Butler transforming former residence hall into boutique hotel
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A major change is coming the campus of Butler University.
Campus leaders on Friday announced plans that will restore historic Ross Hall, a former residence hall, into a boutique hotel within the Curio Collection by Hilton.
Butler says the new hotel will preserve the nearly 70-year legacy of Ross Hall, which was closed in 2019 and is now inactive, and revitalize it into a “one-of-a kind lodging experience.”
“There were a lot of great ideas about how we could potentially use the land and Ross Hall property, but none better than this,” Butler University President James Danko said. “We know that the preservation of historic campus buildings is as important to both our alumni and our neighbors as it is to us.”
Purpose Lodging will serve as developer and operator of the hotel. The university will lease Ross Hall and the surrounding land to the developer, which has already selected a Chicago-based designer for the build.
University officials say the hotel will offer 105 rooms and suites, a signature restaurant, full amenities, and meeting spaces.
The Curio Collection hotel at Butler University is expected to open during the 2026-27 academic year.
![Two students toss a football outside Ross Hall at Butler University in this undated photo. The nearly 70-year-old building, unused since 2019, will be transformed into a into a boutique hotel within the Curio Collection by Hilton. (Provided Photo/Butler University)](https://www.wishtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23/Ross-Hall-historic-photo-1_Butler-University-1.png)