Get Started

Learn more about Credit Cards, Travel Programs, Deals, and more.

Hotel Review: Hotel Indigo Lower East Side NYC

This post may contain affiliate links - Advertiser Disclosure. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review

Overview & Pricing

The Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York is located in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Manhattan, the Lower East Side. This chic hotel with considerably large rooms for NYC standards boasts stunning views, a popular rooftop bar (Mr. Purple) and is in the heart of arguably NYC’s most “foodie” neighborhood, with no shortage of restaurants and bars at walking distance.

Key Stats

  • Base Room Prices: Rooms start at $212 plus tax
  • Award Costs: 50,000 IHG points per night
  • My Stay: 2 nights in a King Deluxe with Terrace room using 1 free anniversary night from Chase IHG credit card and Points + Cash (30,000 + $96) for 2nd night.
Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Weekend nightly rate for my room type

A visit to see friends in NYC is a bi-annual tradition for me. Typically, I crash on someone’s couch but this time I had an uncapped ‘free night’ to use from my IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card and this dad of twins wanted needed some quality sleep.

Location

I moved to NYC days after graduating from college and the Lower East Side was where I spent most of my weekend evenings. The affectionately dubbed ‘LES’ is where gritty alleys meet upscale apartments, chic boutiques and hot restaurants. At night, the neighborhood draws hip, young crowds to the area’s trendy bars, music venues and restaurants.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
The hotel is located walking distance to popular neighborhoods like East Village, Soho, Little Italy and Chinatown

The hotel’s location is merely 50+ yards from the legendary Katz’s Delicatessen so you can literally peak your head out of the hotel entrance and check for lines at Katz. If no lines, go get your Pastrami Reuben Sandwich you’ve been craving with no wait.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
The hotel entrance on Ludlow street with many restaurants a few feet away!

Within walking distance from Hotel Indigo LES you have some of New York City’s most visited neighborhoods such as Soho, East Village, Little Italy and Chinatown. For a touristic visit to Times Square, Midtown or Central Park, you’ll most likely need to catch a cab or take the subway which is only 15-20 minutes away from those areas.

Lobby & Check-in

I’m a huge fan of Hotel Indigo properties as they’re probably my favorite IHG brand (prior to the acquisition of Kimpton). Every Hotel Indigo I’ve visited has a hip and chic decor that integrates itself well to the local neighborhood and the Hotel Indigo Lower East Side certainly does that.

I took the train/bus combo in from LaGuardia which cost me a total of $3.75 since I was in no rush to get into Manhattan and the one hour commute was painless since the F train ‘2nd Avenue’ stop is a few short blocks away from the hotel entrance. Upon entering I noticed a cool “LES” mural behind the concierge desk and a few bellmen opening doors for guests.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Concierge location and hotel entrance on ground floor

Once I passed the concierge on the ground floor, I walked a few feet towards the elevators that took me to the hotel lobby located on the 14th floor.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Elevators will take you to the lobby on the 14th floor

At the 14th floor lobby, the check-in desks are to the immediate left but you’d be hard-pressed to miss the lobby views.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Elevators will take you to the lobby on the 14th floor
Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Lobby views

The lobby is a sprawling space taking up the entire 14th floor with floor-to-ceiling windows and incredible views.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Sitting area in the lobby
Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Plush seating areas with cool design
Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Heart shaped art piece installation in the lobby

During the day I’d see some folks with their laptops open getting some work done while having a latte at the Lobby Cafe and Bar on the 14th floor. The lobby also provides free usage of Apple desktops with a password that can be attained at the check-in desk.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Cafe bar in the lobby area of 14th floor with snacks and refreshments for purchase

I was immediately checked-in by a very friendly lady who happened to share my last name. I asked politely if there was a terrace room available (two levels above the standard room booked with the free night) as I badly wanted some outdoor space in my room, an  uncommon feature in New York City hotels. She checked her inventory and found only one room with a terrace available for both of my nights. I don’t know how many terrace room types they have but with a total of 294 guest rooms occupying 26 floors, I was ecstatic and felt extremely lucky to snag a 7th floor room with a terrace.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
7th floor king bed with terrace room views of lower Manhattan

Getting upgraded at check-in is a constant reminder to always be nice to hotel staff. There’s no better hotel status than to be kind to the people who have the ability to hook you up with a more comfortable room type.

Room Review

Guest rooms at Hotel Indigo are chic, comfortable and spacious. The most striking detail of the room is the large, colorful wall murals created by graffiti artist Lee Quiñones, which showcases the hotel’s artsy approach.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Wall mural inside guest room

All the rooms have hardwood floors with desks accompanied by ergonomic chairs. Other features of the rooms are 42-inch flat-screen TV’s, minibars with local items, Keurig coffeemakers, robes, safes, and free Wi-Fi.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Hardwood floors are common in most Hotel Indigo properties. Very NYC!
Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Decent size desk with lamp light and ergonomic chair if you need to get some work done

I slept like a baby both nights on this King bed accompanied by 300 thread count of linens.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
.The mattress was perfect for my taste and the bed sheets were cool and comfortable

The bathrooms are very spacious, I’d label them ‘very big’ for NYC standards. The sizable walk-in showers with rainfall shower heads and appealing marble-top vanities made the bathroom space feel ‘trendy’ yet comfortable.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Attractive neutral tones fill the bathroom vibe

Marble vanity with CO Bigelow products (my favorite bathroom amenity brand).

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Marble vanity
Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
CO Bigelow Bathroom products
Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Spacious shower with rainfall shower head
Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Subway tile inside shower adds a nice modern touch

Units on the higher floors typically feature sweeping views of the New York City skyline from the tip of Lower Manhattan to Midtown Manhattan. Because I asked for a room with a terrace, my view although still impressive, wasn’t as ‘sweeping’ as a higher floor room. Still, I wasn’t complaining.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Midtown Manhattan views for days….

The highlight of the room was definitely the extended terrace.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Bedroom + Terrace made space feel like a small studio apartment
Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Terrace space was much larger than I had anticipated

The terrace truly made my stay feel a bit more special. When I was out in the city with friends, I found myself looking forward to returning to my room later to enjoy the views from my private outdoor space.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Lounge chairs and a small table with a chair to enjoy a coffee in the morning

Prior to my stay, I had read some reviews from past guests that noise from the street and the rooftop bar may be bothersome. As a self-proclaimed light sleeper, I actually found the room to be surprisingly quiet during my entire stay except for some light hallway chatter.

Hotel Rooftop

A popular rooftop bar for the after-work Manhattanites, Mr. Purple in the Hotel Indigo LES also happens to be accompanied by a gorgeous pool with equally stunning views.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Rooftop Pool with views of Manhattan

Despite the photo, the temperatures outside constantly hovered in the 50’s, not quite optimal pool weather for me. I opted to observe the pool from afar and instead had a drink with a friend inside Mr. Purple rooftop bar in the evening before dinner.

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York Hotel Review
Queues were long on Saturday evening to capture these views at the hotel’s Mr. Purple rooftop bar

The 15th floor rooftop bar Mr. Purple was a nice touch to the overall impression I had of the hotel but the crowd was certainly on the younger side on the weekend, a bit too young for this mid-30’s dad of pre-schoolers.

After a day of walking around the city, I came back Saturday evening to long lines wrapping around the outside of the hotel entrance. It seems Mr. Purple rooftop bar is a happening spot on the weekend but luckily all I had to do was flash my room key and the doorman let me bypass everyone in line and go right up the elevator designated for hotel guests. Again, once in the room, nothing but quietness and tranquility.

Conclusion

Hotel Indigo Lower East Side is an exceptional IHG property and was a great use of my IHG free anniversary night with rates exceeding $350 for a standard room over a weekend in late April. With a location built for the ‘local’ NYC experience rather than the typical tourist plan and convenient proximity to the legendary Katz’s Delicatessen, hundreds of exceptional eateries, buzzing nightlife and steps from neighborhoods such as Soho and East Village, I definitely look forward to booking again when visiting solo or with my spouse.

Have you stayed at the Hotel Indigo Lower East Side? What’s your impression of it?

Disclosure: Miles to Memories has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Miles to Memories and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

 Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the old king of travel rewards cards. Right now bonus_miles_full

Learn more about this card and its features!


Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Double Duty Daddy
Double Duty Daddyhttp://doubledutydaddy.com
My name is Juan, an obsessed father of identical twin girls and equally obsessive points and miles enthusiast. I founded DoubleDutyDaddy.com to chronicle my life as an involved father of twins and encourage families to travel with their kids utilizing points and miles. Come along for the journey!

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

6 COMMENTS

  1. Just stumbled upon this (exceptionally helpful) review in researching an upcoming solo Mumcation… thanks so much for sharing! Us sleep-deprived parents need all the tips we can get!

  2. Great review and awesome photos! I’ve stayed at Hyatt properties when I go to NYC, my fave is the Andaz Wall Street, but as a former Brooklyn resident, I used to cross the Manhattan Bridge and hang around the LES a lot, so I’m going to try this place out next time I’m in NY.

    • Same here. Andaz 5th is my go-to Hyatt but I love the Hotel Indigo brand and had the free night to use, so why not. Don’t regret it one bit. Loved this hotel! Let me know once you stay what your thoughts are of the property.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related

7,703FansLike
9,903FollowersFollow
16,444FollowersFollow
Hip hotel in one of Manhattan's trendiest neighborhood with chic and spacious rooms.Hotel Review: Hotel Indigo Lower East Side NYC