Hotel’s rooftop swimming pool
Charming interiors, quirky art and an unexpected locale make Hotel Indigo, Hong Kong the venue of choice for art and design buffs
Tucked away among street market stalls, the lesser-known end of Queen’s Road Central makes an unlikely location for a luxury boutique hotel. However, it might just be the perfect address for a chain that has a knack for infusing every nook and cranny of its interiors with local flair.
Created by local design honchos Aedas, Hotel Indigo, Hong Kong’s arresting facade is unmistakable. Having already nabbed an architectural award at this year’s Asia Pacific Hotel Awards, the floor-to-ceiling glass windows allows you to take in sweeping views of the Hong Kong Island skyline. The burnished bronze solar fins, according to Operations Manager Roy Yip, are meant to evoke the image of a dragon draped around the building.
Hotel’s Facade
Hotel Indigo habitués will be familiar with the aesthetics: colorful and hip without appearing overbearing. Decked out in vibrant hues of poppy red, bleu de France and royal purple, the rooms are high on style. The mosaic-tiled wall, featuring motifs that permeate Chinese literary and visual culture, and dangling Chinese lantern lamps are design highlights. The working desk, normally placed next to the television, is now mounted behind the headboard of the bed, allowing multi-taskers to work on their laptops and keep up with market trends without having to crane their necks.
The mosiac tiled wall is a design highlight
The one design detail that would divide opinions is the bathroom. The designers favored an open plan concept and while it is a smart way to allow natural light to permeate the space, it might raise concerns among friends traveling together.
Particularly pleasing was a handy device, which equips travelers with immediate access to 3G Internet, local and international calls to 17 cities, and a city guide put together by the hotel team.
The lobby and corridors are imbued with a touch of artistic flair by way of vintage posters, Suzie Wong pillows and statues of kung fu masters.
The pool offers views of the Hong Kong Island skyline
My first order of business was to check out the infinity pool which, soaring 29 floors above ground level, looks as if it is slowly easing out onto the edge of the building. The design is easy on the eye, featuring minimalist contours, posh loungers and a well-trimmed garden wall. The perfect spot for indulging in a Bloody Mary on a sweltering summer’s day. The Jacuzzi meanwhile is tucked away on the left side of the pool.
The Skybar offers sweeping views of the Hong Kong Island skyline
The Skybar, perched on the other end of the top floor, is tastefully furnished in dark woods and plush seatings. A wall of traditional Chinese medicinal cabinet drawers soars on one end of the room. Once we’ve settled into our seats, a waiter promptly arrives with the menu and after having placed our orders, disappears down the corridor, only to return with my drink five minutes later. He apologetically explains that the bar license has yet to be sorted out. My companion, a fan of bartending theatrics, was undoubtedly disappointed. There were no qualms on my part however – my vodka-tomato concoction went down smooth and creamy and a second order was swiftly placed.
The Chinese medicinal cabinet ‘wall’
Cafe Posto offers all-day dining in a relaxed setting
On the second floor, Café Posto offers all-day dining in a casual setting. For breakfast patrons can order from an a la carte menu or go buffet-style. We opt for the latter and soon found our plates piled with fluffy bread rolls, freshly made sunny side-ups and fruits. The coffees, pulled using beans from boutique roaster Rabbithole Coffee and Roaster, are served in whimsical blue mugs.
The library stocks various fiction titles and DVDs for rent, the latter for when you want to be comfortably ensconced amid the snug furnishings of your room yet tire of the seemingly endless summer replays.
A note on the service: while we’re happy to report that the staff was generally knowledgeable and obliging, service staff barged into the room without making sure if we were in it on the second night.
Neighborhood-inspired art littered throughout the hotel
One of the hotel’s greatest plus points is its location. Located literally a stone’s throw away is an abundance of galleries and historical buildings that make Wanchai endearingly ‘local’. Forget about the red light clichés associated with Lockhart Road and opt for long strolls along Queen’s Road West and the intersecting lanes. The area is littered with idiosyncratic cafes and bistros, with top picks including 22 Ships, a stylish bistro helmed by local dining stalwart Yenn Wong, the newly-opened Catalunya and revolving restaurant View 62.
Cultural buffs would also find it worthwhile to trek up Stone Nullah Lane, where rich architectural history abounds, including the century-old Blue House. Built in the early 1900s, the Grade 1 historical building was one of a handful of buildings successfully revived by the Urban Renewal Authority in the late 2000s and now houses the Hong Kong House of Stories.
The swanky staircase leading patrons from the second to third floor
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The verdict?
The hotel doesn’t have the pomp of say, the Mandarin Oriental or the Ritz, nor does it boast of any award-winning spas or restaurants, but we can easily imagine it to be the ideal base camp for business travelers with an eye for art.
Besides its proximity to the slew of heritage buildings and galleries, the quaint abode is a 15-minute walk away from the Convention and Exhibition Centre, which plays host to a slew of high-profile art and cultural events including Art Basel and Fine Art Asia every year.
This year, it hosts the Watches and Wonders fair, showcasing new tickers from the likes of Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Panerai and Van Cleef & Arpels.