Want green hotel accommodations? Go Indigo. The Hotel Indigo San Diego is slated to open its doors Monday, July 13 in downtown’s trendy East Village neighborhood. A boutique niche of the InterContinental Hotels Group, which includes the Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites names, Hotel Indigo will be the only Downtown hotel opening this year. It’s also the city’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified hotel. The Indigo will also be the first LEED hotel for the InterContinental group, which runs more than 4,000 hotels in about 100 countries. Only a handful of hotels in California have been granted LEED status from the U.S. Green Building Council. Environmentally friendly elements grace the 210-room, 12-story Indigo. Its “green roof” contains an urban garden with an advanced irrigation system that will provide insulation, thus reducing the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling. The decking of its floors is made from recycled grocery bags and wood cabinet scraps. The organic building materials used in construction will improve the venue’s air quality, as will the large windows in the lobbies, lounges and guest rooms that can open to let the offshore breezes provide ventilation. An herb garden on the Phi Terrace will provide spice for the hotel’s Phi Bar and Bistro. Preferred parking will be reserved for guests who drive low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles. “We really want to create a genuine guest experience,” said Pat McTigue, director of sales and marketing. “Our staff really have passion and excitement; they are energetic, enthusiastic, trendy and diverse.” McTigue and general manager Chris Jones (an East Village resident himself) emphasize Hotel Indigo’s commitment to integrating itself in the community. And what says “East Village” more than design, drinks and dogs? Not only is Hotel Indigo an architectural fit with the surrounding condos; the venue has incorporated the work of local artists into its design scheme. “Indigo Waters,” a 40-foot glass sculpture by local artist Lisa Schirmer, graces the upper western side of the building. Throughout the hotel’s common areas and guest rooms are large photographic murals of nature scenes in San Diego County taken by local photographer Ian Cummings. The ninth-floor Phi Terrace will serve as another East Village venue in which to enjoy cocktails and catch a Padres game, either on flat-screen televisions or with clear views into the ballpark. The fire pits around the terrace are filled with recycled glass. Five corner suites also share the same ballpark view.