Housekeeping Manager Amanda Pawlina

When she first came to the JW Marriott Indianapolis in January 2012, Amanda Pawlina knew that May would bring the Indianapolis 500, but she didn’t realize everything the race entailed.

Pawlina, a housekeeping manager at the Indy hotel, said for her first Indianapolis 500 last year, she not only had to learn about how the hotel would handle the influx of guests, but also about the race in general.

“I learned it was the largest single day sporting event in the world,” Pawlina said.

As housekeeping manager at the Indy hotel, Pawlina said the guest room attendants who work for her make adjustments to the rooms during race weekend to make them as comfortable as possible. For example, they make sure to draw the drapes to keep out the heat of the sun and stock up on extra water.

“We also do 100 percent turndown service, and on a normal day, we usually do about 200 rooms,” she said.

Rosa, one of the guest room attendants who’s worked at the hotel for almost two years said she love the excitement the guests bring race weekend. She also loves taking care of the guests, like placing in the rooms the gold-wrapped mini chocolate race cars during

Guest Room Attendant Rosa

turndown service.

“I’m so excited for it to come around again, I’m ready for all the people to come here,” Rosa said. “It’s a good time.”

Bellman Michael Thiesing

“I live two and a half blocks from the racetrack, so I like to get away,” he said.

Thiesling, who has worked at the hotel since it opened, said every bellman has his own style and while he said he does try to kick it up a notch during Memorial Day weekend, one thing is always the same.

“Everyone gets the same level of service,” he said.

Thiesling said he enjoys talking to the guests he helps.

“I’m interested in them. I like to find out where they’re from and make them feel welcome.”

He also likes telling them not just about the downtown Indianapolis hotel where they’re staying, but also about the city they’re visiting, and calls Indianapolis a “diamond in rough.”

“It’s not too big and not too small,” he said. “It’s got great venues and sporting events, the arts and everything’s walkable.”

Curious about where to park on race day? Check out these tips!

Ryan Miller, general manager at Osteria Pronto and High Velocity

Ryan Miller, the general manager at Osteria Pronto and High Velocity, has worked in a fair share of restaurants, but he said there’s no crowd quite like the crowd of race fans who come to eat in the restaurants at the JW Marriott Indianapolis.

“They’re one of the finest crowds. Everyone is fun, friendly and excited,” Miller said. “Afterward they tend to be sunburned and quiet.”

Miller said Memorial Day weekend at the Indy hotel is definitely not business as usual. Both restaurants are completely staffed, an easy feat since the associates enjoy working the Indianapolis 500 race weekend.

“We definitely order more beer,” Miller said. “We bump up the order at least 25 percent.”

Along with additional alcohol, Miller stocks up on steaks for the weekend at the Indy hotel.

“They tend to go with meat, and tend to go with steak,” he said. “They’re a really dinner-heavy crowd. There’s not a lot of salads.”

It’s not just fans who dine at the JW Marriott’s restaurants. Many of the owners and teams stay at the hotel and have called Miller to request private dining events, even asking for specific servers by name because they’ve gotten to know the associates over the course of their stay.

Miller said the restaurant associates live in Indianapolis and they’re proud of the service the restaurants provide.

“We really have a lot of fun with the guests and they’re usually here for multiple days. So, by the time they leave, we’re sad to see them go.”

For more information about what’s going on at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, like the hotel on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Starbucks Supervisor Paige Johnson

Most mornings, the Starbucks will be buzzing, and Paige Johnson, Starbucks supervisor, said the morning of the Indianapolis 500 is no exception.

‘We see a lot of business early in the morning, from 7 to 10 a.m. from people gearing up to head to the track,” she said.

For her third Indianapolis 500 at the Indy hotel, Johnson is expecting race fans to continue to purchase a lot of frappuccino’s and white mochas.

“Anything sweet,” she said. “They love their sweet drinks.”

She also said the guests during race weekend love Starbucks’ brewed coffee and lattes, two of the most popular drinks on race day last year. The day of the race in 2012, the store did $2,245.58 in business and served more than 270 guests who each had an average check of $7.77.

Although the JW Marriott Indianapolis has only experience two Indianapolis 500 races since opening, the race has a long history. Check out some of the highlights of the race that’s more than 100 years old below.

TIMELINE

• 1909: The founders, Carl G. Fisher, James A. Allison, Arthur C. Newby and Frank H. Wheeler, built the Indianapolis   Motor Speedway, which would become the world’s greatest racecourse.

• August 19, 1909: The Speedway opened for three days of auto racing, the first automobile races in track history. The first race was two laps (5 miles).

• Late 1909: In a span of 63 days, 3.2 million paving bricks were laid on top of crushed rock to upgrade the Speedway.

• May 30, 1911: The First Indianapolis 500- Mile Race, initially named the “international Sweepstakes,” was won by Ray Harroun at a speed of 74.602 mph

• 1912: The Indianapolis 500 became the highest paying sporting event in the world when Carl Fisher, Founder, increased the total purse to $50,000 and first prize to $20,000.

• 1923: Tommy Milton became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 two times.

• 1927: Captain Eddie Rickenbacker and his associates purchased the Speedway for $750,000.

• 1929: A golf course was added to the Speedway’s landscape called the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course.

• 1935: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the first track in the world to install safety-warning lights. Also in 1935, helmet use became mandatory at the Speedway.

• 1937: All turns were resurfaced with asphalt before the race.

• 1938: Asphalt was laid on the entire surface.

• 1949: Television cameras made their first appearance at the track. WFBM Channel 6 went on the air with a documentary about the race entitled “The Crucible of speed” and then televised the entire Indianapolis 500 live.

• April 5, 1976: The new, milti-million dollar Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum was opened to the public.

• May 22, 1977: Janet Guthrie became the first female to qualify for the Indianapolis 500

• 1993: Brickyard Crossing, an 18-hole championship-caliber golf course, opened to the public.

• April 14, 1993: It was announced that the inaugural Brickyard 400 would take place on Aug. 6, 1994.

• August 6, 1994: The inaugural NASCAR Brickyard 400 race was won by Jeff Gordon.

• 2011: The Indianapolis Speedway celebrated its 100^th anniversary.

For more information about what’s going on at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, like the hotel on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Gordon McVey, assistant front desk manager

“The morning of the race is when the place comes alive,” said McVey, the assistant front desk manager at the JW Marriott Indianapolis. “Then, all the sudden the entire hotel is empty and there’s 400 staff echoing in an empty building.”

For the associates of the downtown Indianapolis hotel, the Indianapolis 500 is central through the entire month of May, starting with the Mini Marathon. McVey said over the course of the month the hotel fills up with members of the race teams, owners and ex-drivers.

“It starts early and the anticipation builds and builds until race day,” he said the downtown Indianapolis hotel has a real buzz at that moment.”

At the front desk, associates work to make sure groups have rooms together and arrange VIP rooms for select guests. The closer it gets to the race, the more questions front desk associates answers.

“The guests have 1,001 questions, and we tell them, ‘You need earplugs, sunscreen and water,’” he said.

Then, the morning of the race is a flurry of excitement, followed by a quiet period where the team starts to prepare for all the race fans to return to the hotel, putting out cold water and towels in the lobby.

“Everyone who comes back is sweaty and tired and happy as hell,” McVey said. “Everyone was at the race, so everyone has something to talk about…then when everyone leaves, it’s back to business as usual.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has an entire month of events. So, if you’re staying at the Indy hotel in the next month, be sure to check out how you can get your Indy 500 fix.

For more information about what’s going on at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, like the hotel on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

“The contributions we have made will impact the women who are served by Dress for Success Indianapolis, their families and our community,” said Katie Ferreira, director of catering sales at the hotel. 

The nonprofit works to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help young women thrive in work and in life.

“We appreciate our partnership with the JW so very much.  This is a great example of community support and to collect more than 150 suits and blouses for us is absolutely amazing,” said Barbara Ellsworth, the executive director of Dress for Success Indianapolis told the associates of the hotel in an email.

Thank you to all of our associates who made such a generous donation possible!

The bird feeder could be made using any recyclable materials that are also safe and edible for the birds.  The JW Marriott Indianapolis’ Green Team will provide 1 pound of bird seed per department, and the rest of the structure was up to the creative minds in each department!

All of the JW Marriott associates had the opportunity to vote on their favorite bird feeder, and are waiting for the winner to be announced this week. All of the feeders will be auctioned in a silent auction for the feeders, with all of the proceeds benefitting Back on My Feet, a nonprofit organization that helps the homeless.

Since 2011, the hotel has partnered with Second Helpings, an Indiana-based nonprofit that accepts donated perishable and overstocked food and distributes them free of charge through local social service agencies in Greater Indianapolis.

“It’s a wonderful way to donate food that otherwise we would have to throw away,” said Chris McComas, the hotel’s director of Engineering and Facilities. “It would be such a waste.”

McComas said the hotel was introduced to the program by Chef Michael Leach, the hotel’s executive sous chef. The majority of the donated food comes from banquets of large groups, such as more than 1,000 people. He said the donations are part of the hotel’s green initiatives, and are a way for the culinary team to give back.

“Donations of prepared foods from the JW Marriott are a great resource for our hunger relief kitchen,” said Jennifer Vigran, CEO of Second Helpings. “Food that isn’t served at banquets or events at the hotel do not go to waste. We rescue the food and our volunteers distribute it quickly to those who need meals.”

JW Marriott Indianapolis’ donated food, by the numbers:

Two large apples equal one pound. That means the JW Marriott Indianapolis donated the equivalent of 19,204 large apples.

• Four sticks of butter equal one pound. The hotel donated the equivalent of 38,408 sticks of butter.
• 20 Jalepeno peppers equal one pound. Approximately  192,040 peppers were donated by the JW Marriott hotel.

The diagnosis was shocking because Watts was the first person in her family to be diagnosed with the cancer, and because Watts had found a lump in her breast two years prior that doctors had biopsied but had determined was benign.

“It was shocking, but I didn’t feel angry,” said Watts, an accounts receivable clerk at the JW Marriott Indianapolis. “I looked at it as a part of life.”

It’s been two years since Watts has been in remission, after four months of chemotherapy, five weeks of radiation and five surgeries. Her sister has also become a breast cancer survivor, and Watts is happy to celebrate her family being cancer free.

Saturday, she walked with her niece and friends as part of Team SWATTS in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure through downtown Indianapolis. It’s not the first year Watts walked in the 5K, but it was her first year organizing a team. She said her team was small, a total of four people, but she’s hopeful that next year the team will grow.

“Educating people is what the event is all about,” she said. “Being together with the other survivors…I can’t explain the feeling I get.”

The day of the event, the JW Marriott “pinked out” its lobby with pink flowers and accents. It also featured a “Pink Lady” martini on its cocktail menu and offered a special package for participants in the race.

In March, hundreds of students took over the JW Marriott Indianapolis as part of the Simply Youth Ministry Conference, and with them came Jake Rutenbar and Josh Griffin who were contracted by the conference to oversee its programming elements. Jake and Josh are known for being playful and for the past six years have created downright ridiculous videos during the conference. This year was no exception.

“This was a re-make of a video we did called ‘Hotel Hotel’ from six years ago,” said Jake. “We were simply looking for humorous content for people to enjoy as part of the content, and I was brainstorming how funny it would be to rap about all the stuff a hotel would bring to me.  It was funny and was loosely tied to the experience since everyone at the conference was in a hotel for a few days.”

Because of previous experiences shooting their videos, Jake and Josh decided to have a late night video shoot, not wanting to interfere with other guests. That was why at 2 a.m. Jake could be found walking through the hotel in his bathrobe.

“(Shooting this) was so fun,” Jake said. “Your hotel is one of the nicest I’ve ever stayed in, and this is a bunch of long term friends who realize the difference between how much fun we are having and how dumb we are being…each of these make us laugh at ourselves a lot.”

Jake and Josh shot the video for the conference attendees and posted the video on youtube.com where it has more than 4,000 views. Jake said while slightly silly, the video highlights the elements they saw staying at the hotel, a beautiful building with a great staff.

“Thanks for being so nice about our goofy video  We appreciate you guys and are thrilled you enjoyed it.”

Click here to watch “Hotel Hotel 2″

Want to make your own memories at the JW Marriott Indianapolis? Reserve a room today!