Check into a new hotel in London's Paddington that is bringing some welcome colour and proving to be a sweet-smelling attraction

WE  EMERGED from Paddington Station last Saturday to find half the street cordoned off. A crowd of puzzled-looking, camera-toting tourists was watching a crane lift a 20ft by 10ft flower basket on to the front of a Georgian building, which turned out to be our destination for the night, the newly opened Hotel Indigo. The "Hanging Basket of Paddington", we were later informed, weighs a quarter of a ton and includes more than 100 varieties of plants such as orchids, roses and ivy.

It was quickly apparent that this temporary installation isn't the only thing about the 64-room property that stands out.

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London W2 was once renowned for seedy, cheap hotels but is now benefiting from the Paddington basin regeneration project. A two-star hotel in its previous life, the site of the UK's first Hotel Indigo (a transatlantic import) couldn't look more different in its latest reincarnation.

My husband Matt and I entered the glass-fronted, double-height reception, where a contemporary oval light hung from a ceiling painted with a mural of blue sky. We sniffed an interesting familiar scent in the air, which didn't emanate from the tall glass vase filled with elegant red and orange flowers, nor the hotel kitchen; the cinnamon smell is part of the hotel's concept to "renew" its decor and ambience with the changing seasons.

Thus a wintry ice-blue lights up the reception desk while frosted leaf designs are used for hotel signs and on the back of the brasserie menu. Visit in October or November and you may notice a subtle spiced apple scent and a smattering of autumnal leafy pictures.

We took the lift to the third floor and walked along the rainbow-carpeted corridor past commissioned pictures of nearby Little Venice - a key part of the fledgling UK chain's plans to reflect each hotel's location (a further three hotels are due to open in the capital by 2012, two in the City and one in Kensington).

It was a similar story in our room. Covering the entire wall behind the king-size bed was a black and white photograph of Paddington Station's intricate ironwork roof. Somehow it made the room feel bigger. Each of the four floors uses a vivid theme colour - deep blue, red, dark pink and lime green for the mosaic bathroom tiles, the bed throws and cushions. The wardrobe had a mirrored base, giving the impression that it was floating.

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A small chaise longue sat at the end of the bed, facing the wall-mounted flat-screen TV. An iPod docking station completed the must-have hotel gadgets.

THE only slight disappointment was that none of the rooms had a bath, where you might want to languish after a walk in nearby Hyde Park or along the canal to Little Venice, with its white stucco houses and smart cafés.

The sleek, modern shower room with its spacious, two-person, skin-tinglingly flow was good compensation.

Some of the rooms at the quieter back of the property have their own terraces. There's also a chic, decked communal terrace with potted bay trees, ideal for summer evening drinks or an alfresco breakfast or lunch.

Downstairs in the lounge area people sat on velvet easy chairs sipping cocktails or lattes and reading the papers, warmed by a fire. It felt relaxed and unpretentious. The restaurant didn't look like the usual eaterie of a chain hotel, attracting passing tourists drawn in by the stylish interior of dark wood tables, leather banquettes and foodie prints on the walls. With its street-side terrace, it had all the hallmarks of a hip Soho café.

The brasserie menu was also more reminiscent of a village gastro pub than your average London hotel, with a strong emphasis on British produce, from Essex pork and roast onion sausages to Neal's Yard cheeses.

We couldn't resist the 28 dayhung Aberdeenshire fillet steak and chunky handmade chips, worth every penny of the £18.95 price tag. Puddings ranged from English apple pie with vanilla ice-cream to a delicious dark choc Jaffa pot with shortbread.

The next morning as we left, after finding room for a fry-up, we saw more tourists taking pictures of the floral installation.

I wonder what crowd pleaser Hotel Indigo will pull out of the bag for its next grand opening.

GETTING THERE:

Hotel Indigo (0871 942 9242/www.hotelindigo.co.uk) offers doubles from £125 per room per night (two sharing), room only.

Continental breakfast from £6.95 and a three-course dinner in the brasserie from £25 per head.

Visit London: 020 7234 5800/ www.visitlondon.com