Hotel Indigo San Diego Invests Over $300K in Local Arts Scene; One-of-a-Kind External Glass Sculpture by Lisa Schirmer to Decorate San Diego Skyline / June 2009

ATLANTA, GA (June 17, 2009) – Demonstrating its commitment to San Diego, Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp Quarter is investing more than $300,000 in the local arts community and is taking hotel art to a new level – 12 stories up, in fact!

Following more than a year of design work and two weeks of installation, Hotel Indigo San Diego unveiled its first piece of public art in advance of the hotel opening next month. Aptly named “Indigo Waters,” the 40-foot exterior wall sculpture made up of 33 hand-painted, laminated and tempered blue-colored glass panels is positioned on the western facade of the hotel between the 9th and 12th floors. The sculpture was designed and created by local artist Lisa Schirmer.

“Designed to mimic the waves and ripples of the Pacific Ocean when the sun hits the glass, our ‘Indigo Waters’ sculpture will be a bright spot in the San Diego skyline and a visible moniker of our commitment to the local community,” said Chris Jones, general manager of Hotel Indigo San Diego. “Our dedication to the arts will continue well into the future as we plan to host art shows and other soirées to spotlight local artists, musicians and causes that align with the Hotel Indigo brand.”

Working with a talented team of local artists, photographers and designers, Hotel Indigo San Diego has captured the vibrant character and inviting coastal culture of the San Diego region by using locally-inspired artwork throughout the hotel.

The underpinning of the Hotel Indigo brand’s design and décor can be attributed to the Fibonacci sequence and the ratio known as the Golden Mean (or Phi). These math principles are found in nature and can be seen in the perfect proportion of the nautilus shell, which is represented in the Hotel Indigo brand logo. Adopting this mathematical ratio as a design principle helps create a feeling of balance and effortless beauty within the space.

“The idea behind the sculpture is to create a wavelike pattern of indigo colors by rotating and repeating square and quarter circle shapes on square glass panels,” said Schirmer. The glass panels are arranged vertically in a Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13) in seven layers on a curved outside wall of the hotel. As daylight shifts, the glass will create a dramatic mix of color and movement; tasteful back-lighting at night will create a new composition of colors.

In addition to the external wall sculpture, Hotel Indigo San Diego commissioned local photographer Ian Cummings to take photos of native plants and water-driven imagery, including agaves, echeveria, California poppies, beaches, rivers, lakes and the ocean. These locally-reflective images will be artistically applied to create large-scale photographic murals that will appear in guestrooms, the hotel lobby, Phi Bar and Bistro and public areas.

Currently under construction, Hotel Indigo San Diego is located at 509 9th Ave., just one block from PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres, and less than a mile from the San Diego Convention Center. The 12-story, 210-room property, including five suites, will be San Diego’s first sustainably-built, LEED-certified hotel. It will feature a rooftop terrace with a reflection pool, fire pits, soft seating and panoramic views of the San Diego skyline and baseball games at PETCO Park. Owned and managed by IHG, Hotel Indigo San Diego will serve as a west coast flagship and will mark the brand’s second property in California, along with the Hotel Indigo Ontario Rancho Cucamonga. For more information on Hotel Indigo San Diego, or to make reservations, visit www.hotelindigo.com/sandiego.

Meeting the desires of today’s business and leisure traveler, Hotel Indigo is an upscale boutique brand that delivers a refreshing and inviting guest experience that is truly reflective of the local community. There are currently 27 Hotel Indigo properties open worldwide and more than 60 hotels under development, either in the pipeline or in final negotiation. By the end of 2009, Hotel Indigo will almost double its footprint in the America with opening properties in New York City, Miami Beach, St. Louis and Baltimore. For more information on Hotel Indigo, or to make reservations, please visit www.hotelindigo.com.

Hotel Indigo participates in IHG's guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. With 43 million members worldwide, Priority Club Rewards is the industry's first and largest guest loyalty program. Guests can enroll for free 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 4,200 hotels worldwide.

Also See:	Owned and Operated by IHG, the Newly Constructed 210 room Hotel Indigo San Diego Will Serve as the Brand's West Coast Flagship / January 2009
	London Town Hotels Converts Nine Georgian Townhouses Near Paddington Rail Station into the 64 room Hotel Indigo London Paddington / January 2009