Open since July last year, the four-star Hotel Indigo Tower Hill is the second property under the Intercontinental Hotels Group’s boutique brand to open in London, after the Hotel Indigo Paddington. Located on Minories in the City of London, it is a five-minute walk from Tower Hill tube station and a short walk from Fenchurch Street rail station, Tower Gateway DLR, and Aldgate and Aldgate East on the underground. Tower Bridge and the Tower of London are also a brief stroll away. The eight-storey building was previously a bank and some evidence remains of its old life, such as the steel safe door in the basement.
As the brand aims to offer a boutique hotel experience under the umbrella of a large chain, the 46 rooms are all different shapes and sizes, starting from 19 sqm, with varying furnishings and colour schemes, from sea blue to burnt orange. As a general rule, all have four-poster beds, glossy wooden furniture, a red-brick feature wall and a mural based on London landmarks, such as the Bank of England on nearby Threadneedle Street – I felt this combination didn’t quite gel. They also have desks, but mine was on the small side.
Facilities that come as standard include free wired/wifi internet and local phone calls, flatscreen TVs, iPod docks, a safe, tea and coffee-making facilities and a minibar filled with free soft drinks and bottled water. The white bathrooms, all of which have stand-alone showers and no bath, feature a cylindrical sink and an odd egg-shaped toilet. My snug Executive room on the top floor had views over the adjacent rooftops, but some other rooms on the floor look on to Tower Bridge. As well as the 16 Standard rooms, there are 28 Executive rooms and two suites.
On the ground floor, Square Mile Kitchen and Lounge has huge windows and is accessed either by going down a level then up a set of stairs, or by going outside on to the street and then back in through another set of doors. This modern European eatery, complete with wood-fired pizza oven, is no doubt a popular lunch spot for City professionals but on the Friday evening I visited it was nearly empty. Still, the staff were very attentive and my calamari starter and seafood risotto main were both delicious – my extravagantly named dessert, “Deconstruction of Tiramisu”, didn’t disappoint either. An à la carte and buffet breakfast was also served here, with a good variety of fruit, yoghurt, cereal, bread, jam and croissants on offer.
There are no dedicated meeting rooms but the lounge bar in the basement, which serves delicious cocktails, would be ideal for an informal one-on-one or small get-together. There is no business centre but laptops with free wifi can be borrowed for free from reception. Photocopying and faxing is also available, with the first ten pages free of charge. While there is no on-site gym or spa, the hotel has an agreement with the nearby Virgin Active fitness centre.
VERDICT While some may bemoan the lack of gym and meeting rooms, the hotel has otherwise been built with the business traveller in mind, in terms of the free internet, printing and minibar. The staff were excellent and the food delicious. The design was a little hit and miss, though.
PRICE Internet rates for a midweek stay in April started from £194 for a Superior room.
CONTACT 142 Minories; tel +44 (0)20 7265 1014; hotelindigo.com
Sara Turner
