A Room With a View: A Look Inside Downtown West Chester’s New Luxury Hotel

You’ve got to see this: View of West Chester from the sixth floor

It wasn’t that long ago West Chester had virtually no short-term lodging. Airbnbs were not a thing yet and there was no hotel. Your only option was the Faunbrook Bed and Breakfast or the Microtel off Matlack St. When we were married in 2011, our two out-of-town families converged on the Borough for a ceremony at St. Agnes, followed by a lovely reception at the Chester County History Center. That’s, however, where the ambiance ended. After the reception guests were shuttled back to their bare accommodations at the Microtel. It was not exactly the Borough’s best foot forward.

Today, things are not nearly so dire. The Hotel Warner opened in 2012 on High St and at any given time there are at least a half-dozen Airbnb options (that could change when the Borough’s new Short Term Rental ordinance goes into effect next week). That’s not to say lodging can’t be improved which is exactly what Hotel Indigo, a new luxury property with doors on Walnut St., is hoping to do.

“I am excited for people to experience this hotel,” said Chris Berg, VP of Operations for Onix Group, as we toured the still very much under-construction building last Friday.Chris and his team have been frantically screwing in and hanging up finishing touches in hopes of an end-of-year soft opening, but if it’s not ready, they are not going to push it. “We want to get this right,” said Chris. Hotel Indigo will be the 19th member of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), where each brand is a reflection of place.

West Chester “Easter Eggs” are hidden throughout the hotel

*Each room includes nods to West Chester’s past and present.*

“IHG is about the neighborhood story. [All our hotels] are going to have Easter Eggs scattered throughout,” said Chris. In Wilmington, their flagship Hyatt Place reflects a more traditional hotel elegance. In West Chester, they want to embrace the history.

“This [hotel] is going to be about character,” says Chris. Throughout the building, you will find nods to West Chester’s past and present. The door pulls on the armoires in the guest rooms are golden rams. In keeping with the academia theme, the desk chairs are library chairs. Even the tiles in the showers are laid out to represent shelves and books.

In the main lobby, notable West Chester architect Thomas U. Walter will get the celebrity treatment with a striking portrait. The designer of Chester County’s historic courthouse and the U.S. Capitol dome, looking debonair in a custom cloak, will greet visitors. In honor of West Chester’s early clockmaking roots, there are renderings of antique timepieces and a working grandfather clock in Borough blue and gold. Downstairs Room 109, the speakeasy, will feature a framed print of the Eagle Hotel. Fun fact: The Eagle Hotel, originally called the Spread Eagle (yea, that was changed), operated in the same Walnut St. location from 1789 until around 1900.

Local purveyors added a touch of place to the corporate-owned hotel

The connections don’t stop with the art. There has also been a concerted effort to work with locals, too. The Corner Cafe, the hotel breakfast and snack destination, will serve Golden Valley coffee and Artisan Exchange goodies when it opens (probably mid-January). Hotel Indigo’s signature restaurant, the West Chester Seafood Kitchen, will not only have a full-service raw bar but will also serve West Chester Ice Cream ice cream and Turks Head wines by the glass. The speakeasy downstairs will offer an Eclat chocolate-infused cocktail.

Perhaps because of the care being put into it or perhaps, the long timeline (15 years in the making), word has been getting out. With the doors not even open yet and most rooms still without furnishings, the Hotel Indigo is fully booked for graduation weekend in May.

“It’s a nice change for West Chester,” said resident and Director of Sales Kim Turnbaugh. It’s a good look too. Don’t believe me? Just ask to see the view from the sixth floor.

*When I visited last Friday workers were hanging crystals in a barren lobby. Yesterday, Hotel Indigo shared the big reveal on social media. Click on the image above to see the completed chandelier.*

The Details:

Location: 39 E Gay St – but note, while the official address is Gay St., the main entrance is on Walnut St.

Rooms: 108

Amenities: Fully equipped fitness center, Nespresso makers in each room, dog-friendly rooms, meeting and event space for up to 75.

Dining options: Corner Cafe, a first-floor cafe serving coffee and pastries; West Chester Seafood Kitchen, a 202-seat restaurant with a full raw bar and generous oval bar overlooking Gay St.; and Room 109, a speakeasy-style bar with seating for 49. Room 109 is more “speakeasy” in style than practice as it will be open to the public. Chris described it as a “place to go and hide and drink.” Oh, there are definitely times I could use one of those.

Originally published on Dec. 20, 2024

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