Columbus needs more hotel rooms.
That was the message Monday morning at the grand opening of Hotel Indigo in downtown Columbus. For years, the city has struggled to attract conferences due to a lack of hotel rooms. But local leaders hope the boutique hotel’s ribbon-cutting can help change that.
Hotel Indigo, 21 14th St., is just south of the TSYS parking garage, along the Chattahoochee Riverwalk between 13th and 14th Streets.
“We needed more rooms, obviously, downtown, so that we could draw bigger conventions and more folks to come into our trade and convention center,” Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson said. “But beyond that, you get a boutique hotel, with the reputation of Indigo. ... The views up the river and down the river, you almost forget you’re in Columbus, Georgia.”
The hotel consists of 107 guest rooms, according to a press kit, including: 5 king studio suites, 31 premium rooms and 71 standard rooms.
The hotel also has a 24-hour fitness center, heated swimming pool and 2,500 square feet of conference and meeting space. It also features a rooftop bar overlooking the Chattahoochee River and a restaurant, Denim & Oak Riverfront Restaurant.
“We really are becoming more of a destination city,” Henderson said. “To have a hotel like this, with a location and this kind of reputation that Indigo brings, I think it’s going to really provide a destination for people who otherwise might not have stopped in Columbus.”
The $30 million, seven-story hotel was originally set to open before the end of 2020, the Ledger-Enquirer previously reported. Construction on the hotel began in October 2019.
An AC Hotel by Marriott, a six-story, $20 million property, is currently under construction in downtown Columbus, in addition to a Hampton hotel. A $10 million effort is well underway to revitalize historic City Mills, which will eventually include a hotel, restaurant and more.
Hotel Indigo’s opening works in tandem with those other projects, Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce CEO Jerald Mitchell said, because of the space it provides.
“We’re really excited about this — this is just another tool in our arsenal when it comes to being able to attract and recruit new businesses, new jobs and new private investment to the area,” Mitchell told the Ledger-Enquirer.
Individuals who wish to book with Hotel Indigo can do so by calling 877-846-3446 or by visiting the hotel’s website.
WC Bradley Co. Real Estate President and COO Pace Halter said he thinks the hotel will be a great pull for the tourist market.
Hotel Indigo is a “trendy” hotel, Halter said, but will also attract business travelers and those traveling for conventions.
“Hotel Indigo bolsters the hospitality industry in Columbus,” Visit Columbus President and CEO Peter Bowden said. “This hotel and its staff allow Columbus as a destination to expand and attract audiences and market segments.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Pace Halter. He is the W.C. Bradley Co. Real Estate President & COO.