InterContinental-owned boutique chain Hotel Indigo has opened its first property in continental Europe.

The Hotel Indigo Berlin opened its doors February 3, marking the brand’s first entry into Europe outside of the United Kingdom.

Designed with Hotel Indigo’s trademark ’boutique’ feel, the property contains 81 rooms, which are finished in light wood and white but have been individualized with color to give them the feel of an ‘artist’s studio’.

The number of boutique hotels in London is set to soar over the next few years, a new report has predicted.

London, which will host the 2012 Olympic Games next year, could see the number of design-led hotel rooms double by 2013, adding some 2,544 rooms to the market.

Hotel consultancy HVS London predicted this week that another 18 boutique properties will open their doors in the capital through 2013.

International hotel chain InterContinental has chosen Phuket, Thailand to launch as the first resort destination for its Hotel Indigo chain.

Hotel Indigo, a ’boutique’ style brand which aims for individuality with its properties, operates 38 hotels around the world, with the majority in big cities.

The February 24 announcement of its entry into Phuket, one of Thailand’s most popular destinations for foreign tourists, is a clear sign that it believes it can appeal to all vacationers, not just those on a city break.

InterContinental has confirmed that it is to launch boutique Hotel Indigo brand in Asia-Pacific, opening the first property in Shanghai by the end of the year.

The new Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund will sit alongside luxury properties such as Fairmont’s Peace Hotel and the Peninsula Shanghai, although it’s set to offer travelers an altogether different style of service — and likely a different price range.

The 184-room property eschews the grandness favoured by its competitors for the more distinctive, design-led approach common to Hotel Indigo, which prides itself on reflecting the culture, character and history of its neighbourhoods.