InterContinental has confirmed that it is to launch boutique Hotel Indigo brand in Asia-Pacific, opening the first property in Shanghai by the end of the year.

The new Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund will sit alongside luxury properties such as Fairmont’s Peace Hotel and the Peninsula Shanghai, although it’s set to offer travelers an altogether different style of service — and likely a different price range.

The 184-room property eschews the grandness favoured by its competitors for the more distinctive, design-led approach common to Hotel Indigo, which prides itself on reflecting the culture, character and history of its neighbourhoods.

Despite also designing the neighbouring Peace Hotel, Hirsch Bedner Associates opted for a very different look and feel for Hotel Indigo, building a gallery space featuring illuminated scuplture installations into the hotel’s lobby area.

The rooms are designed to evoke Shanghai’s history, featuring eclectic furnishings that incorporate historic elements with bright, contemporary functionality.

Guests can relax in the hotel’s outdoor swimming pool or enjoy the view of downtown Shanghai and the Huangpu River from the rooftop restaurant and bar.

The Shanghai Hotel Indigo marks the brand’s entry into Asia, but it won’t be too long before other Asia-Pacific regions boast their own properties — openings are scheduled in Xiamen, Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok over the next three years.

Source: AFPrelaxnews