Hotel Indigo a welcome addition to QLD’s retro hotel club
A 1970s skyscraper got a colourful conversion with the opening of 212-room Hotel Indigo in Brisbane’s CBD.
The towering inferno that engulfed a building in Sydney’s inner-city Surry Hills in May caused a loss that most didn’t realise until the charred rubble was cleared a few days later. Although standing unloved and largely empty – except for some rough sleepers who had moved in while the premises were awaiting redevelopment – the building, known as the R.C. Henderson Ladies’ Hat Factory, was about to be converted into a glamorous boutique hotel.
Set to be reimagined and renamed the Hat Hotel, the building, constructed in 1908 and for decades used as a, yes, millinery factory, was awaiting conversion to a 114-room lodging designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. The fire utterly destroyed it, and who knows what will become of the site once the dust has settled.
The loss put me in mind of other hotels in which I have stayed recently, from the Capella in the grand 1912 sandstone former NSW Education Building, to the Porter House in the 1876-built Johnson & Sons leather & grindery site, both in Sydney’s CBD.
And I’m reminded of it again as we pull into Brisbane’s newish Indigo hotel, which my Brisbane-born husband immediately identifies as occupying Turbot Street’s “old Ansett building”.
“Dad’s offices were in this building,” he says, recollecting the ’70s when his old man was a barrister and this tall white brick building was one of the city’s original skyscrapers. The Brisbane Law Courts were, and still are, just across the way, and the building was a thriving part of the city’s legal precinct before the lawyers moved into more salubrious premises elsewhere.
The 212-room Hotel Indigo is not quite like the heritage hotels of Sydney, which occupy rather stately old buildings and heritage factory conversions, but a part of a tangential breed: the mid-century or retro property that is being revitalised with cool new purposes. This is sort of a high-rise version of the motel renovation trend that’s resulting in unloved properties becoming fashionable again (Cabarita’s Halcyon House; The Sunseeker, Byron Bay). It’s certainly not a bad thing to see daggy properties that might have been earmarked for demolition be saved and converted into something useful, and even beautiful, in their quirky way.
Hotel Indigo, part of the IHG Group, opened in October with a thoughtful fit-out and perspective that is keen to emphasise the Brisbane location. Although nothing is made of the old Ansett building roots, inspiration instead comes from other elements of Queensland life. The design gleans an identity from Brisbane writer Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe novel, with the ground floor entrance scattered with wonky old pianos and stacks of school ports, one of which is emblazoned with the moniker of Brisbane State High. Externally, a 16-floor mural, painted by Brisbane artist Blends, depicts a blue wren that features in the text.
Inside, the hotel has Japanese references, including Izakaya Publico, a Japanese grill, and 1603, a sake bar (which also offers local drinks and cocktails for those not enamoured of sake).
The rooms are contemporary and Scandi-leaning – white sheets, polished oak floorboards, muted tones with splashes of mid-century pop colours – with luxe bathrooms that include double rainwater showers. The CBD aspect from our 14th floor window gives a sense of the rapid urbanisation of a once sleepy CBD that’s spawning skyscraper after skyscraper.
A decade ago, the Turbot Street location would have been off-putting and even now this part of the city is not exactly the heaving tourist hub that other Brisbane locations enjoy (witness James Street, Fortitude Valley, with its flashy Calile Hotel). But from here you can easily traverse Brisbane’s slightly baffling myriad of bridges towards the South Bank arts precinct, or head to the heart of the city for a caffeine fix. (We try the much-lauded Felix For Goodness cafe, which has Melbourne laneway vibes, and attitude).
Hotel Indigo is a welcome addition to the retro hotel club. Here’s to creating more of them, before these worthy buildings turn to ashes.
Hotel Indigo, Brisbane
Perfect for: Brisbane nostalgics, retro lovers, CBD visitors looking for an arty experience.
Must do: Check out Hotel Indigo’s many artworks and quirky nooks. The 1603 bar does great cocktails. If you’re heading out of the hotel, walk across the Kurilpa Bridge to South Bank to explore the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art. A healthy dining precinct has sprung up behind the precinct, with plenty of interesting restaurants and bars. We have a great dinner at Bar Rosa (barrosa.com.au), a theatre district Italian wine bar serving pastas and snacks. In the morning, the hotel does a worthy buffet breakfast or find your way to Felix for Goodness in Burnett Lane (felixforgoodness.com) for oversized breakfasts in a faintly louche back alley location.
Bottom line: Rates from $279.
Getting there: Hotel Indigo is at 27/35 Turbot St, Brisbane. The CBD is 20 minutes from Brisbane airport.
