Hotel Indigo To Feature West Chester’s History And Art
by Victoria Rose, Arts Editor
Lead photo of Hotel Indigo in Bath, England
Hotel Indigo is being built in downtown West Chester – and everyone is watching the building rise. Hotel Indigo is part of the “luxury collection” owned by InterContinental Hotels Group, which also operates Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites and other properties. Indigo’s brand is exemplified by its artsy, modern, upscale décors, all of which are designed to reflect and honor the neighborhoods in which they are built.
So what will Hotel Indigo in West Chester look like? “This project has been a long time coming and the moment someone hears you’re affiliated with the hotel, a stream of questions follow,” said Christopher Berg, VP of Operations for Onix Hospitality. “I love those conversations, having the opportunity to share all the fun elements this hotel will offer.”
Reservations are now available starting in March 2025. Designed by NORR Architecture with execution by GGA Construction, the 108-room hotel will have features for guests and locals, such as a seafood restaurant complete with raw bar, 1100 square feet of meeting and banquet space, and other exciting elements to come. “Ultimately, every hotel room looks the same when you close your eyes, so the question is how you set yourself apart?” Berg asked.
The builders, designers, hoteliers, managers, and staff have been focusing on that question at each turn. The lobby’s design was inspired by West Chester’s clockmaking history and there will be custom touches in every guest room. “This hotel is all about local,” said Berg.
He has spent a lot of time researching not only the dynamics of the town today, but also the history of the region and the physical site itself. “This is not the first time a hotel was built on the property,” he said. The Spread Eagle Tavern, run by Ann Mason, operated there in the early-to-mid-1800s, later known as the Eagle Tavern. During the early twentieth century, the block was the home of the Rialto Theatre, which featured vaudeville acts, as well as the Idle Hour Theater, which showed motion pictures.
History is a strong throughline of the hotel’s design, which also incorporates elements of clockmaking, architecture, academia, and the arts. “There are so many hidden nuggets throughout the public spaces and guest rooms for guests to find,” Berg said. “Almost every design element has some reference to ‘local’ and is intended to be a conversation starter.”
Artwork of various mediums will be displayed throughout the lobby, common spaces, restaurants, and guest rooms. Portraits of Frederick Douglass, the abolitionist and human rights champion who gave his last public speech at West Chester University in 1895, will adorn the guest rooms. A giant clockface mosaic will be featured in the lobby floor. There will be historic images, quotes from local writers and historic documents on the walls, and more unique touches. Even the golden ram will make an appearance on closet door handles.
“From the ground to the sixth floor, everything is designed,” Berg noted, such as the custom hallway carpets which resemble the sun-dappled cobblestone sidewalks outside. The lobby will be an artistic showpiece with callouts to all the elements that create the unique flavor of West Chester, then and now. Visitors can learn about the borough’s history by walking through the space.
Does West Chester need a new hotel? Yes. As West Chester has become a travel destination, the demand for more rooms in the borough has multiplied. For events such as the West Chester Christmas Parade, the West Chester Film Festival, and Family or Alumni Weekends at West Chester University, people who don’t book rooms months in advance are left finding options well away from the walkable downtown.
“The Indigo brand is focused on local, offering a sense of neighborhood and community.” Berg said. “It’s our goal is to help ensure that each guest walking through our doors feels comfortable, cared for, a part of the family.”
Oh, and for those concerned about parking in the borough, don’t worry. Hotel Indigo has spaces reserved for guests to park at the garage behind the hotel. The guest rooms are dog friendly, with two well-behaved pups allowed to join in their family travels. As Berg hopefully noted, every visitor will “come away having experienced more than you expected.”
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