For our festival in Fort Wayne this year, we have the luxury of three wonderful, first-class hotels located adjacent to and connected with our main juggling space and our performance theater.
Since our first visit to Fort Wayne in 2019, a brand-new select-service Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton has opened in downtown, right across the street from the Grand Wayne Center and attached to the select-service Courtyard by Marriott hotel. The full-service Hilton is undergoing a big renovation of all guest rooms this year, just in time for our visit! And IJA has negotiated outstanding festival rates at all three properties, making it very affordable as well as extremely convenient to stay right in the heart of all the action!
Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center
A modern, full-service high-rise hotel right in the middle of downtown Fort Wayne, the Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center is ideally located at the center of everything going on during the IJA festival. And new for 2026, the Hilton is scheduled to complete a multi-million dollar guest room renovation by June!
With 246 rooms on seven floors, a full-service restaurant and lobby bar, a Starbucks cafe in the lobby, and many more wonderful amenities, the Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center is a first-class choice for festival attendees at an amazingly low IJA rate.
Best of all, the Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center is connected to both the Grand Wayne Convention Center and the Embassy Theatre, so you can walk in air-conditioned, climate-controlled comfort from your guest room to the gym or the Theatre in just a couple of minutes.
Guest rooms at the Hilton feature a King bed with a sleeper sofa or two double beds. All rooms feature a long list of amenities including microwave oven and mini-fridge, coffeemaker, free Wi-Fi internet access, 55” flat-screen HDTVs, in-room safe, Herman Miller desk chair and work desk, and much more.
Around the hotel you’ll find a fitness center and covered garage parking adjacent to the hotel ($15/day, unlimited in/out privileges for registered hotel guests). The Hilton Digital Key is also available, letting you use your smartphone and the Hilton mobile app to unlock your guest room door!
Special IJA rate: Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center $149.00/night single through quad + 15% tax. This rate is available for booking only through July 5, 2026.
Booking link coming February 1, 2026
Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown
The beautiful Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown is an unusually fully-equipped full-service Courtyard property, one of only three Courtyard by Marriott hotels in the country with a full-service sit-down restaurant and full bar on-site.
Located less than 150 feet across the street from the entrance to the Grand Wayne Convention Center (also accessible through climate-controlled 2nd-floor skywalk), the Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown offers 250 beautiful guest rooms on six floors. The adjacent garage provides $5/day parking for registered guests, discounted from $15/day.
Guest rooms at the Courtyard feature a King bed with a pull-out sleeper sofa, or two Queen beds. All rooms have new LG LED 40” flat-screen HDTVs, free Wi-Fi internet access, plus a coffeemaker, mini-fridge and microwave. Some rooms have spectacular views of adjacent Parkview Field, the beautiful, award-winning home of the Fort Wayne TinCaps baseball team!
And just off the lobby, you’ll find Conners Kitchen + Bar restaurant. Conners is a cool spot in downtown Fort Wayne to eat and drink, and serves up elevated American comfort food, craft beer and cocktails in a hangout-worthy atmosphere. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and features food and drink from local breweries and farms in Indiana.
The hotel also has an indoor pool, a cozy lobby lounge with computer work stations, and a 24-hour front desk with convenience pantry. Check out a 360-degree immersive VR tour of the Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown!
Special IJA rate: Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown $152.00/night + 15% tax (King room or Double Queen room). Parking in the hotel’s attached garage is just $5/day. This rate is available for booking only through July 8, 2026.
Booking link coming February 1, 2026
Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Fort Wayne Downtown
Brand-new since our visit in 2019 and situated adjacent to the Courtyard by Marriott and directly across the street from the gym and workshops at the Grand Wayne Center, the high-rise Hampton Inn by Hilton gives IJA guests a third amazing option for a comfortable stay during festival week.
The Hampton Inn boasts beautiful rooms and the only rooftop bar in downtown Fort Wayne. The Hampton Inn also has guest-pleasing features like a mini-fridge in all rooms and complimentary microwave ovens in the lobby area, Burger Bar on Jefferson restaurant at lobby level for great lunches and dinners plus creamy shakes and local and imported craft brews, and a full hot breakfast for all registered guests.
Conner’s Rooftop is the only open-air rooftop spot in downtown Fort Wayne, located on the 7th floor of the Hampton Inn & Suites, serving hand crafted cocktails and small bites. Friendly servers will keep the hangout-worthy good times rolling so you can relax with awesome food, Parkview Field views and reunite with friends. Enjoy indoor/outdoor seating and open fire pits.
Special IJA rate: Hampton Inn & Suites Fort Wayne Downtown $155.00/night + 15% tax (King room or Double Queen room). Parking in the hotel’s attached garage is just $5/day. This rate is available for booking only through July 8, 2026.
In order to make the excellent value of the Hampton Inn rate available to jugglers booking for the whole festival week, THERE IS A SIX-NIGHT MINIMUM BOOKING REQUIREMENT (Monday to Sunday) FOR THE HAMPTON INN & SUITES. A ONE-NIGHT NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT WILL BE TAKEN BY THE HOTEL AFTER YOU RESEVE ONLINE. IF YOU CANCEL YOUR RESERVATION or check out early, YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR ROOM AND TAX FOR ALL SIX NIGHTS OF YOUR RESERVATION.
This policy is to maximize the value for those staying for the full week. If your plans change once you reserve, you can use the IJA’s Room and Rideshare page on Facebook to find another juggler who can take over your reservation. They will pay you, then you and they call the hotel directly to switch the reservation to their name and credit card info.
Booking link coming February 1, 2026