HotelChatter

There are some common elements in this chain, like a front desk in the shape of a nautilus and local art displays that rotate quarterly. The Hotel Indigo brand wants to get away from the cookie-cutter chain approach though, so it is obvious you are in Music City, with a row of guitars mounted on the wall of the dramatic stairway just inside the entrance.

The main hang-out area is a multi-purpose room that is a coffee shop, breakfast area, bar, or restaurant depending on the time of day. A Japanese restaurant adjoins, however, and a dozen other places are within a few blocks. Downtown's center is about a mile away. There's a fair gym on site and a spa coming later in the basement.

Insist on a city view room to get a space big enough for two queen beds with premium mattresses, a set of living room furniture, two flat-screen TVs (one by the bed, one near the sofa), a small open closet, and a work desk. Standard rooms facing away from downtown are truly standard, with the same fresh design but half the space and furniture. An upgrade to the executive level comes with lounge priveleges, breakfast, and an 8th-floor view.

There are still a few kinks to be worked out: artic hallways, exposed wires by the desk in some rooms, and a finishing of the executive floor deck, but they are almost there. Note though that although the 3,000 square-foot penthouse suites with private deck go for close to $2,000, the Indigo brand is really aimed at leisure travelers and younger execs without a fat expense account. Rooms are shower-only, there are no bathrobes, and room service only runs until midnight. Not a bad trade-off though for free WiFi, plenty of style, and rates that generally stay below the $200 mark.