Hotel Indigo Athens Downtown – Univ Area

Being often hard to impress and reserving 5 star ratings for only the best experiences, I have to say my stay at Hotel Indigo was a pleasant surprise while traveling through Georgia.
The staff greets you and attends to any needs you have, but doesn’t pester or annoy you with things many other hotel chains do. From the front desk staff, restaurant servers to the maintenance personnel, everyone was very friendly, said hello and made the stay here more pleasant than I expected.
The kitchen/​bar stays open till 11:00 each night and the nachos were awesome. The steel cut oatmeal and coffee ordered through room service arrived in a few minutes and all were excellent. Costs for hotel and meals were very reasonable and if I return to Athens area, I’ll book my stay here.

I was incredibly disappointed with our stay at this hotel. We stayed here for a wedding this weekend (at a discounted price) — but I can assure you, had it not been for the wedding, I would have turned around & walked out the moment we stepped in our room even with the discounted price.
1. Our room smelled like urine.
2. The front desk personal were not unfriendly, but they certainly were not helpful or willing to go above & beyond like most individuals in the hospitality realm would have. When I asked for a menu to the restaurant (I was downstairs at the front desk), I was told there was one in my room.
3. You can hear everything. & by everything I mean EVERYTHING. We knew when the people above us got to their room because you could hear where their luggage was being rolled across the floor. You could hear every toilet flush. You could hear every conversation. The walls & ceilings sound incredibly thin.
4. The pillows were pillows you might find for $ 10 at Walmart. Best Western hotels have nicer pillows. These flat pillows did not hold their shape or give you any support whatsoever.
5. There was one hanging light on the left side of the bathroom — perfect for uneven makeup application. Not to mention the lake of exhaust fan. So if you’re trying to get ready quietly while your spouse sleeps – good luck! Because you can’t see the mirror for a long time after you get out of the shower!
6. I called to ask about a shuttle & got hung up on. & I watched another individual do that same thing at the front desk-​they don’t know how to use the phones!
7. I was given incorrect information-​or maybe a nice 30 minute stroll is what people are looking for when they ask for something «with a short walking distance.»
8. The chairs were stained.
9. There’s no closet door-​just a curtain. Which isn’t the end of the world, but if you’re going to ask me to pay that much for a night in your hotel-​put a door on the closet. & while I’m on that note-​the whole hotel was like that. «We’ll call this look, easy & cool – but really it’s just cheap & lazy, but we will charge people for the easy & cool look.»
This hotel is something I would expect from a hotel that costs half the amount we paid – at a DISCOUNT! All of these things are not the end of the world, but for surrounding hotels that charge $ 80/​night, I expect high class above & beyond service. I expect to see things that I won’t see at the competing hotels in the area. I expect to walk into my room & think wow-​this is worth it. I expect to walk away & give 5 stars because that’s what they expect us to pay for.
I do have to say, there was a woman working at the restaurant who was incredibly helpful & accommodating. She wanted my experience there to be one to remember-​& it was. She belongs in hospitality. She was so kind & it was clear that her goal was to make her guests feel like a million bucks.
I can promise I will never stay in another hotel indigo & will never recommend to my friends & family to stay there. In fact, I will be sure to tell them they’d be better off at a Hilton or Best Western.

Absolutely perfect! Super easy check in/​check out, gorgeous clean room, and the most perfect pillows!

I love these hotels.
This is the second time I’ve stayed at the hotel indigo. First time was in San Antonio. That was my first taste of the Indigo franchise. It has always been on business. And I never thought there was more than one, having never heard of them. We always have fast check in, clean rooms, delicious food, friendly staff, what more can you ask for, honestly?! I enjoy the modern décor and color schemes throughout the hotel. I especially enjoyed the mini art gallery that was here when we stayed.
Never having been to Athens or really knowing much about the area, we went walking through the streets to find out all about it. It was beautiful and so different from where I am from. We enjoyed the college atmosphere that was all around and totally fell in love with the shops and restaurants in the area. I spent a bit too much money at a few of them. This is definitely the hotel to stay at in Athens!
Any chance I get, I will book with Hotel Indigo!

We were lucky enough to stay here during a more quiet time in Athens — no home game or major event happening. That means we had the hotel to ourselves for the most part AND that we were upgraded to a penthouse room with no charge. Room # lucky 13! It had a stellar view of downtown but the curtains shut out all the city light when it came time to get our shuteye.
The good:
— friendly staff willing to help and to offer concise directions, etc
— clean inside and out which is no easy feat in a downtown area known for drinking and carousing in the evening
— well stocked bar and patio area with ample seating
— very comfortable bedding with lots and lots of pillows PLUS extra blankets tucked away in the closet
— private, patrolled parking lot with a good number of spaces (maybe 100?)
— quiet in rooms although I imagine the bar and patio can get hopping and loud if you are on the back part of hotel… especially on game weekends, holidays and festivals
— location is excellent!
— quick taxi service courtesy call
— safe to walk any and everywhere
— grounds watered from rain collection cistern in patio area
— they promote local coffee, beer, etc. by providing them to you either at the bar or in your room
— robes provided
— bike rentals provided
— LEED certified (YES!)
— pets allowed and even pampered to the max if you are so inclined
— local art exhibitions rotate regularly
The space is ruthlessly hip modern with exposed beams, vaulted ceilings, sky high windows, shiny metal everywhere, etc. The word ‘warm’ doesn’t really apply here but it’s not a generic chain hotel look either. I personally prefer places with a bit of quirk and/​or age to them but this place still impressed me with its attention to detail. They even have framed posters on the wall from bands affiliated with the Athens music culture — Widespread Panic, Pylon, Elf Power, REM, B-52’s, etc. Nice touch.
Aveda body products. Even fancy schmancy makeup remover wipes and a big ol’ lighted face mirror that showed me just how bad those circles under my eyes were.
Now for a few negatives:
— food via room service is way too expensive (duh) as are some of the drinks but if you so choose you can walk or taxi/​über just a ways for a ton of different dining/​drinking experience
— housekeeping was extremely noisy at 9am and it was difficult for us to try to sleep in
— wine selections are on the ‘meh’ side
Other things you need to know:
— bar closes at 10pm if not earlier weekdays
— parking is $ 10 and the cheapest downtown BUT there are 3 free spaces in front of the loading zone
— DO NOT PARK IN THE LOT ACROSS THE STREET because that is UGA/​downtown numbered parking and they do NOT mess around with that business and will tow you
— for the love of all that is holy PLEASE be careful crossing Prince Ave when walking downtown because Athens drivers are some of the worst when it comes to stopping for pedestrians… seriously!
— the lobby is 24 hours
— you need your key to a) make the elevator work and b) make your bathroom lights work
So, our stay was all things good. I will say that if you come during busier times of the year you should expect a bit more, um, gregarious folks who will probably do more than prop their sock shod feet on a table. The hotel cannot be blamed for that though nor do I expect them to police adult patrons unless they’re totally out of control. It’s just a heads up that if you come during a festival or game or the like then you might have a different experience in some ways than we did this week.

Wonderfully appointed rooms, very good restaurant/​Bar, friendly staff.

My wedding reception was held in the Rialto Room in July. It was completely amazing! The pictures online do not do this room justice! The staff was so friendly and helpful. They spoiled us by upgrading my husband I and his groomsmen to two pent house suites and we got to stay in one for our wedding night. There were several wedding parties staying on site our weekend but you never would have known! This was the best night of my life and I’m so glad we chose to stay here.

We are here for our Daughters wedding. We wanted to stay at a nice hotel for our friends and family coming in from out of town. We are not disappointed… it is a little more modern than we are used to but it is spacious and gentle on the eyes. The staff is Excellent! If I were to stay in a great hotel in Athens in the future, I would certainly pick this Hotel again!!!

Clean, spacious, very modern hotel. Friendly staff and great location. Needs a little more lighting and desk space for the business traveler but do able. No fan in the bathroom is a miss. Parking charge should be waived for guests.

Great hotel with awesome staff. Stayed here for a wedding and it was a very awesome stay. Looks kind of weird from the outside but the inside is very nice and has a cool bar.

Was I at a hotel or some sort of spa? The room was super clean with a very modern earthy feel. I loved the wood floors and the concrete ceiling. Can’t believe they had disposable makeup wash towels! Would definitely recommend booking a room here if you’re hitting up Athens!

Nice place with a modern décor. I was fortunate enough to stay in the penthouse. Very nice rooms — spacious and comfortable with excellent views.
Everyone was friendly and courteous too.

My now wife and I stayed there for our wedding weekend, along with nearly 100 friends and family, and the hotel staff could not have been nicer. Great rooms, friendly staff from manager to housekeeping — HIGHLY recommend!!!

Pricey for the minimalistic (executive) room. Room was very dark, had tiny (unusable) desk, slow internet, and soft beds. Even though the hotel is relatively new, there was no charging station for iPhones, etc. The hotel is located across the street from a fire station although our room was on the other side and was quiet. Front desk staff tried to be helpful.

Nice enough but a bit of a let down. Didn’t service the room at all — had to call for fresh towels. Bed was not made. Plus wifi, although free, is barbaric. Real 1990’s amenities. No plugs and no wifi service. I checked on
and upload speed was 40 kb/​sec! That’s like a dial up modem from last century. My iPhone gets 200x the speed of the hotel wifi. And I stayed in the expensive rooms in the «penthouse» (just the top floor — you don’t get anything extra (like clean rooms!)), So it thinks its a swanky hotel (and I think the 10 year olds will like it) but its really an amateur stab at a classy hotel. Save you money an stay at motel 6. You’ll get better service and save some dough.

We recently held our wedding here at the rialto club. It was amazing!!! The hotel staff was wonderful. Our guests loved their rooms, and I did not hear a single complaint. If you can, stay in one of the presidential suites. The lighting in the baby grand suite is perfect for pictures. We could not be happier with our experience!

We had a great stay at Indigo for an impromptu girls night out. The hotel is beautiful, nice sized rooms and very convenient to downtown shops, bars and restaurants.
We especially loved the night staff, Ryan at the front desk and Liz, the security guard. They were very helpful and eager to please. Overall, we had a great stay!
Only complaint is that the café/​bistro/​bar was completely closed on Saturday at lunchtime. We hoped to have a mimosa before shopping, but had to go elsewhere.

Is this the best you can do for $ 200/​night +$ 10 for parking Hotel Indigo? quite the disappointment you were.
First, let me start with the good:
1. Great design indeed.
2. Good location in relation to its proximity to the University and the market/​restaurants etc. Other than that the location sucks –the hotel is surrounded by parking lots and is across from what seems to be a not-​so-​well maintained apartment complex (nice view of the overfilled garbage)
3.The hotel staff were very friendly.
4. It is eco– and pet-​friendly.
5. Bed linens, bath products, and hair dryer were nice.
6. They make a mean chai latte at the coffee bar downstairs; Regular coffee was very good too. I don’t know if the kudos go to «Jittery Joe’s» or the hotel barista, but either way, it is a plus for the hotel (although they were out of cinnamon, which I consider a big problem at a coffee bar that serves lattes and cappuccinos)
Now, to the bad:
1. The service in the restaurants sucks. We go down there in the morning to get breakfast and because the dog is not allowed in the tables area we sit at the lounge area (I think that is a little stupid since one is right next to each other, in the same open space where dogs are allowed, but OK, I get why). Server comes to take our order, and I say, I think I’d like a coffee. She asks «Would you like cream?» and I respond that I’d probably get a specialty coffee. As I look through the menu she hands me when I asl what other coffee options they have (I guess she could not tell me) she walks away without saying anything! (She had not asked my husband if he wanted something to eat) Anyway, after waiting for like 10 minutes, the server a no-​show, I go up to the coffee bar and order a chai latte. Server comes long after that at which point both my babies (furry and regular) were fussy (and so was I), so we decided to get breakfast in the room. She says it will be 18% charge, plus $ 2 delivery fee (isn’t that what the 18% covers?), so I decide to just wait and take it to-​go. We get the lox bagel (which was OK) and the benedict. The benedict was called «southern» but it should have been called «mini» because it was like a miniature replica of eggs benedict (it was only one egg in a small biscuit). We had asked for potatoes but it came with grits instead (we decided not to complain cause with that server it would be on deaf ears).
2. The room had no closet… The closet space was separated by a curtain and the shelves under the TV were open. Now in a dog-​friendly hotel, that can be a problem. Unless you have a service dog, or a superbly trained dog, they will be interested in getting into your things, especially shoes while you are away. So we had to put all our stuff in the bathroom while we were gone
3. The bathroom door made a horrible squeeky noise when we opened and closed it. Baby did not appreciate that at all. A little grease would have helped Indigo. Could you, like, take care of things like that in you UPGRADED room, for which we paid extra?
4. I know it’s due to saving water purposes, but the shower has no pressure at all. Then why do you need the snazzy shower head??? I mean, the shower looks awesome, but a shower to BE awesome must also do its job well. I couldn’t figure how to turn the hand shower on, but I don’t have a PhD in shower equipment, so maybe it was me.
5. The bed was uncomfortable.
6. The ATM downstairs was out-​of-​order. Did not affect me, but it gave the place a «iffy gas station» flare (sure, I AM picky! That’s part of the reason why I Unilocal)
And, last, the ugly:
1. While waiting at the lobby lounge for the breakfast to-​go, this dude who was sitting at the round-​table in front of me (yes, one person occupying a table and four lounge chairs) took his shoes off and put his feet up on the table, white unwashed socks and everything, while talking on his cell phone. Now, this is not a review of him, but of the hotel, right? Well, would it be that bad if someone came and told him to politely put his feet down? Do they need customers that badly? And if they do, why not start by providing better service at the restaurant?

Oh… for you extended stay travelers like me. It is very good that this hotel did not «locked» the TV’s with the cable companies, so YOU CAN CONNECT a DVD player, your laptop or your Playstation 3 (like me :)) to watch Netflix or play your games.
I hate when I go to other hotels and the cable companies don’t let you connect anything in the TV so you pay for the Pay Per View movies.

I adored this hotel, as did my husband, and we would definitely stay here again upon returning to Athens. The hotel is really beautiful, clean, and overall just a nice stay.
One complaint was that upon arriving, we pulled into the lot, where we later found out there were spots for loading/​unloading/​checkin in that people were just parking in. We tried to go into the actual lot, but you need a room key. There weren’t any spots out front of the place, so we had to park a bit away to check in.
We were put in a penthouse level room that was on a corner which was great because our room was really open with lots of window space. The room was perfect — the bathroom was especially roomy and nice with a clean shower. Aveda products in the bathroom also helped! I didn’t bother to pack shampoo and what not knowing this.
There are local band posters in the rooms which is a nice touch, as well as all the modern design touches. The bed was comfortable and sheets were clean. Although my husband was more than freaked out by the shag carpet in the room, but he is one of those people who is really irked by hotels.
The location is what is really great. We were able to walk to everything downtown and not drive — really great — but CVS and some shopping are just down the road. I really liked the location.
Parking was annoying because we are nice people and didn’t park our tiny 40MPG cars in the low emissions /​hybrid vehicle parking spaces. Upon returning at night, the spots were filled with v6 engine SUVs and pick up trucks, which was kind of annoying since we were definitely the smallest and most fuel efficient cars in the lot that weekend. I don’t get having priority parking like that if you just let SUVs and what not park there. Dumb complaint? Yeah probably. Oh, and the spots are tight, so all those SUVs/​pick ups made it REALLY hard to get even into my tiny car. Plus it’s 10 dollars a day, which just made this annoying.
We got free drinks at the bar, which is really nice and comfortable and definitely easy to spend time in. It is well decorated, and there are even fire pits outside.
Definitely a great place to stay when in Athens.