InterContinental brings Indigo hotels to Britain

LONDON, March 4 (Reuters) - The world's largest hotelier, InterContinental Hotels Group Plc (IHG.L: Quote, Profile, Research), is bringing its Indigo boutique hotel brand to Britain, starting in Paddington, West London, in July, the group said on Tuesday.

British-based InterContinental, which also operates Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza hotels, runs 10 Indigo hotels in North America which the company says are aimed at "style-savvy guests" who want affordable luxury and good service.

The group has signed a deal with London Town Hotels as the franchisee to open a 68-room hotel close to Paddington railway station in London, with rooms at around 120 pounds a night.

"The boutique hotel offers a different experience, and there are a growing number of customers who like these design-led hotels. This is a niche which is become mainstream," group Chief Executive Andrew Cosslett said in an interview with Reuters.

Cosslett hopes to open two or three Indigo-branded outlets in European cities and one in Asia by the end of this year.

InterContinental is also bringing another U.S. brand to Britain with its extended-stay Staybridge Suites, with the first set to open in Liverpool, northwest England, in June. The group already operates 120 of these hotels in North America. (Reporting by David Jones, editing by Will Waterman)