's an incredibly unique experience," she said. "Maybe you've stayed in hotel rooms before, but have you ever had the chance to stay in a tiny house?" 

Email IndyStar reporter Sarah Bahr at sbahr@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @smbahr14.