Hotel Indigo, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ boutique hotel brand, has opened its first hotel in Serbia, Hotel Indigo Belgrade. True to the brand’s ethos, Hotel Indigo Belgrade takes its design cues from the local neighbourhood and pays homage to the city’s storied past.
The capital city of Serbia is home to a brilliantly diverse blend of cultures and architectural styles, with a fascinating history stretching back for millennia, and Belgrade is increasingly gaining popularity amongst a new generation of visitors. As the meeting point of two rivers, the Sava and the Danube, Belgrade was a highly connected crossroad between east and west Europe, used by traders, missionaries, tourists, ambassadors, and craftsmen who made their way through the continent by boat. Disembarking in the capital, travellers from various empires including the Romans, the Goths, the Huns, the Ottomans, and the Austro-Hungarians often left their own particular imprint on the city. These impressions can be experienced through local attractions such as the Belgrade Fortress, a historic complex comprising of the old citadel and Kalemegdan Park where visitors can gaze over the confluence of the two rivers.
Just as no two neighbourhoods are alike, no two Hotel Indigo hotels are alike. Like its Old Town surroundings Hotel Indigo Belgrade’s architecture showcases the mishmash of cultures and styles born from the city’s fascinating history. Centrally located in the main pedestrian area, between Kneza Mihailova and Čika Ljubina streets, sitting above luxury retail stores, the hotel has 46 boutique bedrooms with two distinctive room styles to choose from. Drawing inspiration from the Brutalist architecture that is very apparent in Belgrade, the hotel’s Brutalism-inspired room style has concrete walls contrasted with unique artwork and textiles with unusual geometric shapes. The Art Deco room was designed to evoke the Art Deco period of the city with the use of muted pastel colours and arches in the headboard to mimic the design influence of this prominent era.
Upon entering the hotel, guests will be greeted by an eye-catching reception, which has been specially designed to mimic the shape of a local monument, Knez Mihailo, with locally made Serbian rugs hanging above. The use of gold throughout the lobby, reception area and lift is inspired by the nearby National Museum which was originally built as a bank. If guests look closely, the walls of the lift are covered in hidden poems by some of the nation’s most famous poets. The hotel’s living room pays homage to the coming together of trade routes with an eclectic mix of styles through the ages, from Pirot rugs, a national treasure from Southern Serbia, to 70’s inspired floor lamps. Throughout the hotel, the artwork is inspired from the local and vibrant creative art scene in the city.
Veljko Antonić, General Manager, Hotel Indigo Belgrade, commented on the opening: “This hotel is a stunning representation of Belgrade and the Hotel Indigo brand. The city has so much to offer those looking to discover a new destination and with our unique design and thoughtful touches inspired by the local history and surrounding influences, guests can get a flavour of the neighbourhood through our hotel before heading off to explore the city for themselves.”
Hotel Indigo has unique restaurants and bars that are standout social destinations where guests and locals dine together, and the hotel’s Duke Restaurant is no different. The restaurant brings a modern twist on traditional Serbian cuisine by combining age-old recipes and unique Serbian spices with locally sourced ingredients and a modern twist.
Hotel Indigo, the world’s largest boutique hotel brand, has 129 hotels globally, with another 116 set to open in the coming years*. A selection of openings are coming up towards the end of 2021 including Hotel Indigo Vancouver-Downtown, Washington, Hotel Indigo Flushing, New York and Hotel Indigo New Orleans French Quarter in the US. Openings in 2022 include Hotel Indigo Karuizawa and Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden in Japan, Hotel Indigo Brisbane in Australia, Hotel Indigo Galapagos in Ecuador and Hotel Indigo Vienna, Austria.
