Hotel Indigo is the world’s first internationally branded chain of boutique hotels, and promises a truly unique stay with a focus on fresh design inspired by local neighborhood stories.
TIANJIN, CHINA – Hotel Indigo is the world’s first internationally branded chain of boutique hotels, and promises a truly unique stay with a focus on fresh design inspired by local neighborhood stories. At Hotel Indigo Tianjin Hai He, the fascinating history of this northern Chinese port city provided rich inspiration for this vibrant villa-style hotel that is totally unique to Tianjin.
The epitome of contemporary living, Hotel Indigo Tianjin Haihe is one of the only hotels in China to offer villa-style accommodations in a city-centre locale. Occupying an entire block in the Former German Concession neighborhood, Hotel Indigo Tianjin Haihe stands on the foundations of the former German Consulate, which was built in 1899. The 11 individually designed villas pay homage to traditional Germanic architecture with redbrick facades and ornate cupolas arranged in a village style setting overlooking the hotel’s central grass courtyard.
Internationally renowned design firm Silverfox from Singapore has created an inspiring and playful environment contrasting a fresh, funky design with distinctive local flair. Tianjin’s eclectic Orient-meets-European heritage and proximity to the Haihe riverfront have been subtly woven into the fabric of the design.
“Our brief from IHG was to connect the German neighborhood of 1899 to 1917, with today’s Modern Tianjin. Because the hotel is arranged over 11 different villas, we were given the opportunity to develop several concepts so that each villa is associated with a different aspect of Tianjin’s storied history and culture,” says Patrick Waring, Partner and Co-Founder of Silverfox. “The whole ethos of the Hotel Indigo brand is about being unique, so our designs mirror that, making each villa a different experience and combination of past and present that you cannot find anywhere else,” adds Waring.
Local Inspiration and Flair
The Main Villa, home to the lobby and restaurants, wows guest with a contemporary adaptation of European design. Heavy wood paneling references Germanic roots, inset with contemporary artwork depicting the story of the German Concession during the early 20th-century expansion of Tianjin, plus old postage stamps and letter watermarks from that era.
Antique maps and archival photographs from old Tianjin adorn the walls of the Main VIlla. The cozy Library area is covered in bookshelves with the latest international design, business and history magazines, journals and books, offering a timeless feel. While the ‘mespace’ area is fully equipped with Mac computers, printing and WiFi bringing guests right into the 21st Century.
Famous residents and landmark events of Old Tianjin have also lent their inspiration to the interior styling. The German movie Blauer Engel was the first international movie to be screened in China in the country’s first talking movie house, the Dahua Film Theater in Tianjin. The movie is where Blauer Engel beer house and eatery takes its inspiration, featuring large murals of black and white big-screen sirens across the walls of what is Tianjin’s first boutique beer house and eatery.
A Trio of Room Concepts
Hotel Indigo Tianjin’s living quarters are spread across nine of the freestanding villas. Because all villas are different, the 96 guestrooms, including 10 suites, have a wide array of layouts, leading to a unique experience on every visit. Guestrooms start at a generous 45 sqm and are designed in three distinctive styles: Old Cinema, Maritime Riverfront and European Flair. Some of the rooms feature balconies or bay windows overlooking the private courtyard gardens, while others have ‘sun rooms’, a typically German design feature with a glassed-in room area to relax in the warm weather.
Maritime Riverfront guestrooms draw reference to trade and commerce on the Haihe River that dissects the city, and which helped Tianjin develop into a prosperous maritime and trading center. These rooms feature vibrant flashes of aquamarine, lantern-style lamps and maritime imagery on the wallpapers and bespoke rugs.
Old Cinema guestrooms evoke the excitement of a trip to the movies, with bold patterning of film reel across the ceiling and carpets. This is complemented with red velvet bedheads and lounge chairs recalling the old cinema curtains from the Dahua Film Theater opened by a local Russian entrepreneur in Tianjin.
European Flair guestrooms reference modern Tianjin infused with the global influences of the city’s Concession-era past where foreign ships first arrived in China and European entrepreneurs opened flourishing businesses. These rooms are more classically styled, with wall murals of street scenes and a mix of European and mod-Oriental furnishings.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
