A memorial flame burned in memory of one of Columbus’ most enthusiastic, beloved and energetic ambassadors Tuesday afternoon in the lobby of Columbus’ Hotel Indigo downtown.
Residents began openly and emotionally mourning the loss of Miles, the 13-year-old bichon frise who was the official mascot of the business, on Facebook late in the day. Dog owner Julie Aton was among those.
“Miles was so loved and such a big part of not only your life, but the entire community’s!” Aton wrote. “It is so hard. They leave their paw prints and puppy kisses on our hearts.”
City council member and downtown business leader Tom Dell saluted the dog.
“He was the best and always welcomed me every time I was at Hotel Indigo,” Dell said. “He will be missed.”
Erin Hawkins, director of marketing for the Columbus Area Visitors Center, aptly summarized his impact.
“Miles was a star of our hospitality industry,” Hawkins typed.
Within an hour, there were nearly 70 comments and condolences. Some people posted pictures of their own dog or children meeting Miles in the past. Hotel Indigo General Manager Cindy Waddle mentioned that Miles had been suffering from an enlarged liver, and possible cancer, that had made him especially lethargic for about six months. Plus, he had battled arthritis for a long while.
So he was put to sleep at a local veterinarian office to avoid added pain and suffering.
“His impact was truly international,” Waddle said of Miles’ relationship with the hotel’s global clientele as her voice broke with emotion. “He touched thousands and thousands of lives.”
She mentioned that it will be tough to walk into work in coming days without seeing Miles waiting by the front door to greet her. Plus, at noon each day, he would wait by the elevators for the housekeeping staff, knowing they would save him table scraps from their lunches.
He had lamb-soft fur and a heart to match. In his younger days, he frequently could be seen streaking through the lobby at a hilariously breakneck speed with his toys while guests smilingly ambled past.
He was so popular that out-of-town youngsters who met him during local stays regularly wrote to him, and adults equally enjoyed his company, and even dropped him a line or two.
He met a host of celebrities through the years, including former President Bill Clinton in 2008 when Clinton campaigned here for wife and presidential candidate Hilary Clinton. Survivor pop-rock band member Frankie Sullivan, an unabashed dog lover, clutched him in the hotel lobby in 2019 before the Our Hospice of South Central Indiana concert, and swore he was going to take him home with him.
Hotel staff often praised Miles’ obedience at obeying his boundaries amid his home in the lobby. But he was known occasionally to poke his head into a conference room to say hello.
He also drew laughter when guests would approach the front desk to speak to a staffer and suddenly find that the pooch, partly hidden by the desk’s wooden rim, would raise his sleepy head to see what was happening.
He also was the regular host at the hotel’s Canines and Cocktails events in which dog owners were invited to bring their dogs for outside dining. In a Republic story four weeks ago about those gatherings, staffers mentioned that the pooch had slowed considerably and was sleeping more.
In years past, he escorted hotel staffers to events such as JCB Neighborfest, an Indianapolis Colts Fanfest at Mill Race Park, and a host of other gatherings.
Waddle recalled initially picking him up from an Elizabethtown breeder March 8, 2008, just a month after the hotel opened. She named him — because of the moniker’s travel connection — en route to the business where he eventually had a specially constructed dog bed near the front desk.
Hotel owner Tim Dora proposed the idea of hypo-allergenic, ambassador dog, and Miles became a hit with guests immediately. Locals who were allergic to other pets would stop into the lobby with their kids just to visit and pet Miles.
Today’s Canines and Cocktails on the hotel porch from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. is scheduled to be in part a celebration of life for the pooch.
“We want it to be a joyous occasion,” Waddle said. “But I can’t even imagine doing this without him for the first time.”
