Review: IHG Diamond Upgrade and Benefits at Hotel Indigo Asheville Downtown in North Carolina

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Following the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner stay for our Great Smoky Mountains trip, we checked out Hotel Indigo Asheville in downtown North Carolina.

Hotel Indigo Asheville is one of the fine IHG hotels to use your IHG One Rewards points or IHG Anniversary Free Night reward for redemption. Located centrally in downtown Asheville, Hotel Indigo Asheville is a great base option to stay while visiting Asheville, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Review: IHG Diamond Upgrade and Benefits at Hotel Indigo Asheville Downtown in North Carolina

Hotel Indigo Asheville Suite

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Location

Hotel Indigo Asheville is located in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The property is within walking distance of many restaurants, shops, and entertainment. I recommend it if you are coming to explore Asheville and its surroundings.

Check-In

At check-in, they asked for my phone number and email address. The purpose of the phone number is to communicate with you via text during your stay, and you can also ask questions via that text message. That is a useful feature that I’ll tell you below as I used it to inquire about the breakfast benefit for IHG Diamond Elite because the front desk initially denied it. More below.

I wonder why they had to ask me for all that info again when they already had that information on my reservation.

Suite Room Upgrades

A day before check-in, I contacted IHG to include a note requesting a suite upgrade if available at check-in. I did not have high expectations of getting an upgrade, but on arrival day, the friendly front desk clerk acknowledged my IHG Diamond Elite status and told me that our room was upgraded to the King Bed Suite Room with a Balcony. Hallelujah! I loved the sound of that.

Bedroom Suite

Penthouse Suite Room Review

The upgraded Suite is located on the 12th floor. Following the signs to find our suite room, it says “Penthouse Suites” on it. I was stoked to see the sign and was looking forward to seeing the suite room even more.

The Suite is considered a Penthouse Suite.

The suite room number is 1210. After tapping the key to enter the room, I was greeted immediately with a short hallway to the living area, but I decided to check out the bedroom first, which was in front of me. The bedroom comes with a beautiful, inviting king-size bed, and on the corner, there’s a work desk and a small closet for storage.

Bedroom

King Bedroom

The bedroom also has a stand-up shower/bathroom. I was pleased with the bedroom and the ensuite bathroom. Perhaps, the only downside about the bedroom is the road noise as it faces the road traffic.

Bathroom

Moving on, I went to check out the living room, and I had to first pass the hallway with a table and the mini bar on the other side.

The Hallway

The living room has a dining table, a couch, a TV, and a fireplace. But I did not like the dining table blocking the fireplace, so we moved the table around. What I loved about the living room was the huge window to enjoy the Fall season colors and the mountains. It’s so beautiful.

Daytime Living Room

Night Time Living Room

The balcony is right by the living room with a sliding door. That’s one of the biggest balconies I’ve ever seen, and photos can’t really capture the size of it.

Corner Suite Room

Spacious Suite Balcony

Balcony

The nice thing about our Suite is a corner suite, so we had views of the downtown area, the leaf colors, and the mountains on the other side.

View of Downtown Asheville

Fall Season Colors View

Beautiful View of Leaves & Sunset

Club Lounge

Hotel Indigo brand does not have Club Lounge for IHG One elite members.

Welcome Amenity

The welcome amenity at Hotel Indigo Asheville is frustrating.

When I asked for my IHG Diamond Elite benefits, the front desk declined the breakfast benefit, claiming that the hotel only offers a la-cart breakfast, not a buffet breakfast. Therefore, they could not offer complimentary breakfast to IHG Diamond Elite members. However, they could offer 600 IHG One Rewards points or a drink voucher for one guest only! It caught me by surprise, so I chose the points and changed my mind about getting the drink voucher instead.

On my way to dinner, I thought about the IHG Diamond Elite benefits, so I looked up the terms and conditions, and it clearly states the following:

Diamond Elite Members’ Welcome Amenity choice also includes Free Breakfast at full-service and select-service brands (REGENT, InterContinental, Hualuxe, Hotel Indigo, voco, Crowne Plaza, Even, Holiday Inn, and Kimpton)

Available for Member and one guest registered to the same room for each night of stay

Includes one main menu item with unlimited non-alcoholic beverages or full buffet with unlimited non-alcoholic beverages per person

Alcoholic beverages and certain specialty drinks excluded

Not available for In-Room dining or at specialty restaurants

Not offered at InterContinental Residence Suites Dubai Festival City or InterContinental Doha Residences

Therefore, I used the text message feature to ask the friendly front desk girl about getting free breakfast for the guest and me staying in the same room with a screenshot of the IHG Diamond Elite benefit terms and conditions regarding the complimentary breakfast. She texted back and said she would give me two free breakfast vouchers, and I had to give back the drink voucher, which I gladly did.

Hotel Indigo Asheville is known to deny breakfast benefits to IHG Diamond Elite members, and I’m trying to understand why. During my research, I found another review: the member was also denied the free breakfast benefit and offered a different breakfast credit instead. The member later resolved the issue after talking to the hotel’s General Manager. Therefore, if this happens to you during your stay with Hotel Indigo Asheville, I suggest you show the benefit terms like I did. Here’s the direct link to IHG Diamond Elite benefit terms and conditions.

Breakfast Vouchers

Complimentary Breakfast

Normal Breakfast

IHG Diamond Elite members are entitled to complimentary breakfast for you and one guest staying in the same room at Hotel Indigo Asheville. If you are denied that benefit, please read the above section.

You are given two breakfast vouchers, and the value of each voucher is indicated on the back with the following wording:

Please present voucher to server before ordering. Each voucher entitles you to your choice of breakfast selections not to exceed $18. Voucher may not be used for alcohol or room service order. Gratuitty is not included.

Free Breakfast Voucher Value

Breakfast is served at the onsite restaurant, and the breakfast menu is inexpensive. The food tasted better after I had to “fight” for it. See the above section, Welcome Amenity, for the full story.

See the menu below.

Hotel Indigo Asheville Breakfast Menu

Food & Beverage Credits

The drink voucher credit is part of the Welcome Amenity choices. However, Hotel Indigo Asheville only offers one free voucher drink for only one guest.

Dining

Hotel Indigo Asheville has an onsite dining restaurant behind the reception desk called One Fifty-One. We did not eat dinner there, only breakfast, which tasted mediocre.

Onsite Dining

The location of Hotel Indigo Asheville offers the convenience of trying out other local restaurants too in downtown Asheville. We checked out Isa’s French Bistro, part of the Haywood Park Hotel Ascend Hotel Collection’s restaurant, and it was very good. You can view the menu here if interested.

Escargot & Bone Marrow at Isa’s French Bistro Downtown Asheville

Resort Fee

No resort fee at Hotel Indigo Asheville.

Parking

Hotel Indigo Asheville only has valet parking, which costs $20 per night, and the parking fee is automatically added to your bill by the valet guy.

Pet Policy

Yes allowed

Housekeeping

Yes, available.

Internet/Wi-Fi

Yes, but didn’t work well for me for whatever reasons. So I just used our mobile phone data.

Bottled Water

None

Early Check-in

We didn’t do an early check-in, but the regular check-in time is 4 PM.

Late Check-out

Possible if requested, but we didn’t need one. The regular check-out time is 11 AM.

Spa

Hotel Indigo Asheville does not have a spa.

Fitness Center

Yes, the fitness center at Hotel Indigo Asheville is located on the second floor.

In-Room Safe

Yes, inside the closet in the Suite.

Robes & Slippers