Hotel Indigo

This 19-story hotel has a boutique atmosphere thanks to its artsy interiors and friendly vibe. The decor is a mixture of baroque, traditional, and contemporary accents, with pieces of work from the Brooklyn Arts Council displayed throughout the hotel, upping its trendy Brooklyn credentials. The lobby is fairly small, but stylish, with a deep red velvet couch and high ceilings. The space is compact, and the adjacent Brooklyn Brewhouse provides a better place to hang out over a cocktail or meal in a  red-lit, modern pub-style space -- there's also a rooftop terrace to enjoy the views of the city in warmer months. This is a pet-friendly hotel, and tends to attract a mix of young tourists.

The Hotel Indigo is located in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, between a branch of Long Island University and N.Y.C. College of Technology. There are a host of shops and restaurants in the area, including famous Junior's diner and the Fulton Street Mall, which is home to well-known stores like Macy's, Gap, and Banana Republic. For more interesting boutiques and trendy dining, the Fort Greene neighborhood is a 10-minute walk from the hotel, and has plenty of hip coffee shops, artisanal eateries, and lively bars. Several subway lines are within a quick walk, all of which can make the trip into lower Manhattan in 10 minutes, though the trip can be done in five minutes by taxi. There are plenty of other attractions within a 10-minute walk of the hotel, including Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Historical Society, the New York Transit Museum, BAM, Prospect Park, the Barclays Center, and the Brooklyn Tabernacle -- a popular church with a well-known choir. JFK airport takes around an hour to reach by car, while Laguardia and Newark Liberty airports will both take around 45 minutes to reach, though this depends on traffic. JFK can also be reached by hopping on the A line at Hoyt-Schermerhorn Station and transferring to the AIrTrain -- the trip takes about an hour.

Guest rooms at the Hotel Indigo have a chic, minimalist design with wooden flooring, white walls, and touches of red in the soft furnishings. Floor-to-ceiling windows ensure they are flooded with natural light, and there are great views of views of Manhattan or Brooklyn from many rooms. It’s worth noting that despite the windows being double glazed, many guests have been disturbed by street noise, and these rooms are compact (as are most hotel rooms in New York City). All rooms have flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, free Wi-Fi, work desks, free local calls, mini-fridges, Keurig coffeemakers, air-conditioning, and irons and ironing boards. In addition to the Standard Rooms, Executive Club Rooms and Suites are available. These give guests more space, a free daily newspaper, and the Suites have an extra bed. Some rooms also have a private patio. Contemporary bathrooms have stylish white tiling and a large walk-in shower plus premium toiletries.

The hotel has a solid restaurant on site, the Brooklyn Brewhouse, which offers freshly prepared pizzas, sandwiches, and salads and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests can also order room service, but no meals are included in room rates. The bar serves over 40 local, imported, and craft beers, as well as having an extensive cocktail menu. Another property highlight is the large rooftop terrace which offers good views of the surrounding area and the Verrazano Bridge in the distance. There’s a large, bright fitness center with treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary bikes, and a 24-hour computer station with copying, faxing, and printing facilities. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.