IHG Hotels that recognise status

[The-Aviator]

It would be usual to let the hotel know of late? arrival beforehand. I have stayed in hotels in Australia which close reception at 9 pm and arrive at 10 pm. They were well aware and made arrangements.

Agree, I always do let the hotel know and did so here as well, which just added to why it was so frustrating.

 

[The-Aviator]

Hotel: InterContinental Berlin
When: October 2024
Status: Platinum Ambassador
Rate: 27,666 points/night (Reward Nights redemption)
Booked: 2 Twin Classic
Received: 2 Twin Premium (two-category upgrade, visible in the app a few days before my stay)

Another enjoyable InterContinental stay. It is excellent value compared to the ICs you will find in other European capitals!

Arrival experience at ~4:30pm was outstanding with the receptionist warmly welcoming us, outlining the features of the hotel, reminding us of our €15 Ambassador credit, locking in a 4pm late check-out (even though I said we wouldn't need it!) and finally presenting us with a brushed metal InterContinental Ambassador luggage tag as an extra welcome amenity in addition to two drinks vouchers. IC Berlin showing CP Copenhagen how check-in is done

The hotel has recently completed a full renovation and the rooms look modern and beautiful with the same refined style you will find at other new/renovated ICs globally. The premium rooms are substantially larger than the classic rooms and a lot of this space is in the bathroom which had lots of wardrobe and luggage space in addition to separate bathtub and shower. Toiletries were the standard Byredo Bal d'Afrique offering and included shower gel as well as soap. It was probably the largest room I've ever had in Europe.

Whilst I was happy with the room, a few things could have been better.

1. The twin beds were pushed together, which is fine, but they shared the same fitted sheet which was a bit odd. Not an issue for us but one to keep in mind if it is.
2. They were a bit cheap on the complimentary water with only one bottle provided, most hotels provide at least two.
3. The TV was in a position from which you couldn't view it from the sofa or the bed without having to re-angle it and while there were a lot of channels there were some very random ones there in lieu of more mainstream ones, for example for Spanish viewers they had regional TV Galicia but no RTVE? Also no CNN for English-language viewers.
4. They were very slack with the toilet paper and weren't replenishing it, I had to call the Instant Service line and speak to the automated bot on the other end (an experience in itself!) to get some more delivered, which to be fair arrived quickly.
5. The shower pressure was insane to the point where you wanted to spend as little time as possible in there.

I feel the hotel prioritised form over function in the renovation and while the rooms certainly look good, there is a lot of wasted space and design elements which don't lend themselves to providing a comfortable experience. That said, still perfectly fine for a short stay.

Breakfast wasn't included in our rate and is typically €43 or €29 if pre-booked at reception. The only meal we had was a light dinner on our last night at the hotel's casual restaurant/bar Marlene, I would highly recommend stopping by here as in our opinion they had Berlin's best currywurst on the menu! We also used our welcome drink vouchers here, they could be used for any beer or wine and we got a German 'Blutsbruder' red which at €18/glass was fantastic value for a welcome amenity. The drink vouchers and Ambassador credit meant we got dinner and drinks for two for just €25 which was great value.

The hotel has both a gym and a pool, there is a charge to use the pool even for guests but it looked really nice. The gym is complimentary and is huge, in fact in addition to the main gym there is an overflow "Gym 2" with additional equipment. Another nice amenity from the hotel was a cart by the front door with running maps, towels and bottled water for those looking to go for a jog.

Berlin is a huge city so in terms of location there are lots of great areas to stay depending on your needs/preferences. We were happy with the IC's location as there are lots of interesting things to walk to and given we were only in town for three nights, we used Ubers to get around when we wanted to go further afield. Some highlights in the area include Café am Neuen See, a picturesque cafe and beer garden by the lake in the Tiergarten behind the hotel and in the opposite direction the famous KaDeWe department store, where on the upper floors they have a premium food hall including the BRLO craft beer bar and there was even a little surprise for us Aussies, a Penfolds wine stall!

Really enjoyed our stay overall and would recommend, it was a great value points redemption and cash rates are attractive too. Would be happy to return.

 

[Beano]

You are so lucky! I have booked Crowne Plaza at Madrid Airport in May 2025 and they wanted 33,333 points per night average. I have often found that you pay the same points for any room, so go for the best!