On arrival
Situated in Katong, Singapore, Hotel Indigo is relatively well-hidden from East Coast Road. Once you discover its entrance way, its facade is far from unassuming, boasting an impressive living wall of green. Guests are greeted by a delightfully dimensional wall of plants reaching almost 3 metres high. The hotel's driveway is wide with few pedestrians, allowing each arrival to be as pleasant as can possibly be in crowded Singapore.
The lobby
Instead of a pair of sliding glass doors, to enter its lobby, guests need to ascend a short right -to-left ramp through a hole-in-the-(green)-wall. Not one to embrace subtlety, its lobby impresses with distinctive peranakan influence. Front counter staff were warm and welcoming, and operated behind counters resembling baba cabinets of old. Guests are treated to a welcome drink of iced coffee or iced tea (both were good). Impressive towers of pottery are stacked across the elevator landing, as a hidden toilet lies diagonally across them - important to know for a last minute visit before a day out!
While the lobby provides no-fuss check-in & check-out services, it is connected to a larger seating area where guests can find more peranakan decor, newspapers, magazines, and merchandise. The lounging area sees an eclectic mix of modern centrepieces and traditional elements that together further accentuate the inspired theme. By the way, the area is well air-conditioned and holds a fresh fragrance - definitely a big plus in our books.
The room
As a treat to ourselves, we booked a Premier View Room with Bath, which included an open bathtub area looking across the Katong landscape. This room tier is listed to cost about S$270-S$300 per night, but we had hotels.com reward credits to offset this cost. We ended up paying just over S$50 for our night! We learnt from the front-counter staff of the IHG Rewards Club, which we naturally signed up for as well. You basically earn points for each night of stay in an IHG location, which can be used to redeem an assortment of rewards including free stays and upgrades, air miles and other retail choices as well. Do your own research but we are sticking with what we know for now.
The room is very comfortable in terms of space and visuals. Lighting is soft but bright, and the entire space is clean. The room even had space for a three-seater sofa and a fully-functional carrom board as a makeshift coffee table. What stood out even more was the magnificent shower area and tub. The sink sat on top of a refurbished Singer sewing machine, which lay across a large round tub for two. The taps, shower hose, towels, and soaps were of very good quality too! The best part - you have the option of taking your bath or even your shower overlooking the skyline - with or without drawing the day curtains, night curtains, or blinds, depending on your level of adventure, and I guess, exhibitionism.
I feel the need to highlight the beauty that is the tub sitting at the end of the room, facing the great outdoors. This circular, white, bathtub is adorned with a Chinese-styled dragon, complete with movement drawing and clouds. Had I come across this beauty before constructing our place last year, rest assured that I would have hunted down the manufacturer and procured one for the home. It is such an impressive sight, and a definite conversation starter. Behold its majesty!
The room overlooks the Katong area, and even though we experienced a rather gloomy day, the scene was just as heartwarming - good ol' Singapore. The rest of the features in the room were fairly usual - a minibar, complimentary bottles of water, bedroom slippers, an umbrella, laundry facilities (not FOC), a Nespresso machine and tea (both FOC).
The bed was king-sized and had good quality sheets. The pillows were not too flat or too hard, and the air-conditioner was responsive and adjustable. Hotel Indigo definitely retained the look and feel of a new establishment. We had very a very good, comfortable night's rest - always important for any staycation (even at our age).
Baba Chews
One last thing we thought to comment on was the hotel breakfast that was included as part of the booking. One of Hotel Indigo's in-house restaurant is Baba Chews, an obviously-named baba bar and eatery. The breakfast followed a semi-buffet style of dining, and comprised of a curated selection of local dishes like laksa and more traditionally Western brunch dishes like Eggs Benedict and waffles. You choose the main(s) you want, and they all come in a small portion a la tapas. You then help yourself to the juices, fruits, cheeses, breads, and desserts. All-in-all, a good start to the day.
Our night in Hotel Indigo Katong proved to be a very pleasant stay, and we would be returning in a couple of months with the family for another staycation. The experience was definitely a positive one. More to come!
Rated: 8.5/10