PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

An accessible version of the boutique hotel concept, the Indigo is perfect for anyone looking for a cool (but not too edgy) alternative to the cookie-cutter business hotel. The bright, beachy decor makes the place feel more like a tropical resort than an urban hotel; the small lobby has oversize Adirondack chairs and walls painted in shades of blue, peach, and green, while pineapple-shaped chairs line the bar.

But it's the guest rooms that really make an impact. Rather than the dark wood furniture and generic carpeting found in so many chain hotels, rooms here are light and bright with blonde hardwood floors and white wood furniture. Walls have splashes of bright color and giant photomurals of seashells, fruit, and other \"relaxing\" images. Because this is a conversion of an older property, room sizes vary. The king rooms on the north side of the building tend to be larger (with separate entry halls and sitting areas), but they also look out on neighboring buildings (and, in some cases, the fire escape). If you don't need a lot of room to spread out, the queen rooms (on the south side of the building) are small but have lovely views of downtown and plenty of natural light. Bathrooms have glass-walled shower stalls (no tubs) and spa-style showerheads; they're fairly small, but have lots of storage space (multiple wall hooks and a granite storage ledge above the sink). There are also three suites, which have separate sitting rooms and working fireplaces.

Hotel Indigo won't overwhelm you with facilities; the hotel's restaurant and bar are both quite small, but there's a decent-size fitness room and -- very unusual in a hotel of this size -- a salon/spa with separate facial and massage treatment rooms. Though the hotel is tucked on a residential street, it's close to restaurants and shopping, and within walking distance of Michigan Avenue, Division Street, Old Town's nightlife, and Lincoln Park's many attractions. The surrounding neighborhood of elegant town houses makes a great place for a stroll -- without the traffic and noise of other downtown neighborhoods.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Chicago 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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