"Why did this hotel catch your attention?Outside of the major cities, finding hotels with character can be a challenge in the south, so this relatively new property from IHG’s Indigo brand is a welcome addition to Hub City’s accommodation portfolio. Real thought has gone into incorporating the neighborhood’s history into the design, the interior celebrating a specifically industrial past. Timber trade and railroad elements are here; you'll notice especially in the train tunnel lighting fixtures and fabrics that recall vintage conductor uniforms. It’s a chain hotel with a boutique feel. What's the backstory?The 100-room hotel opened in 2018 and is the only Indigo-branded hotel in the state of Mississippi. Despite being an IHG hotel, the Indigo's design team worked hard to avoid the property just being another cookie-cutter hotel, with consciously appropriate design choices and a customization of the usual template to reflect the history of the neighborhood. Tell us all about the accommodations. Any tips on what to book?The rooms are notably fresh and feel elevated above their chain hotel peers in the area. My King Executive was typical, the wooden floors and studded bed frame paying homage to the industrial theme. Fixtures and fittings aren’t overly fussy and retain a minimalist, contemporary feel, the overall neutral tones of the decor enlivened with a few pops of primary color from cushions and the like. The bathroom incorporated a striking monochromatic tiling pattern and Aveda products reinforced the affordable luxe ethos. Drinking and dining—what are we looking at?There’s a charming 1930s railroad theme to the hotel's onsite restaurant, Brass Hat, with lots of exposed brickwork and reclaimed materials maintaining the design motifs of the guest rooms and the public spaces. The restaurant serves up a good selection of popular small plates, sandwiches and larger entrees that generally fall under the category of elevated bar food. That said, there are some interesting options, including crispy fried duck wings and black truffle fries, and the craft cocktail selection is surprisingly inventive as well, with a particularly good mint gin fizz as well as regional classics. How was the service?The hotel is small enough for service to feel personable, and with just 100 rooms, there’s a decent guest-staff ratio. The front desk and bar staff skewed young and polite, and were happy to share recommendations for dining out and local nightlife options, and all in all it was a convivial stay. What type of travelers will you find here?The hotel’s proximity to the University of Southern Mississippi means that visiting family are a large part of the clientele, but it’s not exclusively parents. Plenty of younger couples were here to see what Hattiesburg has to offer for a weekend. Compared to many of its chain hotel peers, the property feels younger and more dynamic. What about the neighborhood? Does the hotel fit in, make itself part of the scene?The hotel fits into the neighborhood nicely and enjoys a plum location close to the major roads, the aforementioned university, M.M. Roberts Stadium for local sporting events, and a good selection of other cultural and entertainment options. It’s also just a five minutes or so drive to the main, historic downtown area. Any other hotel features worth noting?The main hotel amenity is its fitness room, which is perfectly modern and well-equipped. Bottom line: Worth it? Why?The railroad industrial chic and other design choices really stands out among local hotels and the property signals a new, contemporary breed of accommodations that are springing up in towns such as Hattiesburg." - Paul Oswell
