As a starting point for my Review of the Hotel Indigo in Liverpool I took the brand statements made by InterContinental when they launched this, their ‘boutique’ brand. Now their brand statement says ” an exciting option for hotel development, with its fresh vision and flexible design that fit many project types. No two Hotel Indigo properties are exactly alike. What remains consistent among properties is the design principle and innovative program that provides a basis for all design idea”
Each hotel is designed as a boutique. The process of briefing the designers to produce interiors with flair and colour is obviously tight, and thematic is the use of digital artwork to link the properties to their locales along with strong use of near primary colour.
Although this hotel is sold as London Kensington it is about 150 yards from Earls Court Tube station in Barkstone Gardens. This is an area known as ‘Kangaroo Valley’ because of the large number of Australian ex-pats populating the area. Kensington has more snob value than Earls Court though, and Intercontinental have bought one of those odd ‘Lord of the Manor’ titles that can be purchased and made the manager ‘Lord’ Vincent Garrington Hope and the Director of sales ‘Lady’ Laura Swan (no doubt impresses the ex-colonials). This pretension is reinforced by clichéd touches such as making the lampshades over the bar out of bowler hats.
