May 22, 2012 - IHG’s (InterContinental Hotels Group) boutique hotel brand Hotel Indigo continues to grow in Europe with the signing of the first Hotel Indigo in Wales, Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff.

Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff will be managed by Sanguine Hospitality Ltd, who have four other Hotel Indigo properties in their portfolio, including Hotel Indigo Liverpool and Hotel Indigo Birmingham.

IHG’s Senior Vice President for Development and Design in Europe, Robert Shepherd, said that the signing in Cardiff continued the brand’s strong growth throughout Europe. The signing follows the opening of a second Hotel Indigo in Scotland (Hotel Indigo Edinburgh) and a second Hotel Indigo (Hotel Indigo Berlin Centre Alexanderplatz) in Berlin this month.

“Hotel Indigo is one of our youngest brands. 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.”

Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff will be located in Dominion’s House, found on 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.

Each Hotel Indigo property is uniquely designed to reflect the community, character and history of the surrounding area. Inspiration for Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff will be drawn from the community’s Victorian heritage. Cardiff Castle, Bute Park and Park House will also inspire the interior design.

Robert Shepherd said the secret to the success of Hotel Indigo was that it offered guests the individuality of a boutique hotel with the reassurance and reliability of a big hotel brand.

“Hotel Indigo 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.”

Robin Wicks, CEO at from Sanguine Hospitality Ltd said: “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.”

Every Hotel Indigo features a high quality bar and restaurant that is open to both guests and locals. Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff will include a 280m2 restaurant and bar area on the building’s top floor.

All Hotel Indigo properties in Europe offer free wi-fi throughout the hotel as a brand standard. Hotels also offer 24 hour room service and access to 24 hour fitness centre.

There are 44 Hotel Indigo hotels around the world and 53 in the development pipeline, which will open in the next three to five years.

About Hotel Indigo
Hotel Indigo® is an upscale boutique brand that delivers a refreshing and inviting guest experience that is truly reflective of the local community. From the locally-inspired murals to the renewal program where the images, music, scent, and menu items change throughout the year, Hotel Indigo delivers a vibrant, engaging and genuine boutique experience that gives guests the confidence to step out and explore the local neighborhood. Each Hotel Indigo property is unique and designed to reflect the local culture, character and geography of the surrounding area while brand hallmarks ensure consistent and reliable service from location to location. No two hotels are the same. Hotel Indigo® is ranked highest in guest satisfaction among upscale hotel chains, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM. Hotel Indigo® has also been named a J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Service Champion and is one of only 50 U.S. companies to receive this distinction.

InterContinental Hotels Group
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with nine hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, as well as our two newest brands, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts. IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme with over 65 million members worldwide.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,500 hotels and more than 661,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than 1,000 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 people into additional roles across its estate 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.

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