Hotel Indigo Kaohsiung

My 'home away from home' while in Kaohsiung. I don't have many things to say about this hotel (since I didn't have anything to complain about hahaha)! I'm only good at ranting, not at appreciating hehe!

But, as usually requested by many of you, my readers, I took a number of photos! Let's start with this:

What's that? A couch, or sofa as others call it. That is what greets you upon entering the hotel's lobby.

Weird? Yes, I agree! It looks like a bunch of giant tentacles, what came to mind was Ursula (the wicked sea witch in The Little Mermaid)! But the sofa made of velvet, is very comfy to sit on. You should try it!

Amazingly (trust me on this, as I tried it many times) the way to sit on that thing is just drop your butt or body anywhere you want. Those 'tentacles' seem to know how to adjust, to make you comfortable!

Of course the sofa color is purple, the signature/brand color of Indigo Hotels, even if we wonder why:

Weird? I agree. But let's give it to them. Yun ang gusto nila e, di hayaan natin. Walang basagan ng trip! That's why I call them "interestingly eccentric". Tutal, di naman kulang sa hotel service and amenities.

Let us go back to that picture above. That 'curtain' behind the couch is a metallic net (wire mesh) that serves as divider to the Craft Cafe at the back which transforms into like a cozy watering hole at night.

This is that restaurant/bar of the hotel that has outside tables where I would watch the fire dancers!

Let's go up. Here's going to the elevators...

But to the right are the stairs (if you want to). That is also the way to their "container rooms".

I thought those are also hotel rooms of the cheaper kind. No, it's not. Their "container rooms" are two big meeting rooms that anyone can book for, well, meetings, training workshops, parties, or the likes.

Look at that pic above again, there's a sign that says "Restroom" (not CR, not toilet nor WC)!

This is that restroom (for ground floor area guests, including those at Craft) - huge and well-provided.

Let's go up to my room. The elevators (common in Taiwan) have an interesting quirk. Can you see it?

Have you spotted it? There's no 4th floor but there is a 13th floor. It's due to that superstition that, the number 4 is associated with misfortune or death. 4 in Mandarin is pronounced the same as death (si).

4 is therefore unlucky, therefore not used by many who believe so!

Trivia:
That superstition has a scientific name: Tetraphobia - a fear or avoidance of using the number 4. It is similar to, but more prevalent than Triskaidekaphobia - the fear or avoidance of using the number 13.

Trivia pa more:
Tetraphobia is also common in Japan and Korea, but to some extent also practiced by some Pinoys of Chinese descent (Chinoys) in our country. Example is Hotel Doña Vicenta in Borongan, Eastern Samar. Not only that their elevators don't have a 4th floor, but no room has a 4 such as 104 or 214 or 340 etc.!

Ang tanong:
What if the building owner does not like 4 and 13? Aw ah, ka-gamu ba la!

Hahaha samoka! Actually, I have been once to a condominium in Hongkong where after the 39th floor, what followed was 50th. I do not know if there are rooms 104, 114, 140, 144 and so on. Maka-buang oi!

Anyway, I have asked around, and I learned that building or establishment owners do not necessarily believe in such superstitions, yet they observe those practices anyway, as a wise business sense. That is to ensure clients/customers don't shy away from what they offer. If it's hard to sell 4F, tanggalin! Da!

And then you can brandish that as Cultural Sensitivity! O indi ba la? Win-Win situation!

Back to the elevator picture-collage above.., the R button means their roof deck bar/restaurant called Pier No. 1. The FIT on the 3rd floor button means their FITness Center or Gym. On the 2nd floor, there's the Wok On The Park - restaurant (open all day) and Me Space - for casual meetups or tambayan lang.

Let's go to all those later. Meanwhile, this was arriving at the seventh floor where my room was:

Looking at that hallway, I immediately noticed the loud candy-like colors of the carpet. I am not a fan, but I don't dislike or abhor it either. That's why I earlier said, this hotel is weirdly interesting. Kakaiba!

Let's go inside the room (that I already expected to be as colorful as the hallway), and here it is:

Oops! I forgot to specify a king bed during reservation. But okay na, 'those' would do for a few nights!

You probably would have guessed, the first thing that came to my mind was "what is this, ano ini"?!

Too many lines and patterns and colors and prints! Very "not me". But it made me smile, and I liked it!

Very un-IHG too (in my experience so far) hahaha! Yes, Hotel Indigo is a member of the IHG Family but unlike at InterCon, Holiday Inn, HIE, Crowne Plaza, etc, rooms here are of the youthful crazy fun genre!

Shhh, "don't noisy" na! Kaya ko lang yata nagustuhan yan, para mabilang sa "youthful" ang tanders!

In general though, my room was still an impressive rendition of a bedroom trying to imitate "home"!

In fact, if I were an 'awards-giving-body' I would bestow upon this hotel the golden trophy, for putting that godforsaken mini-fridge up to a respectable level, so I don't have to bend, crouch, kneel or crawl!

Can you see it (left edge of pic above)? For me, it indicates that they keep attuned with what many of their guests find most comfortable or convenient! Why put it on the floor, when it's not 70 inches tall?

See that? It is even above the drawer containing the room's minibar incidentals - snacks & whatevers!

The hotel's complimentary slippers are the only things you'll find down at this bedroom's floor level!

And, as if true to Hotel Indigo being interestingly eccentric, even those slippers aren't the usual white. They're in bright pink or orange colors haha! Now shift your focus to the drawer above those slippers.

Still with that drawer in mind (above the colorful slippers), compare the above picture with this...

OMG that's the room's security deposit box! Ang "kaha de yero", bakit nandyan yan, at bakit nakahiga?

But come to think of it, why not, right? There's no law as to where/how such a box should be placed!

We are just so used to finding that safety box near or at the wardrobe cabinet, right? Walang basagan!

I laughed at this "ridiculous find", yet I appreciate this hotel for being so "interestingly weird" hehehe!

I just had to remind my self to always close the drawer, and be extra careful not to drip liquids to that safety deposit box, as it is under the coffee-making-machine and everything else that are drinkable!

By the way, the hotel prides itself with that coffee-making-machine called Nespresso Coffee Maker.

Their ads always mention this thing. This is probably something new in the accommodation industry.

Free to use and concoct your own coffee - which I never got use anyway - since I'm not a fan of coffee!

Yet there is still the good old electric kettle, if you want the easy way - which I also never got to use!

Sana meron din 'Coca-cola Maker', ano! If that happens, I probably won't drink plain water ever again!

Notable note: syempre iniuwi ko lahat ng kape, asukal, creamer at tsa-a dahil hindi ko naman ininom. Uulitin ko, "kape, asukal, creamer at tsa-a" lang! Hindi kasama iyang thermos at yung gawaan ng kape!

'Wag mong pag-disketahan yan, hindi "consumables" ang mga yan! 'Wag kang ano!

Meron naman saging, apple, kiwi at kropek na pwede mo tirahin anytime (they replenish it everyday)!

Hep, yang green na bote, libre yan, 'wag ka naman nerbyoso! Tubig lang yan (sparkling mineral water)!

Kalisud diay 'no? Not really! When in doubt, always read the "mini bar menu" or 'checklist' that should be somewhere in the room (though not always conspicuous)! Not listed? Libre lafangin o laklakin yan!

In this room, andun sya sa tabi nung mga tasa. Example, yung Pringles 60NTD daw. So, mga 120 pesos. Not really that expensive, I think. In fact, the last line says 299NTD for all snacks - excluding drinks ha!

Oh the chips and fruits were not just deliciously tempting, they also got in the way, so I ate them all!

How did they get in the way? Oh well, I wanted to put my notebook and other gadgets on those coffee tables (yes plural, 2 round tables eh) while I watched TV. So, tinira ko na para walang sagabal sa mesa!

I am one who does not like doing anything in the bed (even if there are two), other than sleep!

That's why hotel beds seldom look disheaveled when I'm alone. Aw ibang usapan na pag me kasama!

Syempre, if I'm with somebody else in a room, magulo sila. Yan ang ibig ko sabihin ng "ibang usapan"!

Actually, there's even a writing desk on the room. Can you see it at left with the blue chair?

But it doesn't have a good view of the TV! Thus, when I don't have to write long stories, the couch is it!

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice writing desk, but, wala na ngang outside view wala pang TV view. Da!

Hey did you notice the hotel's stationery etc., are on the wall? I like that style. Old hotels usually have them tucked in a desk drawer (if any), prone to guests inadvertently leaving important documents at.

And it's not only writing pads that are tucked in that pouch. There are reading materials too, like this:

Instead of just the normal one-pager directory of numbers and hotel services, it's like a book with an extensive take on Kaohsiungs attractions and primary business establishments, complete with maps!

Note also that phone beside the lampshade. Not mine. That's the hotel's Handy I mentioned earlier.

Not all IHG Hotels have them, but just like the one at HIE Clark Quay, that is your phone while staying at Indigo. You can use it to call/txt anywhere on earth (for free). It has wifi, also good as extra storage!

It is already loaded with necessary apps and important phone numbers that you may need in the city. Aside from you have free internet 'forever', you even get to have an international number. Yeah, gratis!

What's the catch? Well, anyone who calls or texts you will have to pay for that international call or txt. But that is the same as when you buy a local SIM, right? That Handy phone is a great and free option!

Word of caution: I avoid logging-in to my emails and other online or social media accounts using the browser of Handy. Just being careful. Plus, transfer everything (pictures, videos, sounds, etc) that you saved in Handy to your own phone, before you check-out, because everything will be erased by then.

Oh, in case you're wondering, there's a "walk-in closet" - that door at the far end from the bed.

The laundry bags are there. There is ample space for your luggage, shoes, etc. Extra pillows and extra bathrobes are also in there. The emergency flashlight and smoke hood are also in one of the drawers.

Teka, what is a Smoke Hood? Are you familiar with that? I have not seen that (yet) in any of the hotels or resorts in the Philippines. I only see these in Japan and Taiwan. But, better if we are aware of them.

It's a plastic bag to be worn over your head down to the neck area (like a helmet or scrub suit) during fire emergencies. Jusko plastic bag? Di ba delikado yan? Di ba me mga bata nasu-suffocate sa plastic?

Well, I heard it's made of heat-resistant plasic (daw). The idea is: you wear it like a hood, it has a filter so you don't inhale the smoke as you run out of a burning building. Siguro naman proven safe na yan!

Like you, I have doubts. But better if we know what it is and how it is used, in case needed. Kulba!

Okay, let's go see the comfort room (toilet, bathroom, WC, CR, banyo, restroom, washroom), whatever!

In that door where you see a snippet of so many hexagons. Vivid colors or lines persist even in there!

I know some of you may like this wall, but it makes my brain twirl and gives me a headache hahaha!

This is what you see when you're in front of the lighted round mirror. Nice LED light but, malipung!

Whoever likes those tiles, here's a collage of the shower area's three walls, for your viewing pleasure!

The floor is at least spared of the hexagonal tiles with vivid white edges. It really makes me dizzy!

This bathroom is at least fully-loaded with amenities that you (especially the ladies) will appreciate...

Notice the edge of the countertop. It's closed, but 8 pics ago (above), you'll see it open and lighted.

It has its own leather stool. All for the vain women (it is called a vanity countertop in the first place)!

Everything to beautify her ugly face is in here hahaha! Inside that flowery pink pouch is a hair dryer.

When you nudge its cover a bit, it switches its lights off and closes like a laptop in slow motion. Aliw!

The "kabayo" (ironing board) and the "plantsa" (flat iron) are found at the walk-in wardrobe area...

But I set the thing up beside that vanity countertop ek ek, since there's a wide unused space there, so I never had to keep folding/unfolding the 'kabayo'. It remained so, at that corner, until I checked-out.

Ah, at least only one side of the toilet (the wall behind you when you sit) has the dizzying blue tiles!

It is a "Toto Washlet" setup (mahal yan), but you'd wish the writings have an English translation. Baka kung ano ang mapindot mo at kung ano ang bumulwak o tumilamsik. Ayiyii! Kaya ingat sa kakapindot!

Aw, that Toto version has no music, yata. 'Di ko maintindihan ang sulat eh!

Okay, enough of my room. Let's go down to the 2nd floor, where breakfasts, free or not, are served.

They call this the Wok In The Park Restaurant, and I liked the bright, warm atmosphere of the place.

Western setup with touches of distinctly Asian styles - such as where cutlery and chopsticks are kept!

Yet even if you're having Asian Cuisine, the customary bread-and-butter, salad and cold-cuts precede!

But the service is not also like the Chinoys' lauriat-style - as you can see my order is already served!

I took time.., and after the appetizers, I just reached across the table for my 'waiting' main course!

Hainanese Chicken, served with three sauces, preceded by bread-and-butter, cold-cuts, and salad. Da!

Mind-bogglingly curiously interesting, right? Eastern and western styles and tastes, all fused into one normal/regular/ordinary hotel lunch! I'm sure I am not alone when I say "just the way I like it"! Fusion!

Let's go to the roof deck and see Hotel Indigo's famous rooftop-restaurant called Pier No. 1

Remember the restaurant's name just for the sake of remembering it heheh! Because your eyes might trick you if you read those lighted letters on the floor. It's not "no pier one" or "pier no one", okay? Ok!

Here's a better identity of the same roof deck restaurant that is a favorite of many folks in Kaohsiung.

It is probably because this place is 100% open air, that folks like it much? But not for me. Malamig eh!

1 or 2 bottles would probably be long enough for me up here. Otherwise, I'll need winter clothing!

That's what I observed in southern Taiwan... Kaohsiung may be near Batanes, our daytime climes may be just about the same. But when the evening falls, I think the air here is as cold as Baguio or Kalinga.

This is just on a November. How much more in December or January? Awrrrr, I don't like winters!

But the nightscape views are always dreamy romantic - reason probably why people like dinners here.

Pero sa mga "soloist"... nganga! After the views, tumalilis na agad pababa! Maginaw eh... [hikbi] hehe!

Anyway... nice hotel and nice location in Kaohsiung!

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