Hotel Indigo Traverse City By Ihg

“It’s a Holiday Inn Express with nicer décor and a full-service bar and restaurant”

I stayed two nights at the Hotel Indigo in downtown Traverse City. It was a better-than-average stay, but one marked by inconsistent operating standards, maintenance and cleanliness issues, and a level of service that fell short of what the brand aspires to deliver. The positives: The hotel’s lo… Mais

I stayed two nights at the Hotel Indigo in downtown Traverse City. It was a better-than-average stay, but one marked by inconsistent operating standards, maintenance and cleanliness issues, and a level of service that fell short of what the brand aspires to deliver. The positives: The hotel’s location is excellent and within walking distance of virtually everything in downtown Traverse City. While valet parking is mandatory, the rate is reasonable, the service is efficient, and the underground garage is a major plus—especially in winter. Front-of-house staff were generally friendly and pleasant. The negatives: IHG elite status recognition is poor to nonexistent. I was initially assigned a room on a lower floor even though my IHG preferences specify a high-floor room. I also did not receive an upgrade even though better room categories were available at the time of check-in.  The bar operation is weak. The staff is young and not particularly well trained. At one point, a bottle of white wine was served warm rather than properly chilled—an elementary service failure.  Breakfast service consists of guests seating themselves because there's no host or hostess. The two servers on duty were clearly stretched thin and would have benefited greatly from a host or hostess to manage seating and flow. My room itself was comfortable, but the bathroom was not clean. There were multiple long strands of hair on the countertop where the toiletries are placed, under the toilet seat, and on the bathroom floor. The walk-in shower also showed visible mold or mildew.The in-room furniture was heavily scuffed, scratched, and visibly worn. The television appeared relatively new and offered an excellent channel selection. Elsewhere, however, the room felt dated. Accessible electrical and USB outlets were extremely limited, if not nonexistent. In 2025, multiple conveniently located outlets—especially USB—are an expectation, not a luxury. The hotel opened nearly a decade ago. So, it's at the point where, at the minimum, a light renovation is needed. The overall operating standard was uneven. Hotel Indigo is an inconsistent brand: some properties are genuinely upscale, four-star, boutique-style hotels, while others are essentially upgraded select-service properties. This location falls into the latter category. While the décor is certainly nicer than a Holiday Inn Express or Hyatt Place, the service and amenities do not rise much above that level. There was no bellman or doorman to assist with luggage, no local newspapers, and the lobby pantry market was poorly stocked, lacking basics such as bottled water. In the room, there were no complimentary bottles of water, no pen or paper, and the toiletries were the inexpensive Paul Mitchell mini-bottles that used to be used by Courtyard and Fairfield. One would reasonably expect additional amenities such as mouthwash, a vanity kit, and perhaps a robe and slippers. The gym featured a mix older equipment and cheap Precor treadmills that lack the features of better quality treadmills from Life Fitness and Matrix. I've seen newly built Holiday Inn Express and Fairfield properties with bigger and better equipped gyms.  Most notably, daily housekeeping was not provided on the second day of my stay. All things considered, Hotel Indigo Traverse City benefits greatly from its prime location. At the end of the day, however, it functions more like a Hyatt Place or Holiday Inn Express with better décor and a full-service bar and restaurant. At a nightly rate of $150–$185, it represents decent value. At anything higher, there are better options in the market.

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