MADEMOISELLE
If you are taking a trip to Coventry, whether that be for pleasure or business, then the newly opened Hotel Indigo is the place to stay. It is located right next to Coventry Station and is just a 10-minute walk to the town centre.
Above: Ford Hospital
You walk into the lobby and you are immediately hit with this luxury hotel smell, the one where you can never quite find anywhere else. It relaxes you instantly and you know you are in good hands and will have a wonderful stay.
The staff were lovely and very friendly. As we arrived early, our room was not quite ready, but we were able to drop our luggage and head into town to explore.
Having never been to Coventry before I was looking forward to this opportunity to discover the city. In my opinion, it is not my favourite town, but the remains of the Cathedral, the new cathedral, and town hall were interesting. The original cathedral has no roof due to it being destroyed by a bombing raid in WW2, leaving just the walls.
After walking around the town, we returned to the hotel and settled into our 3rd floor, which had an open view of a green from the floor to ceiling window.
We have been to several Hotel Indigo’s around the country and each one is unique. Even though it is a chain, you always have a different experience and feel in each property.
They reflect the town they are in, through their colour scheme, decoration and art wall etc., which I like because although you might choose to go to the same hotel because you know the level of service you are going to receive, you don’t know the interior design or how its going to be laid out and even the restaurant in each one is different.
Even though Coventry does not have much to offer, the hotel successfully incorporates and reflects the town in each room, having pictures of the Cathedral, and bringing in the history of the town with modern images of Lady Godiva on horseback on the wall.
Our room was very nice, with a desk area, as well as a small table and chairs, where you could sit and enjoy a cup of tea with yummy complementary shortbread biscuits from the little kitchenette area. The bathroom was small but modern and clean. The colour scheme worked very well with different shades of blue tiles.
We got ready and headed down to pre-dinner drinks. As we were guests of the hotel, we got 20% off our drinks at the bar, which welcomes both locals and guests. We enjoyed our drinks in their lounge area, decorated in an art-deco style with plants and ornaments on shelves and red, yellow, and blue colour scheme – incorporating the light and the dark.
The restaurant area is nice, open plan with comfy seats. For starters we chose a hummus dip and calamari which were very nice, the batter on the calamari was lovely and crispy and had flavour. The hummus was delicious and garnished with pomegranate seeds which added to the flavour.
For my main I decided to go for fish and chips. The fish was very good, but the chips were disappointing. For dessert I chose the sticky toffee pudding, which was huge and too much, but ticked the box for sticky toffee pudding! Finally, the wine was delicious!
After noticing that we were the last ones in the restaurant we decided to call it a night and headed to our lovely room which there awaited our comfy beds.
Above: Room with a view
Overall, the Indigo Hotel Coventry is a great place to stay with a great vibe and like all the other Indigo Hotel's makes for a unique stay.
MADAME:
Located in the central England and surrounded by stunning countryside, the city of Coventry has a centuries old history and is an ideal base to explore the city as well as plenty going on around the region.
We headed to the newly opened boutique Hotel Indigo Coventry. As part of a major regeneration project for the city, the hotel is a great addition. A sleek modern building conveniently located next to the national railway station and within just a 10 mins walk into the city centre.
Like all Indigo Hotels, the concept is to make each unique by reflecting the local culture, character, history and charm of the city’s they are home to and this is no exception to the Hotel Indigo Coventry, where the city’s history meets with contemporary elegance.
The city of Coventry is just an hour by train from London with excellent road, rail and air connections to the rest of the country and beyond.
Sitting neat and tidy In a corner location with a wide green off to the side, the modern building is striking with soft silver and blue cladding. Enter the hotel and you are hit by that magical, ‘I have arrived’ calm luxury hotel smell, courtesy of their own branded signature scent (which is also available to buy!).
The spacious foyer still has space for a gorgeous old classic silver car, a display which regular changes.
With 101 rooms there are three distinctive designs that reflect Coventry’s historic neighbourhood;
The Spinning Wheel, Motor City and Re-imagining & Regeneration. All the rooms are equipped with Hypnos beds, luxury Egyptian cotton linen, spa-inspired bathrooms, with standard shower and rainwater shower options, the stylish soft furnishings were comforting yet vibrant colour schemes. They really made you want to stay in your room for longer!
Our room was styled ‘Re-Imagining & Regeneration’, with a view across the open green and pedestrian path heading into the city centre.
The hotel bar is open plan with glass all around, making you feel the city from within. The foyer, bar and restaurant effortlessly blended together, while not losing any of that cosy feel either. With sofas and armchairs for pre and post dinner drinks, and get togethers, the bar offers almost anything tipple you fancy!
Central to the hotel facilities is the ‘Cogs Restaurant & Bar’ which highlights the local produce in all the dishes it offers. The kitchen is open plan, so you can see the chef’s at work and be part of your dining experience.
Although we did not have time, there is a gym and a ‘wine wall’ on offer as well as an intimate, elegant Boardroom which seats 12, allowing for a one stop destination for business gatherings and meetings.
The evening menu offered classic dishes which were attractively served, with a personal service. However the chunky cut chips were disappointing, which was the opposite to the delicious freshly battered fish with tangy tartare sauce that came with them. Desert was huge (too big) and super sweet and I like sweet dishes! Again beautifully served, it was just a pity to have wasted it.
After a very good night sleep and an invigorating morning shower with the Australian branded Biology Smart Skincare range of Body wash and shampoo, we were ready to start the day.
Breakfast was served in the Cogs dining area with an open plan buffet breakfast and a range of dishes to order straight from the kitchen.
Maybe our timing was just off, but with still an hour to go until the breakfast session finished, bread and pastries were depleted, however, what we did have was very nice and again served by extremely friendly and attentive waiters.
Heading into Coventry to explore, our first stop was the stunning Ford’s Hospital, a 500 year old Grade I listed building which is today Alms Houses. It is one of the last remaining and finest examples of 16th century domestic dwellings. Within its courtyard you step back in time and can almost hear the voices of those who have passed its doors over time. It also has a secluded walled garden with a traditional knot garden design.
Above: Ford Hospital
Next stop was the famous Coventry Cathedral. If you want a long history, then you have it here. Originally a medieval Benedictine priory cathedral sat on the site, founded by the famous Lady Godiva and her husband Leofric, Earl of Mercia in 1043.
Lady Godiva became famous for riding naked through Coventry. Why? Because she wanted her husband to stop a heavy tax on the people of Coventry. He agreed only if she rode naked through the city which she duly did. A statue dedicated to her ride can be found in the city centre and features in many paintings.
The ruins which are the city’s highlight today belong to St. Michael’s church, constructed in 1918 and soon gained Cathedral status.
To commemorate this achievement a beautiful bronze effigy of its first Bishop was made and is still in its original setting within the ruins.
With a wooden roof, during WW2 the cathedral became a target and the roof burnt quickly leaving just the stone walls seen today.
However, despite being open to the elements, there is still a deeply spiritual magic as you walk around with the sun casting warm rays deepening the red in then brickwork.
A new Cathedral was built in 1962 and sits right next to the old cathedral with a glass frontage etched with wild flying angels, which are a bit skeletal and unnerving but a striking contrast in design.
However, inside the huge open space still retains the quiet calm and respect of a place of worship with stunning high ceilings, modern stained glass windows and many small chapels and anterooms.
Another beautiful building is that of St Mary’s Guildhall. An original medieval building, which survived the bombings in WW2 gives a glimpse of the past and is home to the renowned Coventry Tapestry.
Finally and if you have time, the Coventry Transport Museum houses the largest publicly owned collection of British vehicles in the world and tells the story of how Coventry changed the world through transport.
While the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, named after Sir Alfred Herbert, a local industrialist who founded Alfred Herbert Limited, which was at one time the world's largest manufacturer of machine tools.
So, for a fantastic blend of city history and culture, blended with modern amenities and boutique hotel comfort, then head to Coventry and be sure you stay at the Hotel Indigo Coventry.
September 2024
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