AUSTIN | Hotel Indigo/Holiday Inn Express | 136 FEET | 13 FLOORS | Complete

[The ATX]

On the bright side those two side-by-side surface lots are the site of the planned "504 8th St. hotel". I hope it turns out to be classier than the Indigo/Holiday Inn Express and Hyatt House. If not, that will be one ugly hotel row.

[smith_atx]

Originally Posted by The ATX

On the bright side those two side-by-side surface lots are the site of the planned "504 8th St. hotel". I hope it turns out to be classier than the Indigo/Holiday Inn Express and Hyatt House. If not, that will be one ugly hotel row.

At least they'd all be together

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by smithlua

At least they'd all be together

Misery does love company.

[KevinFromTexas]

Maybe we could call it the ugly hotel district. They might not be so bad with some beer goggles on.

[the Genral]

I'm going to sell tee shirts that say, "My Other Hotel Is the JW". I'll also hand out paper bags with eye holes cut out for hotel guests that didn't bother to look at the hotels' online photo album. Need change for the pan handling homeless that are in the area? Noooo problem, I can break a $20. If you look around and feel like you're in a third world country? Nooooo problem, I'll fry you up some locust and ground grubs
with a side of smoked monkey balls so you can get the complete experience. Afraid of standing out as a tourist? Noooo problem, I'll sell you a 'Keep Austin Weird' or 'Texas Longhorn' cap, and teach you to say "Ya'll". Need a cheap, quick and easy way to get around? Nooooo pro...uh, sorry dude, you're on your own.

[corvairkeith]

[the Genral]

Ok, when you present it this way, I don't dislike it. I'm glad its not south of where it is though.

[KevinFromTexas]

I don't know. This has to be my least favorite new building. But hey, there's always Hyatt House across the street, so who knows.

[drummer]

^ Interesting contest you have going there, Kevin.

[MichaelB]

So bloody bland, boring......

[Nickelplate]

For the terrible lot its on and the place it is I would give this a kudos. Could have been worse but obviously could have been better. Lets see what springs up around it.

[resansom]

Originally Posted by Nickelplate

For the terrible lot its on and the place it is I would give this a kudos. Could have been worse but obviously could have been better. Lets see what springs up around it.

Everything about it smacks of "cheap." It's not like every Holiday Inn Express HAS to be so cheap looking or ugly. Check out some of the nicer looking ones out on Google images:

https://www.google.com/search?q=holi...UICSgE#imgrc=_

And I don't think we can blame it on Hotel Indigo either:

https://www.google.com/search?q=hote...pYBlcQ_AUIBygC

In the end, I wonder what value is being added by the approval process if a building like this can be approved with what appears to have been very little critical push back to improve the design before the building has been approved and built.

This building is clearly visible on the main thoroughfare of the city and it even includes/frames a CVC. While I sometimes disagree with the number or placements of the CVCs, I do see the benefit in having them. In my opinion, allowing such an eyesore of a building to frame a view of the state capitol dome makes a mockery of the whole reason for the CVCs, in the first place.

[the Genral]

The only edge exterior wise I see on Hotel Van Zandt vs Indigo is the color. I think they are in the same ballpark architecturally. But I mention HVZ because I like the lobby entrance and the interior is amazing. I haven't a clue what Austin flavor Indigo offers on the inside, but I hope that's where they spent their money, but being paired with a Holiday Inn Express doesn't leave me much confidence that the interior is much better than the exterior. I'm just looking for the positives. I didn't much care for HVZ until I saw the inside. I wish the Indigo and HIE had tried to blend in more. And who with the COA has the power to force design changes when clearly both chains have brought better designs to the table at other locations? If someone is in charge of accepting design proposals, they seem to accept function over beauty. There doesn't seem to be a clear vision of what our skyline should look like. Someone with the COA please look at the portfolios of future developers and ask them to build from the pretty pile.

[LoneStarMike]

October 7, 2016 - I tried to make it look as good as I could, but it's still ugly.




With Hyatt House:

[KevinFromTexas]

^That last photo makes the Hotel Indigo and Hyatt Place look like one building.

[drummer]

^ And they just can't figure out a good color scheme...white, tan, red, silver...

[KevinFromTexas]

Seriously. It reminds me of those junker cars you see every once in a while where someone has replaced the body panels with another car of a different color.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Seriously. It reminds me of those junker cars you see every once in a while where someone has replaced the body panels with another car of a different color.

Haha!

[priller]

Still looks like a hospital to me.

[The ATX]

Yelpers have taken note of the location:

..the immediately surrounding area is way shady especially at night. I would advise if you value your safety you cab it the few blocks down the road. This hotel is just steps away from a Salvation Army and a soup kitchen. You have to wade through numerous homeless people blocking the sidewalks to get to 6th Street at all hours. Late at night, the block just southwest of the hotel attracts really shady people, most likely doing drug transactions. You would think the hotel and community would address this issue with the city services to keep people safe and attract more tourism to downtown.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/hotel-indigo-austin