IHG Announces Hotel Indigo® First Opening in Indiana

By: Hotel Indigo | 5 Shares 342 Reads

$8 million property in downtown Columbus is 13th Hotel Indigo to open

ATLANTA (Feb. 6, 2008) - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms, announced today that the Hotel Indigo Columbus Downtown has opened, marking the 13th opening for the industry's first branded boutique hotel chain and the first new hotel to open in downtown Columbus in more than 100 years.

The four-story 85-room property is located at 400 Brown St., just two miles from I-65 and next door to the city's renowned Cummins Engine Co. The hotel is in the heart of downtown Columbus, just minutes from shopping, restaurants and local attractions.

Columbus is a unique community that boasts worldwide acclaim for its modern architecture. The city is ranked nationally for architectural innovation and design by the American Institute of Architects. The list of other cities includes Chicago, New York, Boston, and San Francisco. As a testament to this distinction, most of downtown Columbus is listed with the National Register of Historic Places.

In order to harness this creative inspiration from the local community, the Hotel Indigo Columbus conducted a photo contest to decide what images would be used on the building's exterior murals. A photo submitted by Paul Miller, a local Columbus resident and grand prize winner, featuring Anderson Falls is prominently displayed on the west-facing side of the building. A large mural on the east-facing side of the building featuring tulips and two smaller murals featuring the submissions of two other local residents are also showcased on the east and wide sides.

"Within Hotel Indigo's branded boutique concept is a program we call Interpret IndigoTM. The program emphasizes creative design interpretation of the Hotel Indigo concept to suit a property's local market. Through Interpret Indigo and the photo mural contest, this property is contributing to the sense of individuality that the community is known for," said Jim Anhut, senior vice president, Brand Management, Hotel Indigo. "We're pleased that our brand will take center-stage amongst the unique urban landscape of Columbus, and represent the city inside and out."

Hotel Indigo Columbus Downtown is owned by Vision Hotel Partners, LLC and managed by Dora Brothers Hospitality, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.

"As the first hotel to open in downtown Columbus in so many years, we're looking forward to becoming a centerpiece of this vibrant community," said Tim Dora, partner, Dora Brothers Hospitality. "We know our guests will be inspired and intrigued by the unique experience they'll only get with Hotel Indigo," he added.

Boutique hotels, known for their intimate, luxurious environments in addition to personalized accommodations and services, have gained increasing popularity throughout North America. Hotel Indigo is known as the industry's first branded boutique hotel, artfully combining the conveniences and consistencies of a brand hotel with the design cache and service personality of a boutique at an affordable price. The soul of the brand's retail-inspired concept is renewal - thoughtful changes that are made throughout the year to keep the hotel fresh, similar to the way retailers change their window displays. The renewal concept provides even the most frequent guest a unique experience with every stay. The hotel features renewable elements such as vivid nature-inspired murals, area rugs, plush duvets and slip covers that will change periodically. Public spaces will be transformed seasonally through changing artwork, music, flora and murals.

Unique to the Hotel Indigo Columbus Downtown is a nautilus-shaped indoor whirlpool, the brand's distinctive symbol of renewal. The hotel will also house an art gallery wall, featuring works from local artists in the thriving Columbus arts community.

The hotel features signature design elements including oversized lobby chairs, which create a personal work or dining space within the public areas of the hotel; cozy, airy and inviting guestrooms with plush bedding, hardwood-style flooring and spa-inspired showers; a Phitness studio with cardio equipment and free weights. The hotel also offers The Golden Bean, an on-site casual gourmet restaurant, and Phi Bar, offering tempting entrees and starters in the evening; a 24-hour business center; a large meeting room that seats up to 120 guests; and a board room for smaller meetings. Complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access is available throughout the hotel.

The Hotel Indigo brand is quickly expanding throughout North America, with 13 locations open and more than 60 under development, either in the pipeline or in final negotiation. The first Hotel Indigo opened in Atlanta in October 2004, followed by Hotel Indigo Chicago Gold Coast; Chicago Schaumburg North; Houston at the Galleria; Hotel Indigo Dallas; Ottawa Downtown City Centre, Canada; Hotel Indigo Scottsdale, Ariz.; Hotel Indigo Sarasota, Fla; Hotel Indigo Buffalo-Amherst, N.Y.; Hotel Indigo Nashville West End; Hotel Indigo Mérida Hacienda Misné, Mexico; Hotel Indigo Boston-Newton Riverside; and Hotel Indigo Columbus Downtown, Ind. Future sites of Hotel Indigo hotels include Baltimore, Md.; Miami, Fl.; San Antonio, Texas; Las Vegas, Nev.; New York, N.Y.; St. Louis, Mo.; and Knoxville, Tenn. For more information on Hotel Indigo, or to make reservations, please visit http://www.hotelindigo.com/.

About Hotel Indigo

The newest member of the IHG family, Hotel Indigo is the industry's first branded boutique hotel experience. It is uniquely designed to appeal to guests who desire affordable luxury, personal service and an alternative to traditional hotels without sacrificing any of the businesses amenities they have come to expect. Renewal is the soul of Hotel Indigo's retail-inspired design concept - thoughtful changes that are made throughout the year to keep the hotel fresh. Guestrooms feature signature murals, area rugs, fluffy duvets and slipcovers that will change periodically, while public spaces will be transformed seasonally through changing aromas, music, artwork, murals and directional signage. From relaxed café dining to high-style rooms - Hotel Indigo creates an intriguing, warm and inviting environment for guests. For more information on Hotel Indigo, please visit http://www.hotelindigo.com/.

Hotel Indigo participates in Priority Club Rewards. With more than 37 million members, Priority Club® Rewards is the first, largest and fastest-growing guest loyalty program in the hotel industry. Winner of the 19th Annual Freddie Awards hotel loyalty "Program of the Year" and named "Best Hotel Rewards Program in the World" three years running by Global Traveler magazine, Priority Club Rewards offers more sought-after benefits and the greatest ease of use of any hotel loyalty program. In addition to flexible features like No Points Expiration and No Blackout Dates, members have more options for points

redemption than any other hotel loyalty program, including redemption at more than 500,000 lodging establishments worldwide - even at rivals' hotels - through the industry-leading "Any Hotel, Anywhere" reward, as well as the option to redeem points for airline miles on more than 40 partner airlines, for auto rentals, for gift certificates and for hundreds of products available in the Rewards Catalog. If the Rewards Catalog doesn't have what a member is looking for, Priority Club Rewards is the only hotel loyalty program to offer members a Personal Shopper program that allows point redemptions for items not found in the Rewards Catalog.

Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free. Guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG's more than 3,800 hotels worldwide.