Stay Report: Hotel Indigo Ottawa Downtown (Canada, March 2011)

Stay Report: Hotel Indigo Ottawa Downtown
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photo courtesy of IHG

I had to go to Ottawa on business and was looking for a decent hotel in the area and noticed the Hotel Indigo.  This hotel is part of the InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) and it is their version a of a boutique hotel.  I was intrigued by the concept so decided to check it out.  Overall, the experience was really interesting and it felt like I was staying in an apartment rather than a hotel room.

The hotel is situated in downtown Ottawa, which has negatives and positives associated with that.  The positive of the location is the close connection to various downtown activities, walking distance to food and other amenities, as well as access to various transportation methods.  The negatives of the location include lots of traffic (so it will take a while in a taxi) as well as certain areas of downtown can be unsafe at times (this is not just specific to Ottawa but many cities).

photo courtesy of IHG

From the outside, the hotel looks like an office building (as I believe Hotel Indigo likes to blend in with the neighborhood it inhabits).  When you enter the hotel, you enter into the lobby/sitting area.  On one side of the lobby was the check-in desks while on the other side were the elevators.  The lobby is designed like a huge atrium with high ceilings so it feels very spacious.   Check-in was smooth and quick and I took the elevators up to my room.  This was one odd thing about the hotel – the room that I was given faced the atrium so if outside the window you saw the lobby and the other hotel rooms.  This is one aspect of the design of the hotel that seemed odd to me.

The room itself was a decent size – not too small but not too big – and was decorated very nicely.  As you entered the room, on the left hand side was the bathroom while on the right was the closet and storage area.  The bathroom was also a decent size – not too small but not too big – and had standard amenities.  Further into the room, on the left hand side was a king-size bed with two nightstands on either side of the bed.  The bed was comfortable, large and offered a good night sleep.  On the right hand side was the TV, a chest with drawers, and a desk which faced into the room.  Behind the desk was a window, and this is the window that faced into the lobby/atrium (I was higher up so you had to look down to see the check-in desk, but it was still a bit odd).   As I said earlier, the way the room was decorated was very nice and looked more like an apartment rather than a hotel.  The furniture and the décor made it feel more like an apartment rather than a hotel.

photo courtesy of IHG

As I was on a business trip, I did not get to enjoy the other amenities of the hotel such as fitness center, indoor pool and spa.  I did experience the free internet which was a decent speed and a nice bonus.  Overall, the experience of staying at the Hotel Indigo was pleasant.  Staying in the hotel felt like staying in a boutique hotel room in a chain hotel.  The close proximity to downtown and the nice ambiance in the room were the positives.  The negatives were the odd layout of my room and the fact that some areas of downtown aren’t that nice.  I look forward to continue stays at the Hotel Indigo.