Pros
- Good central location with fast transport links to Heathrow Airport
- Nice amenities such as a fitness center and brasserie
- Brightly colored, contemporary rooms
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, free laptop for guest use
- Free coffee and pastries in the lounge
- Gilchrist & Soames toiletries in all bathrooms
Cons
- Rooms are on the small side compared with other London hotels
- Lobby design, using cheap materials, may be tacky to some
- Paltry snacks and basic drinks in minibars (though free soft drinks)
Bottom Line
This boutique hotel has a great West End location with efficient transport links to Heathrow Airport, and rooms are refreshingly colorful and modern -- but the almost futuristic style of the lobby might not be to everyone's taste. The fitness center is a perk for a hotel of this size, as is the inclusion of a stylish brasserie on-site. Overall, though, Hotel Indigo lacks the amenities of a larger hotel, and cheap materials can make the funky, stylish decor feel a bit less high-end than the decor at some competing four-pearl properties.
Amenities
- Cribs
- Fitness Center
- Internet
- Jacuzzi
Scene
Novel design concepts meet tacky materials
This 68-room boutique hotel is actually part of a moderate-size worldwide chain. Whoever decided to deviate from corporate-style design deserves slight kudos: The bedrooms are modern, generally tasteful, and adorned in funky colors. The lobby, however, is a slightly different story: Its two hallmarks are a vaguely glowing, elliptical, white plastic front desk that hovers by the entranceway; and some sort of a wiry, amorphous, LED-blinking light feature. The ceiling extends all the way up to the third floor and lets in plenty of beautiful natural light, but if you bend your head skywards you'll notice an actual fake sky that's been imprinted on the top. While the concept and original intention are noteworthy, the materials look a bit cheap, and some may find the overall effect tacky.
There's a potentially interesting, concept-driven theme centered around the Fibonacci sequence, but while it's meant to be inspirational, the explanations are meek -- making it confusing for anyone who hasn't taken university-level mathematics, and even for someone who has.
Location
Just three minutes' walk from Paddington Station, in the popular West End
While Paddington doesn't offer much in terms of shopping, dining, or nightlife, being in the West End means that you won't have to go far to find great spots for any of the above. Paddington consists mainly of tourists and businessmen in-transit, and a good handful of medical staff and patients from St. Mary's Hospital. A few fairly decent local restaurants are just around the block and convenient for breakfast, lunch, and dinner options if you don't feel like venturing far.
- 32-minute drive to Heathrow Airport
- 7-minute walk to Hyde Park
- 15-minute walk to Kensington Gardens
- 8-minute tube ride to Notting Hill Gate and Portobello Market
- 9-minute tube ride to West End shopping district including Selfridge’s
- 16-minute tube ride to Picadilly Circus and theatre district
- 16-minute tube ride to Trafalgar Square, National Portrait Gallery, London ICA, Tate Modern, and the South Bank
- 17-minute tube ride to Sloane Square shopping district and Saatchi Art Gallery
- 18-minute tube ride to Natural History Museum
- 18-minute tube ride to the Victoria and Albert Museum
- 19-minute tube ride to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, London Eye, and scenic walks along the Thames
- 22-minute tube ride to Covent Garden
- 23-minute tube ride to Knightsbridge shopping district including Harrod’s
- 23-minute tube ride to Buckingham Palace
Rooms
Bright, modern colors with bare-bones amenities
Despite its being part of a moderate-sized chain, the rooms are styled in modern colors and don't feel remotely corporate (each floor is decorated in its own nature-inspired color theme). But amenities are minimal, and the size is slightly smaller than average for London.
- Free Wi-Fi
- Walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads
- Gilchrist & Soames toiletries
- Large flat-screen TVs and Philips MP3 players
- Free tea and instant coffee (no coffeemakers)
- A rather paltry minibar with basic drinks and chips
Features
Brasserie-style dining, an outside terrace, and a fitness center (rare for boutique-sized hotels)
- The London Street Brasserie has a seasonal menu that offers fresh flavors and market-fresh produce
- Free Wi-Fi throughout
- Decently equipped fitness center open 24 hours
- Free coffee and pastries in the lounge
- Nice terrace area
- View Full List of Amenities
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Scene
Novel design concepts meet tacky materials
This 68-room boutique hotel is actually part of a moderate-size worldwide chain. Whoever decided to deviate from corporate-style design deserves slight kudos: The bedrooms are modern, generally tasteful, and adorned in funky colors. The lobby, however, is a slightly different story: Its two hallmarks are a vaguely glowing, elliptical, white plastic front desk that hovers by the entranceway; and some sort of a wiry, amorphous, LED-blinking light feature. The ceiling extends all the way up to the third floor and lets in plenty of beautiful natural light, but if you bend your head skywards you'll notice an actual fake sky that's been imprinted on the top. While the concept and original intention are noteworthy, the materials look a bit cheap, and some may find the overall effect tacky.
There's a potentially interesting, concept-driven theme centered around the Fibonacci sequence, but while it's meant to be inspirational, the explanations are meek -- making it confusing for anyone who hasn't taken university-level mathematics, and even for someone who has.
Location
Just three minutes' walk from Paddington Station, in the popular West End
While Paddington doesn't offer much in terms of shopping, dining, or nightlife, being in the West End means that you won't have to go far to find great spots for any of the above. Paddington consists mainly of tourists and businessmen in-transit, and a good handful of medical staff and patients from St. Mary's Hospital. A few fairly decent local restaurants are just around the block and convenient for breakfast, lunch, and dinner options if you don't feel like venturing far.
- 32-minute drive to Heathrow Airport
- 7-minute walk to Hyde Park
- 15-minute walk to Kensington Gardens
- 8-minute tube ride to Notting Hill Gate and Portobello Market
- 9-minute tube ride to West End shopping district including Selfridge’s
- 16-minute tube ride to Picadilly Circus and theatre district
- 16-minute tube ride to Trafalgar Square, National Portrait Gallery, London ICA, Tate Modern, and the South Bank
- 17-minute tube ride to Sloane Square shopping district and Saatchi Art Gallery
- 18-minute tube ride to Natural History Museum
- 18-minute tube ride to the Victoria and Albert Museum
- 19-minute tube ride to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, London Eye, and scenic walks along the Thames
- 22-minute tube ride to Covent Garden
- 23-minute tube ride to Knightsbridge shopping district including Harrod’s
- 23-minute tube ride to Buckingham Palace
Rooms
Bright, modern colors with bare-bones amenities
Despite its being part of a moderate-sized chain, the rooms are styled in modern colors and don't feel remotely corporate (each floor is decorated in its own nature-inspired color theme). But amenities are minimal, and the size is slightly smaller than average for London.
- Free Wi-Fi
- Walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads
- Gilchrist & Soames toiletries
- Large flat-screen TVs and Philips MP3 players
- Free tea and instant coffee (no coffeemakers)
- A rather paltry minibar with basic drinks and chips
Features
Brasserie-style dining, an outside terrace, and a fitness center (rare for boutique-sized hotels)
- The London Street Brasserie has a seasonal menu that offers fresh flavors and market-fresh produce
- Free Wi-Fi throughout
- Decently equipped fitness center open 24 hours
- Free coffee and pastries in the lounge
- Nice terrace area
- View Full List of Amenities
Best Rates
Amenities
-
Air Conditioner
-
Airport Transportation
-
Business Center
-
Cable
-
Concierge
-
Cribs
-
Dry Cleaning
-
Fitness Center
-
Internet
-
Jacuzzi
-
Kids Allowed
-
Laundry
-
Meeting / Conference Rooms
-
Mini Bar (with liquor)
-
Rental Car Service Desk Onsite
-
Room Service
-
Tennis Court
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
