Hotel Indigo San Diego
by Eric Rumble
February 16th, 2010
The San Diego location of this quirky boutique hotel chain features whimsical decor, sleek amenities and a sweet spot in the Gaslamp Quarter
Across the board, the Hotel Indigo chain aims to "reflect the local culture, character and geography of the surrounding area.” Translation: none of the Hotel Indigo properties scattered throughout the U.S. (with Canuck locations in Toronto and Ottawa) are the exact same. Heck, even the service literature is quirky at the Hotel Indigo San Diego. They're adorned with haiku that forgoes a nod to nature but sticks to the syllable count. On the doorknob sign, for example: “My alarm has rung / I am off to face the day / Please clean my room. Thanks.”
The slightly cheeky tone is appropriate in laid back but culturally savvy San Diego, and the nearby natural world's asymmetry is well represented by decor anchors—sometimes seamlessly, sometimes inexplicably.
Whimsical Decor
Carpets, textiles, vases and functional containers are often composed of whimsical coral shapes, sea creature motifs or oblong ripples, most dramatically as whole wall-sized photographs of the distorted blue and green reflection off a body of water.
Alternatively, a trunk fragment that serves as a side table is coated in anemic white lacquer, although it would've matched beautifully with the rooms' dark wood furnishings, or a cool piece of wall-hanging art with crepe-thick cross-sections of different trees.
This particular choice seems allied to the overall palette: heavy on chocolate brown, burnt orange, textured beige and stark white—perhaps an allusion to throwback San Diego Padres uniforms?
Sweet Amenities
Located on the southeastern edge of the Gaslamp Quarter, the hotel's ninth floor actually boasts a small patio lounge whose stylish fire pits overlook the baseball stadium a few blocks away. The same floor also has a 24-hour fitness room, and there's a full menu available at an elegant-yet-casual lobby restaurant.
Guest rooms are equipped with 37” flat screen TVs and 60 channels of cable, Keurig coffeemakers, complimentary wifi, hardwood floors and plush bedding.
Rooms start at US$109.
Map
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Hotel Indigo San Diego
509 9th Ave., San Diego, California
619-727-4000
Contributors
Eric Rumble is a contributing editor to up! magazine, and a full-time freelance writer. He has written for up! about hunting wild pig in Hawaii, soaking up the Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria, B.C., and exploring concepts too infinite for the naked eye in Kitchener-Waterloo.
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