Hotel Indigo Article
Hospitality design Magazine February 2009

By Tara Mastrelli
Photography by Catherine Gunnerson

View More Photos of this Project on our Featured Projects Page

 

Hotel Indigo's West Coast debut The Hotel Indigo in Ontario Rancho Cucamonga, California, posed a few challenges for Portland, Oregon based WCI, Inc.-especially since when the design firm first got involved with the project, it wasn't even slated to be InterContinental's affordable boutique brand. "When they decided, well into the project, way past the framing stage, to franchise with Hotel Indigo, there were considerable changes that had to be made," says WCI owner and founder Jennifer Hatfield, noting that kitchens, wetbars, and Jacuzzis that were put in all had to be pulled out. "We ended up drawing a lot of it ourselves."

 

But even though it was late-in-the-game, the WCI team couldn't have been happier with the decision. "There are so many projects where you don't have that design liberty, where Hotel Indigo almost becomes like an independent boutique hotel because they give you direction, but they don't want them all the same," says Hatfield.

 

Indigo's interior design concept is based on natural elements, including the "Golden Mean;' represented by the nautilus shell, and creating a sense of place. And though as the first West Coast location of the IHG brand the interior designers had freedom to bring in as much local flavor as they wanted, there were a few standards to consider. Among them, were a predominant use of a "pure" color palette and oversized murals in every corridor and guestroom.

 

"We were beginning to see a lot of the muted contemporary design palette, so we wanted to take this approach that was really lively," says lead interior designer Tracy Thompson. And they did. Bold strokes of aqua, butter yellow, and crimson contrast black and white throughout the hotel; large-scale murals depict the local landscape, ranging from deserts and golf courses to beach scenes;

Below: The vibrant, nature inspired images on the serpent shaped front desk at Hotel Indigo change with the seasons. and Indigo's signature nautilus is sprinkled everywhere from the lobby's custom chandelier to hardware on guestroom casegoods.

 

"You walk in and you feel really energized, stimulated; whether it's the smell, the color, the texture on the surface," says Thompson, noting that scents change seasonally along with panels on the front desk and front of the bar. "Four times a year you can go there and have a different experience." Adds interior designer Larissa Burden: "We had a lot of fun."

 

In the 92 guestrooms, area rugs in a black and white pattern or red, depending on the room type (there are 16 total) rest on laminate flooring; sleek combo desk/dresser units, flatscreen TVs, and sculptural, dyed-resin lamps www.hdmag.com create a contemporary look; and a custom duvet, black and white on one side, teal on the other, covers the talkedabout bed. "We've gotten some phone calls about the bed being the most comfortable," says Burden, noting they used a half and half feather and bamboo insert for the Sealy mattress.

 

In the end, the interior designers, who self-admittedly have been saddled with "monotone vanilla properties" for the past few years, may have developed a new addiction to color and design that doesn't take itself too seriously. Says Hatfield: "This is like a happy space; a happy hotel," and she hopes to do more like it . hd
www.wci-inc.net; www.ichotelsgroup.com

Hotel Indigo
Ontario Rancho Cucamonga, California

 

Owner: Park Crest Development

 

Architecture Firm: Robert F. Tuttle Architecture, Laguna Niguel, California

 

interior design and Purchasing Firm: WCI, Inc., Portland, Oregon

 

interior design Project Team:
Jennifer Hatfield, Principal and Owner;
Tracy Thompson, Lead Interior Designer;
Larissa Burden, Interior Designer;
Ken Hatfield, Project Management;
and Amy Summers and Lisa Faulkner, Procurement and Administration

 

Contractor: Parkcrest Development Corporation

 

Interior Murals: Corbis and Crush Creative

 

Artwork: Oren Sherman Limited Editions (guestrooms) and Jonathan Shuff Photography, LLC (guest bathrooms)

 

Common Area Furniture: Stylus, American Leather, and MTS Seating

 

Guestroom Furniture: Madison Furniture, Sealy, Northland Furniture, and Stylus

 

Lighting: Ashley Lighting, 2nd Avenue Lighting, and Electric Mirror, and WCI, Inc.

 

Flooring: Wilsonart, Lexmark Carpet Mills, Milliken Hospitality, S'Tiles, Dal-Tile, and Pental Tile

 

Wallcoverings: MDC Wallcoverings and Innovations Fabrics designtex, Momentum, JF

 

Fabrics: Samelson Chatelane, Luna Textiles, and Maharam

 

Draperies: Fabtex

 

This page, from top: The cafe patio; a beach-scene mural sets the California tone in a guestroom. Opposite page: A custom-designed nautilus chandelier in the lobby. January/ February 2009 101

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