Hotel Indigo embodies the brand’s ethos of creating bespoke, local experiences with a strong sense of place – Buchan’s design is a tribute to the city’s past while staying true to the brand’s focus on authentic, place-driven experiences. The result is a 179-room hotel that invites guests to connect with Melbourne’s rich history while enjoying a modern, immersive stay that reflects the spirit of the location.

The social history of the Melbourne Walk site, with its quirky, historic retailers, underpins the design concept, which invites guests to explore their room and make discoveries in the same way they would explore Melbourne city.

Every element of the design reflects the neighbourhood’s heritage, from fabrics reminiscent of Sidney Myer’s original haberdashery business to nods to E.W. Cole’s ‘emporium of everything’ and menageries. Furnishings and fittings reflect James Hosie’s taste for eastern opulence. Wallpapered bedheads depict the Melbourne street grid, embedded with a crystal light marking the hotel’s Diamond House location – a reference to the building’s original gem merchants. Dual-opening bathrooms hint at Melbourne’s offset lanes, while herringbone flooring harks back to the original mahogany floorboards of the historic upper-floor warehouses.

Hotel Indigo’s material and colour palette mixes shots of Mondrian blue with ceppo tiles and brass highlights. These historical references are woven into the hotel’s interiors, blending seamlessly with Hotel Indigo’s commitment to storytelling and discovery.

The Hotel Indigo lobby and bar is a voluminous, four-level space centred on a striking spiral staircase. From here, guests overlook an external courtyard that opens the site’s heart to the sky and delivers light deep into the arcade below via lantern-like skylights. The landscaped courtyard gives Indigo guests a relaxing, green oasis amidst the bustling city.