There are a few hotels that I am willing to “collect.”
By “collect,” I mean setting a goal to stay at every location of a specific brand, which can be quite time-consuming. It’s a lifelong endeavor.
Naturally, there’s no need to mention Aman, MO, and Relais & Châteaux. These are my top choices whenever I travel.
As for other brands, within the Hyatt group, my pick is Park Hyatt; for Marriott, it’s the Luxury Collection; for IHG, it has to be Indigo; and within Accor, MGallery stands out.
I like Park Hyatt for its aloofness, which matches my style, while the Luxury Collection, Indigo, and MGallery appeal to me because each property is unique.
Yes, I dislike uniformity and am especially fond of distinctiveness.
At the end of last year, a new Indigo opened in Hangzhou.
It’s located within the West Lake Scenic Area, nestled against Yuhuang Mountain. It offers a peaceful retreat amidst urban hustle and bustle, embodying the essence of old Hangzhou.
Unfortunately, I was tied up with the Double 11 shopping festival at the time, so I kept postponing my visit.
This time, my primary motivation for visiting was the food. My good friend, Mr. Zhou, told me that Indigo Shangcheng is offering an incredibly cost-effective lunch for just RMB 198 for two people.
The meal includes salad, eggs benedict, two main dishes, two desserts, and two beverages. It’s a great deal.
I was so focused on eating that I didn’t take a picture of the entire set, but trust me, the portions are generous and the price is reasonable.
You can find the menu on the hotel’s mini-program and make purchases directly. For anyone planning to go, you can order right through the mini-program.
However, the hotel mini-program is non-refundable, so I suggest purchasing it after you arrive at the restaurant. The offer is valid until May 31.
After the meal, I took a stroll around the Indigo and instantly fell in love with it.
This isn’t surprising; most Indigo hotels are like breathtaking first-sight beauties, with eye-catching elements and compelling design.
That first impression was powerful enough for me to arrange an overnight stay.
While first impressions rely on impact, how it grows on you over time—becoming increasingly charming and pleasing—depends on its “character.”
I’ve stayed at quite a few hotels within six months of their opening, and because they’re still in a teething period, most can rightly be described as “a chaotic mess.”
But the Indigo Hotel in Upper Town is an exception—it can definitely be described as “full of details.”
The hotel staff uniforms come in numerous sets. Different areas and job functions have completely different uniforms.
The receptionists’ outfits are evocative of the Song Dynasty, instantly increasing their approachability. I heard the male version is even better, complete with skirts, but I missed seeing that since the male attendants weren’t on duty the day I visited.
The following two sets are from the restaurant staff; they look great too.
Both the evening turndown service and check-out gifts are exceptionally thoughtful.
The turndown service includes two bottles of craft cocktails, one flavored with Jingshan tea and osmanthus, and the other with Jiuqu Hongmei tea and pineapple.
Jingshan tea and Jiuqu Hongmei are both specialties of Hangzhou, but not as well-known as Longjing. It’s nice—less mainstream but still distinctive. Indeed, Indigo’s recommendations are unique.
The check-out gift is an instant coffee from the collaborative line between “Yongpu” and Indigo Upper Town.
This morning coffee and evening alcohol combination clearly shows that Indigo understands what today’s young people want.
For multi-night stays or certain premium room types, the hotel might even throw in a plush toy.
This plush toy is a collaboration between the hotel and Super Vitality Factory’s independent trendy toy brand “Sweet Fantasy TimeShare.” It’s a little toy with a Southern Song Dynasty style—very thoughtful indeed.
Indigo Upper Town has put a lot of effort into various details.
The room keys are made of eco-friendly wood, a set of four that tell a story set in the Southern Song Dynasty when pieced together. They say collecting all four can “summon a dragon,” but I don’t know if that’s true. If anyone has stayed and collected them all, feel free to leave a comment.
The bathrobes feature butterfly embroidery and are a short style that flatters the figure. They wouldn’t suit me, but a quick search on Little Red Book reveals that they do look pretty good on the ladies.
The minibar is fully stocked and at Indigo Upper Town, it’s free.
Their minibar includes some nice things, like craft beer, small cans of Jingshan tea, and even custom water bottles with Hangzhou dialect labels.
The glasses in the room are also custom-made, handmade by craftsmen using wood-fired pottery techniques.
Another exceptionally thoughtful touch is the breakfast at Indigo Upper Town.
My first impression after eating was how similar it felt to the Park Hyatt. It turns out the core staff of the culinary team have experience working in high-star international brand hotels, all coming from “big venues.”
There are over a hundred hotels in Hangzhou, but it seems that only Park Hyatt and Indigo Hangzhou Uptown offer in-room breakfast service.
Falling in love with a city can start with its breakfast. At Indigo Hangzhou Uptown, you can enjoy Hangzhou specialties such as pan-fried buns, jiaozi, wontons, xiaolongbao, pian’er chuan noodles, Dingsheng cakes, and scallion pancakes, among others.
Located at the foot of the old imperial city, these are the typical breakfasts eaten here daily.
It is said that in the evening, the bar serves crispy intestines and skewers as side dishes, which are learned from Deming, a restaurant highly recommended at the nearby Baguaxincun.
Since I don’t drink, I didn’t try it.
Now that the details are covered, let’s talk about the hotel.
Indigo Hangzhou Uptown’s interior design was done by HBA, incorporating many elements of the Southern Song Dynasty. With Hangzhou being the capital of the Southern Song and the hotel situated beneath the imperial city’s old foundation, this design concept makes perfect sense.
Upon entering, you are greeted by a golden corridor, reminiscent of the Southern Song Dynasty’s capital city described as “streets paved with gold” in Marco Polo’s travelogue.
The lobby’s lounge area is quite popular on social media, featuring hanging swing chairs and pink sofas that cater to the feminine aesthetic.
The hotel has only one restaurant, called “印” (Yin), which is inspired by the movable type printing of the Four Great Inventions and also echoes the name Indigo.
It’s not easy for Indigo’s restaurants; most Indigo hotels have just one restaurant, which has to cater to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as afternoon tea and evening bar service.
Indigo’s restaurant must be visually appealing.
“印” (Yin) restaurant has an outdoor area, which is likely to be very popular when the weather warms up.
The overall appearance of the hotel is quite high. There are many spots ideal for taking stylish photos. It’s clear that HBA put a lot of thought into the design.
Indigo Hangzhou Uptown primarily offers two themed room types: “Songya” and “Songchao.”
I’ve seen both, and personally, I prefer the “Songchao” theme. This room type features a screen in the middle, which divides the 42-square-meter space into sleeping and living areas, giving it a mini-suite feel.
The hardware quality is also excellent, featuring Marshall speakers and Dyson hairdryers as standard. Notice that this Dyson hairdryer is a unique gold-colored model, further highlighting Indigo’s distinctiveness.
Finally, let’s talk about the surroundings.
Indigo focuses on neighborhoods, so its location is naturally well-considered. This one is in the old southern part of Hangzhou, near the West Lake scenic area, which is relatively quiet yet rich in local flavors. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the everyday life of Hangzhou can be felt here.
There are many Hangzhou cuisine restaurants around the area.
In my view, this place is indisputably the gathering spot for private dining in Hangzhou. If you’re looking to try affordable and delicious Hangzhou cuisine, this is a great choice.
Demin, Jinzhongbang, Fangjia Kitchen, Baxian Gouhai, and Mutou Noodle House… these are the stars of Hangzhou’s street food scene.
This spot is perfect for holidaymakers who dislike crowds or for those visiting Hangzhou for the second or third time.
The Silk Museum, often touted as the most photogenic museum in Hangzhou (perhaps there isn’t even one that compares), is nearby. It’s free of charge, so you can just walk right in.
The Southern Song Dynasty Guan Kiln Museum is also nearby, with its beautiful celadon wares; who wouldn’t love that?
Near the hotel is Dazifu Temple Front Street. Many locals in Hangzhou might not even know about this street, where you can see the city’s traditional heritage.
Additionally, the Bagua Field is just a 3-5 minute taxi ride from the hotel. It is a fantastic destination for weekend outings with your kids.
Lastly, let’s talk about the service at the Indigo Hotel in Shangcheng.
Here’s a salient piece of data: the hotel has 136 rooms but over 120 staff members, giving it an almost 1:1 staff-to-guest ratio. And, this Indigo only has one restaurant.
Claiming excellent service in words can be empty, but service quality is reflected in the staffing ratio. The higher this ratio, the better the service.
As is customary, a hotel report should come with a selfie, so here’s one to make up for it.
