My sister is the one who first introduced me to the British expression “cheap and cheerful”. She had been living in England and picked it up effortlessly, along with a taste for Windsor-knotted ties and midnight curries.

“Somewhere fun and lively, with great food but not too expensive,” she elaborated, when I asked what a “cheap and cheerful” restaurant was.

Recently, when I walked into my room at Ottawa’s Hotel Indigo, the expression came back to me. With its vibrant decor, fantastic downtown location, and rooms starting at $139 a night, Hotel Indigo might just offer the best value for money in our nation’s capital.

Arty and Modern

The rooms at Hotel Indigo have a modern boutique hotel feel with an arty touch. There’s the same dark flooring (albeit laminate), crisp white linens and spa-inspired glass showers that one might expect from a sleek boutique hotel, but each room also includes some quirky touches, such as an accent wall featuring a gigantic “nature” mural. My room featured a close-up photo of shafts of wheat; others have birch bark or bamboo shoots.

Location, Location, Location

Especially in the winter, when the icy wind makes every block feel like a mile, the best place to stay in Ottawa is right downtown in the heart of the action.

Hotel Indigo is just a few minutes’ walk from all the city’s top attractions: Parliament Buildings, the National Gallery, the National Arts Centre, the Rideau Canal and the Market area with its fantastic restaurants, cafés and pubs.

Plenty of Perks

Hotel Indigo doesn’t hold back on the lovely little things that make a boutique hotel stay such a delight. These include aromatic Aveda bath products, a flat-screen TV, free internet, and newspaper delivery in the morning.

Depending on when you visit, the concierge may also be able to provide you with coupons to reduce the price of admission to Special Exhibits at the National Art Gallery.

Room Without a View

Something you should know before making a reservation is that nearly one third of the hotel’s 106 rooms have no external window; the window in the room faces into the hotels’ inner atrium. This means that, unless the curtains are drawn, guests using the hallways on the same floor can see straight into your room.

Fun for the Family

With the addition of a $15 cot, any room at Hotel Indigo can go from couples-only to family-friendly. Kids will especially enjoy the fitness centre’s indoor pool, which is big enough to have a good splash around.

After the kids are in bed, parents can slip back downstairs to soak in the whirlpool or steam in the sauna.