Indigo is the boutique hotel brand of the Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG). Compared to the mainstay Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels, Indigo is much more stylish! And, surprisingly for a large chain, each Indigo hotel is unique and styled to reflect its location! That’s a refreshing change from the cookie-cutter very standardized properties you find from most global hotel chains! Read on to find out who they are and what you can expect!
So, who are they? Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) launched the Indigo brand in 2004 to enter the boutique hotel market. Indigo hotels are upscale, full service properties, positioned below the banner brand Intercontinental and on the same level as the (pretty boring) Crowne Plaza. So far, over 60 Hotel Indigo have opened around the world, with the majority in the US and over 60 are in development! Still, Hotel Indigo has a higher ratio of hotels in Europe and Asia than IHG overall!
In their own words, “Just as no two neighbourhoods are alike, no two Hotel Indigo properties are alike. They are each designed to reflect the local culture, character and history of the surrounding area. At Hotel Indigo we’re all about neighbourhoods, and take every opportunity to share them with our guests… The brand is at home in city centers, urban, and strong suburban environments…”
That’s says less about the hotels, and more about the intentions of the brand and the type of guests it’s trying to attract. So, I’ll share my experience with Hotel Indigo and what you can expect!
What experience can I expect?
Hotel Indigo is an upscale, full-service brand, so you can expect to at least find a gym, bar and restaurant at the property. You can also expect a higher level of service, including bell boys and concierge-type services from the front desk, although I found them to be closer to an aloft hotel than a W hotel, so don’t expect too much in that regard.
I have stayed at a few Indigo hotels and they are indeed unique. You won’t find the standard color schemes, artwork and room design you find at most of the big chains. Some of them are executed very well, truly reflecting the local style in the room design and even the restaurant menu. Others, seem to more reflect the style of the owner or developer or whomever they hired. But all of them are stylish, modern and have interesting design touches that you’d expect from a boutique hotel and not a chain hotel! I think that’s refreshing, just check out the hotel photos before booking to make sure the one you want to stay at is in line with your taste Indigo is one of my favorite brands in the IHG portfolio and I seek them out when they have a property in a city I’m planning to visit.
Hotel Indigo is part of the IHG Rewards program. With over 5,000 hotels worldwide, there are lots of options to earn points. And Hotel Indigo is a great option to redeem those points!