Haiku is Hotel Indigo’s preferred form of communication. This style of poetry is composed of three-lines, the first with five syllables, the second with seven syllables, and the third with five syllables. The simple graceful form is anchored in mathematics but allows for limitless expressions, which pretty well captures the design concept behind Hotel Indigo, the industry’s first “branded boutique” hotel.

Hotel Indigo, an Intercontinental Hotel Group brand, is created to be an environment that doesn’t just shelter guests, but inspires and reenergizes them. To do this, each unique property is carefully conceived to fit into the natural surroundings. The first Pacific coast Hotel Indigo is located in Ontario Rancho Cucamonga, California. Wholesale Commercial Interiors, Inc. (WCI) a comprehensive design firm out of Portland, OR was commissioned to design the project so that it fithe feeling of the locale. The property includes 92 guest rooms and 34 suites. WCI’s longtime partner, Northland Furniture, manufactured all the headboards, nightstands, desks and chest of drawers throughout the hotel.

The project presented refreshing and unique design opportunities. According to Jennifer Hatfield, owner and founder of WCI “The franchise does not dictate the exact design, so our designers were able to use their creativity within the specification parameters to create a bright and lively atmosphere.” Interior Designer Larissa Burden was the Project Coordinator for Hotel Indigo Ontario, she worked with Lead Designer Tracy Thompson to create spaces that combine math, art and nature in perfect symmetry. The Hotel Indigo design concept is based on natural elements and the “Golden Mean,” also known as the Fibonacci Sequence or Phi. This is evident in the Hotel’s brand icon, the chambered nautilus, which embodies the universal design constant. The designers used a “pure” color palette for the project, made of distinctive hues of aqua, butter yellow, crimson, black and crisp whites. Natural shapes and textures are used throughout the property to provide a sense of universal connection. One of the unique requirements of the brand franchise is that each corridor and guestroom, as well as the fitness center and the bar, must have murals that depict the California landscape.

The project also presented a challenge. Construction of the hotel was already a quarter complete when the decision was made to franchise as a Hotel Indigo. For WCI, this meant working closely with IHG’s design department to become familiar with the brand requirements. Fortunately, WCI is uniquely qualified to handle the design, purchasing and installation for the entire project in all areas of the hotel. “Having a good relationship with our vendors, distributors and manufacturers was extremely beneficial in getting products to the property in time for the opening,” says Thompson.

The soul of the Hotel Indigo brand is the retail-inspired concept of renewal. Much like a store changes its display window seasonally, WCI designers created an active interior, adorned with nature-inspired elements that accommodate regular décor changes. “At the heart of the design is the dark wood designs of the flooring and furniture,” says Thompson. “Its aesthetic brings warmth to the guestrooms, plus it provides a very solid design foundation. That allowed us to make a very dynamic interior.” Within the guestrooms area rugs sit on top of the Wilsonart Commercial Flooring design “Black Walnut.” The rugs, along with the plush duvets, slipcovers and even murals are switched periodically, providing even the most frequent guest with fresh experiences. Common spaces that are enhanced with music and aromas also change with the seasons. But one thing that remains the same is the “Vertical Bamboo- Black” HPL floor that welcomes guests to registration. “We chose natural elements throughout the property, but there was no way we could use real wood for the floor. Wilsonart Commercial Flooring gave us the look of wood, which ties into the entry garden and locale. But unlike real wood floors, the commercial laminate has legs. It will look great even in high traffic areas like registration,” says Burden.

Likewise, Ebony HPL from Formica’s Naturelle collection was used for the horizontal surfaces of all the furniture. “The HPL was specified for the furniture tops because that is where the guests are going to set their coffee cups,” says Mike Angus, Director of Operations for Northland Furniture, ”if you don’t have HPL on top you are going to end up with little circles. It turns into a maintenance nightmare for housekeeping.” Northland furniture specified the materials and built the pieces based on Thompson’s design. All the furniture has solid maple moldings and legs. The box sides are made from a maple veneer laid up on formaldehyde-free particleboard from States Industries, which uses a soy-based glue rather then a polymer-based adhesive. “All of our furniture is made with the greenest materials available. The particleboard is very uniform and workable, plus it comes out of Eugene, Oregon, so it is very local to our manufacturing facility. The UV finish in “espresso” is 99.9% solid. Not only does it fit the look of the design, but it is extremely hard and emits virtually no VOC’s,” says Angus. The stain and lacquer used in the finishing comes from Akzo Nobel located out of Bend, Oregon. “We try to source our materials from suppliers who are close to home,” says Angus.

Although the use of non-CARB compliant materials is allowed in California for an extended period of time to provide suppliers and manufacturers an opportunity to work through their current inventory, Northland Furniture manufactures their case goods exclusively out of CARB compliant materials. According to Angus, it has been an easy switch to adopt because most manufacturers have updated their materials and operations to make certain their products can still be sold in CA. Northland Furniture maintains a very low inventory and buys all their raw materials right before beginning to build a project. This helps them to stay on top of advancing material technology.

Egyptian cotton
Four-hundred threadcount heaven
Sleep in angel wings

In addition to the contribution to indoor air quality and the durability the furnishings were built to be elegant. Brushed-metal accents add a little light play to the headboards, while unique shapes and clean lines provide a foundation that the rest of the interior features can virtually dance around. Hotel Indigo, Ontario, CA is a great example of WCI’s ability to coordinate every aspect of a design, from flooring and casework to wall coverings, drapes and soft goods. “We have worked with WCI for 10 years. They cultivate supplier relationships, which makes it possible for them to deliver complete packages to their clients,” explains Angus. “Their complete service means that the customer does not have to worry about any of the little details of the job, WCI takes care of everything.” This comprehensive approach made WCI especially well-suited to do the design for Hotel Indigo, Ontario, CA since the interiors change with the seasons.

The Hotel Indigo brand uses art, math and nature to provide the weary traveler with a peaceful and refreshing experience. Each unique location resonates with the surrounding environment. When the team at WCI was hired for the first Pacific coast location, they used their creative wisdom and supplier relationships to create a design package that was not only in harmony with the surroundings, but was also finished on time.

Totally at ease
I bask in sunny environs
Life’s one big hammock