Just me or does it seem thin for hotels outside of downtown? This year, if I attend, probably will have to be outside of downtown to save money and doesn't seem like there are many there. Then again, I haven't paid attention to hotels outside of downtown since 2018...
Has South Indianapolis ever been in the block? Even in the days of the shuttle, I only remember downtown, airport, north, and east.
As for "backup hotels," a lot of the ones not in the block have "reasonable" rates; for example, the Sheraton at Keystone Crossing has a 2 Queens room for $177/night for Wednesday arrival/Monday departure.