ATLANTA (Feb. 18, 2011) – Hotel Indigo, IHG’s (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] upscale boutique brand, today announces the opening of the Hotel Indigo Baton Rouge Downtown Riverfront, located in the heart of the city’s historic downtown.  Hotel Indigo offers guests a unique hotel experience with the modern design and intimate service associated with boutique hotels along with the peace of mind and consistency from staying with the world’s largest hotel group.

Once known as the historic Hotel King before being converted to a dormitory during the Depression and then a state office building, the seven-story building traces its roots back to the 1920s. In 2009, a $25 million renovation was begun to restore the building to an upscale boutique hotel reflective of the surrounding community.

Featuring 93-rooms and panoramic views of the Mississippi River or historic Baton Rouge, including the 34-story nearby state office building, the hotel maintains much of its original architecture. The simple and elegant interior design accentuates the building’s history using natural colors and lighting. The trademark design feature is the floor-to-ceiling curved reclaimed pinewood wall that surrounds the oval-shaped lobby reception desk. Visitors also enjoy 16 distinct murals throughout the property highlighting images of nearby Arsenal Park.

“The transformation of this historic property into a Hotel Indigo is a major step forward in the growth of downtown Baton Rouge,” said Mary Dogan, director brand management, Hotel Indigo, the Americas, IHG. “Through the refreshing and modern design, Hotel Indigo Baton Rouge Downtown Riverfront reflects the unique elements of the surrounding community and helps further spotlight the city’s rich cultural, art and entertainment history.”
 
Each Hotel Indigo property is uniquely designed to reflect the culture, character and history of the surrounding neighborhood.  No two hotels are the same.  Brand standards don’t dictate the number or size of rooms, making it ideally suited to conversion properties or independent boutique hotels. Conversions are attractive to developers because they require less financing than new builds and can be up and running in a shorter period of time.

“Hotel Indigo and what the brand represents matched perfectly with the vision for this hotel,” said General Manager Francis Grayson. “Not only is Hotel Indigo a good fit for the niche market of travelers looking for a comfortable boutique hotel, but it is also a good fit for the local community and our historic downtown.”

Hotel Indigo Baton Rouge Downtown Riverfront is owned by Project King LLC and managed by Nu Vieux LLC, a Baton Rouge-based hospitality company, in a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.

At Hotel Indigo Baton Rouge, neighbors and hotel guests will eat, drink and enjoy homemade, locally-inspired dishes and traditional favorites at King Bar & Bistro.  Served with a twist in a stylish space, menu and bar items feature local and seasonal ingredients brought to the table in partnership with a network of vendors, from farmers and bakers to brew masters and coffee roasters.

Located at the corner of Convention and Lafayette streets – just 400 yards from the Mississippi River – the Hotel Indigo Baton Rouge Downtown Riverfront is easily accessible from Interstate 10 and Interstate 110, and is just minutes from the city’s central business district. It is within walking distance of the city’s Riverfront Convention Center as well as restaurants, shops and cultural attractions. It is also close to the Louisiana State Capital, Louisiana State University (LSU) and Southern University.

Leisure travelers and business guests can take advantage of the hotel’s proximity to several attractions, including the Shaw Center for the Arts, USS Kidd, Baton Rouge Zoo and the arts and entertainment district. The Old State Capital and governor’s mansion are just minutes from the Hotel Indigo Baton Rouge Downtown Riverfront.

Guestrooms feature plush bedding, high-definition flat screen TV, CD player and spa-inspired showers with Aveda products. Hard surface flooring with area rugs create a fresh residential feel.  Additionally, the hotel offers executive suites and executive floors, 24-hour access to the hotel's business center, an intimate boardroom that seats up to 12, and complimentary Wi-Fi in public spaces and high-speed Internet connections in each room.

Hotel Indigo properties participate in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards, the industry's first and largest guest loyalty program with 56 million members. Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG's more than 4,400 hotels worldwide.

About IHG
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, over 4,400 hotels and more than 640,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites® and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with 56 million members worldwide.

IHG has almost 1,300 hotels in its development pipeline, which is expected to create 160,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com. For our latest news visit www.ihg.com/media, Twitter www.twitter.com/ihgplc or YouTube www.youtube.com/ihgplc.