Hotel Indigo, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio, is launching a first-of-its-kind offering, in the US and UK, where those who live in the same zip code, or postcode, as a Hotel Indigo can borrow everyday necessities at no cost. The program, 'Borrowed by Hotel Indigo', which comes on the heels of the brand’s largest marketing campaign, 'The World’s Neighborhood Hotel', will aim to foster connection and build community. Starting mid-November and while supplies lasts, Hotel Indigo will invite people into its properties to borrow what the brand’s survey revealed as the most commonly borrowed items, including sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper, coffee and tea. And just as with a real neighbour, through Borrowed by Hotel Indigo, people don’t have to return what they borrow.

Our social structure has evolved, and we no longer borrow from our neighbours as much as we once used to. In fact, a recent survey from Hotel Indigo  reveals that people interact with their neighbors less than ever before, with 59 per cent never having asked to borrow from their neighbour because they’re too shy (29 per cent), don’t want to be an inconvenience (23 per cent), or don’t have any sort of relationship with their neighbour (25 per cent). But it has been proven that even the smallest interaction with another individual – something as simple as borrowing from a neighbor – can make for happier communities (Source: Harvard Business School).

"When our hotels join a neighbourhood, we become a part of the fabric of the community,” said Carol Hoeller, Vice President Global Brand Management for Hotel Indigo. “We put it at the heart of everything, and we welcome the neighbourhood and its people into our spaces – it’s how we create an authentically local experience for our guests. Everyone knows the adage of ‘borrowing a cup of sugar’ from your neighbour. With this program, we want to embody this idea of being a good neighbour and strengthen social connections with those inside and outside of our hotels.”