Luxury Hotel Indigo Turns 1 in Santa Ana

During a recent celebration to honor Hotel Indigo’s first anniversary, Tourism Minister Carlos Ricardo Benavides applauded the luxury-brand hotel, the latest InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) addition on Costa Rican soil. The sleek, super-contemporary, 100-bed facility lies between Forum 1 and 2 business centers along the trendy Vía Lindora in Santa Ana, southwest of San José.

Calling it one of the best hotel options in the Central Valley, Benavides toasted the hotel’s proprietors, Prime Holding, on receiving the IHG Developer of the Year 2009 award in recognition of the quality infrastructure, professionalism and service found at Indigo, the only hotel in Latin America to receive such a commendation.

“We think Hotel Indigo achieves a perfect balance of modernity and function, providing guests with the highest standards of quality and service,” Prime Holding President Jorge Hernández said.

Catering to both business executives and well-heeled tourists, Indigo was designed to reflect Costa Rica’s culture and tropical backdrop. Rich terra-cotta, forest-green and lime tones pervade the spacious lobby area, restaurant and rooms, from the soft furnishings to the wall colors. The outdoor freeform pool seems to incorporate the falling waters from an imposing three-story-high photomural of the waterfall at Río Celeste, in northern Costa Rica. The rooms and suites are similarly decorated with whole wall murals to complement the fresh clean lines of wood laminate flooring, king-size beds, 37-inch flat-screen TVs and stylish solid-wood furniture sourced from sustainable plantations.

Other environmental considerations incorporate low-flow toilets, biodegradable Aveda toiletries, showers only (shunning bathtubs to save water) and a water treatment plant to recycle gray water for use in the gardens.

The hotel’s Golden Bean restaurant offers an international menu with an Italian slant and Costa Rican touches, adjacent to the well-stocked Phi lounge and bar. Other amenities include a well-equipped gym, two conference rooms, Wi-Fi throughout, a Continental Airlines booking counter and a tour desk.

Each Hotel Indigo forming part of IHG’s international boutique brand is unique in style and character, but Costa Rica’s design has been viewed so positively, it will be used as a model for further Indigo hotels in Latin America. Nonguests are welcome to come in for a meal or a drink and enjoy the cool of this new little gem in Costa Rica’s crown of quality hotels.