IHG’s boutique Hotel Indigo brand hits Wales
Hotel Indigo Cardiff, located on Queen Street, will be managed by Sanguine Hospitality, which has four other Hotel Indigo properties in its portfolio including Hotel Indigo Liverpool and Hotel Indigo Birmingham.
“Hotel Indigo is one of our youngest brands,” said Robert Shepherd, IHG’s senior vice president for development and design in Europe. “It launched in 2004 and has become a great success story - over the past three years, it’s been the fastest growing brand in our portfolio.
“We brought it to Europe in 2009 and there are now seven in the region, with another 10 in the pipeline which will open in the next three to five years. It is also popular with developers.
“Our flexible approach to design makes it ideal for conversion properties, which are cheaper and easier to finance than new builds and can be up and running in a shorter period of time. Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff will be a conversion from an existing office building.”
Ideal location
Hotel Indigo Cardiff will be located in Dominion’s House, found on the popular, pedestranised Queen Street. The 92-room hotel will be a seven-minute walk from Cardiff Castle, while Millennium Stadium, the regenerated harbour area and city-centre corporations are all nearby.
Robin Wicks, chief executive of Sanguine Hospitality, added: “Cardiff is the political and cultural capital of Wales, with a rich heritage and a strong leisure, corporate and sporting background, making it an ideal location for a Hotel Indigo.
“There are very few boutique hotels in the market and we’re confident Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff will attract domestic and international guests who want to experience the local area.”
Inspiration for Hotel Indigo Cardiff will be drawn from the community’s Victorian heritage. Cardiff Castle, Bute Park and Park House will also inspire the interior design.
In the pipeline
All Hotel Indigo properties in Europe offer free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel as a brand standard, along with a bar and restaurant open to both guests and locals. Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff will include a 280 sq.m restaurant and bar area on the building’s top floor.
There are 44 Hotel Indigo properties around the world and 53 in the development pipeline, which will all open in the next three to five years. The Wales signing follows the opening of a second Hotel Indigo in Scotland (Hotel Indigo Edinburgh) this month.
