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!

 

[The-Aviator]

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!

One bit of advice I would have is to keep an eye on the rates closer to the date as they may drop substantially! When I originally booked it was 39,000 points/night and because reward night bookings are cancellable and instantly refunded it was easy to re-book when I saw the rate drop.

 

[Beano]

One bit of advice I would have is to keep an eye on the rates closer to the date as they may drop substantially! When I originally booked it was 39,000 points/night and because reward night bookings are cancellable and instantly refunded it was easy to re-book when I saw the rate drop.

Thanks for the advice. I will keep an eye on it but I think it is a festival weekend in Madrid so I don't have much hope.

 

[The-Aviator]

Hotel: Hotel Indigo Helsinki - Boulevard
When: November 2024
Status: Platinum Ambassador
Rate: €169/night for four nights (Visa partner rate)
Booked: 2 Twin Premium
Received: 2 Twin Premium (only room type available with twin beds)

Easily the best of the IHG properties visited on this trip!

Got off to a great start on arrival at around 10:45pm, we must have been the last guests scheduled to arrive for the day as the receptionist correctly guessed my name. Despite the late hour he quickly went through all the hotel features such as the gym, evening sauna, breakfast offering (including a recommendation for Ekburg 1852 just up the street) and even the bikes they had available to borrow. He also noted that although I have a high-floor preference on my IHG profile, the twin rooms were only available on lower floors. He was able to offer a King room on a higher floor but we were perfectly fine with what we had booked.

Our room was in a corner of the property and quite large, more rectangular-shaped than squareish. Beds were large and comfy, there was also a small desk, coffee table and lounge chair, ample storage space, large TV with local and international channels and a bright, functional bathroom with the brand-standard Biology toiletries.

There was a complimentary bottle of water left on the coffee table and replenished daily, then there was the minibar. The "Premium" room type advertises a complimentary minibar and the receptionist confirmed this when checking in and said they'd top it up daily. I was expecting it to be your typical free minibar with a water, some chips/chocolate, a soft drink and maybe if you're lucky a beer, but noooo, this one had sparkling water, 7 Up, local beer (Lapin Kulta), imported beer (Heineken), a small bottle of prosecco, a small bottle of French red wine, a bag of local 'party mix' lollies, a local Fazer chocolate and finally, a can of salted peanuts! The pricelist by the fridge indicated a paper value of €59.20 and I was so convinced there was some mistake I even double-checked at the front desk the next day but indeed it was all free. Suffice to say everything was enjoyed and the chocolate bars even made their way back to Australia

Only small flaws with the room were a shower which had the potential to leak into the bathroom a little if you weren't careful and some issues with the safe; it wasn't working on arrival and the hotel engineer came by early the next morning to fix it, however it broke again and we decided to just leave it as is after that. Neither were deal breakers for us so we were very happy with the room overall.

We used our welcome drink amenity vouchers at the bar where we could get a tap beer, house wine (red, white or sparkling), anything non-alcoholic or finally, the quintessential Finnish lonkero or long drink, a gin with grapefruit soda. We chose the long drink and it was pretty nice. In terms of other hotel facilities regrettably we didn't get a chance to try the sauna or gym, but we did visit the gym and it looked pretty good. Both sauna and gym are in the basement.

Location-wise the hotel is in a great spot on Boulevard/Bulevardi, one of the primary east-west thoroughfares in the city centre. Lots of places to eat and drink nearby and it's less than ten minutes to walk to Esplanadi and around twenty minutes to Senate Square and the waterfront. We mostly walked but there is also a great tram system and metro, taxis/Uber are also readily available at all hours. Some highlights for us were a day trip to Tallinn in Estonia by ferry, the Oodi library, the Kiasma museum, the beautifully designed churches/chapels around the city and even just walking around, especially on Esplanadi, Bulevardi and the shopping area on Mannerheimintie. For food there are lots of good options including Ekburg 1852 and Lappi Ravintola for Lappish cuisine (lots of salmon and reindeer!) but far and away the best dinner we had was at Ravintola Nolla just behind the hotel, it has won multiple awards and was our favourite meal of the entire trip.

All the staff at the hotel were great, super friendly and helpful and the positive experience continued all the way to our 5:15am checkout for an early flight to London, the same guy who checked us in checked us out and even offered a free coffee to take with us.

Only my second stay at an Indigo and just like my stay in at the Indigo in Melbourne earlier this year, the Helsinki property was brilliant. Would definitely recommend and I would be happy to return, although maybe in summer next time!

 

[The-Aviator]

Hotel: InterContinental London Park Lane
When: November 2024
Status: Platinum Ambassador
Rate: Combination of reward points and Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night certificate averaging out to £182/night
Booked: 2 Twin Cosy
Received: 2 Twin Classic (one-category upgrade)

An enjoyable stay and thanks to some careful use of the AMB certificate and reward points it worked out to be one of the cheaper IHG options in London.

Really good check-in experience when we arrived at around 10:30am. The lovely receptionist noted the room was still being cleaned but took care of all the formalities, gave us our welcome drink vouchers in case we wanted to use them while waiting, took down our phone number so they could call us when the room was ready and showed us to the public restrooms. Fortunately we didn't have to wait long, just as we were about to head out for a walk the phone call came through and we were in our room by 11! Whilst never expected, I always appreciate when a hotel provides such an early check-in.

Our "Classic" room was on the smaller side, so I can only imagine how tiny the "Cosy" rooms must be! The rooms are dated and could do with some more lighting but for the most part are well-maintained and still look pleasant. There was a fully stocked minibar with complimentary bottled water, a TV with plenty of channels and an air-conditioning system which actually responded to our control panel inputs, unlike all the hotels we visited in Europe where it was either turned off for the cooler months or hotel-controlled! A small box of chocolates was also left in the room as a Platinum Ambassador welcome amenity.

One area I wasn't a fan of however was the bathroom and more particularly the shower. It's no ordinary shower/bath combo, it's one of the smallest and narrowest I've come across and somehow they've managed to fit in not just a regular showerhead but a rainfall one as well. To make matters worse it's not even a curved shower rod so the shower curtain keeps getting in the way . Other bathroom elements such as the Byredo toiletries and large towels were great but if they get around to a full refurb, hopefully their first move is to replace the shub!

Housekeeping was good to the point of being almost over the top - they would neatly fold clothes that had been left out, organise shoes, tidy up charging cables and even plugged my wireless headphones case in. There was also evening turndown where they essentially did all the same things and would even replenish the two bottles of complimentary water. Another thoughtful touch was organising an extra luggage rack for us when they did turndown on the first evening and noticed we had opened one of our suitcases on the ground, not something that bothered us but it was appreciated that they noticed and did something about it. The only other place I've seen housekeeping like this was at properties of a similar calibre in the Middle East - guests from the GCC seem to make up a large proportion of the hotel's clientèle so perhaps this elevated level of service is an intentional part of the offering.

Didn't get to use a lot of the hotel facilities, however we visited the gym which was large and had lots of equipment as well as towels and bottled water. Similar to the IC Berlin they also had a cart by the front door in the morning with towels, apples and bottled water for those looking to go for a jog.

Didn't have any meals at the hotel however we visited the bar on our first night to use our welcome drink vouchers (choice of beer, house wine or anything non-alcoholic, we chose a Malbec) and again on the last night to use our Ambassador credit towards a coughtail. Both experiences were good, on the second visit the bartender was very apologetic when he realised he hadn't provided any snacks with my coughtail and quickly arranged some olives, again I wasn't bothered but it showcased the level of service that they try to provide.

Location of the hotel is pretty good, surrounded by parklands and a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace and other attractions in the western part of central London. Hyde Park Corner station is just across the road (keep in mind there are some ramps/stairs up and down to cross the road to the station) and from there you have direct service on the Piccadilly line to Heathrow, so we used the tube to get to and from the airport. Lots of good places to eat and shop nearby, one of my favourites was HIDE, where I got to enjoy a very fancy (but pricey) Michelin-starred breakfast.

Staff were certainly a highlight at the hotel, everyone we came across was very service-oriented and helpful. There were a lot of them too, basically at any hour of the day there were at least two doormen at the front door and when checking out at 6:45am on our last day they had three receptionists on hand. Interestingly enough this was also the only hotel I stayed at on the trip where they applied a service charge to the bill, 5% for regular rooms and 10% for Club IC rooms.

Overall despite the disappointing bathroom I was happy with all other aspects of the stay and would certainly return.

 

[VPS]

Hotel: InterContinental London Park Lane
When: November 2024
Status: Platinum Ambassador
Rate: Combination of reward points and Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night certificate averaging out to £182/night
Booked: 2 Twin Cosy
Received: 2 Twin Classic (one-category upgrade)

An enjoyable stay and thanks to some careful use of the AMB certificate and reward points it worked out to be one of the cheaper IHG options in London.

Really good check-in experience when we arrived at around 10:30am. The lovely receptionist noted the room was still being cleaned but took care of all the formalities, gave us our welcome drink vouchers in case we wanted to use them while waiting, took down our phone number so they could call us when the room was ready and showed us to the public restrooms. Fortunately we didn't have to wait long, just as we were about to head out for a walk the phone call came through and we were in our room by 11! Whilst never expected, I always appreciate when a hotel provides such an early check-in.

Our "Classic" room was on the smaller side, so I can only imagine how tiny the "Cosy" rooms must be! The rooms are dated and could do with some more lighting but for the most part are well-maintained and still look pleasant. There was a fully stocked minibar with complimentary bottled water, a TV with plenty of channels and an air-conditioning system which actually responded to our control panel inputs, unlike all the hotels we visited in Europe where it was either turned off for the cooler months or hotel-controlled! A small box of chocolates was also left in the room as a Platinum Ambassador welcome amenity.

One area I wasn't a fan of however was the bathroom and more particularly the shower. It's no ordinary shower/bath combo, it's one of the smallest and narrowest I've come across and somehow they've managed to fit in not just a regular showerhead but a rainfall one as well. To make matters worse it's not even a curved shower rod so the shower curtain keeps getting in the way . Other bathroom elements such as the Byredo toiletries and large towels were great but if they get around to a full refurb, hopefully their first move is to replace the shub!

Housekeeping was good to the point of being almost over the top - they would neatly fold clothes that had been left out, organise shoes, tidy up charging cables and even plugged my wireless headphones case in. There was also evening turndown where they essentially did all the same things and would even replenish the two bottles of complimentary water. Another thoughtful touch was organising an extra luggage rack for us when they did turndown on the first evening and noticed we had opened one of our suitcases on the ground, not something that bothered us but it was appreciated that they noticed and did something about it. The only other place I've seen housekeeping like this was at properties of a similar calibre in the Middle East - guests from the GCC seem to make up a large proportion of the hotel's clientèle so perhaps this elevated level of service is an intentional part of the offering.

Didn't get to use a lot of the hotel facilities, however we visited the gym which was large and had lots of equipment as well as towels and bottled water. Similar to the IC Berlin they also had a cart by the front door in the morning with towels, apples and bottled water for those looking to go for a jog.

Didn't have any meals at the hotel however we visited the bar on our first night to use our welcome drink vouchers (choice of beer, house wine or anything non-alcoholic, we chose a Malbec) and again on the last night to use our Ambassador credit towards a coughtail. Both experiences were good, on the second visit the bartender was very apologetic when he realised he hadn't provided any snacks with my coughtail and quickly arranged some olives, again I wasn't bothered but it showcased the level of service that they try to provide.

Location of the hotel is pretty good, surrounded by parklands and a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace and other attractions in the western part of central London. Hyde Park Corner station is just across the road (keep in mind there are some ramps/stairs up and down to cross the road to the station) and from there you have direct service on the Piccadilly line to Heathrow, so we used the tube to get to and from the airport. Lots of good places to eat and shop nearby, one of my favourites was HIDE, where I got to enjoy a very fancy (but pricey) Michelin-starred breakfast.

Staff were certainly a highlight at the hotel, everyone we came across was very service-oriented and helpful. There were a lot of them too, basically at any hour of the day there were at least two doormen at the front door and when checking out at 6:45am on our last day they had three receptionists on hand. Interestingly enough this was also the only hotel I stayed at on the trip where they applied a service charge to the bill, 5% for regular rooms and 10% for Club IC rooms.

Overall despite the disappointing bathroom I was happy with all other aspects of the stay and would certainly return.

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Shower curtains should be banned IMHO - not a fan at all

 

[kerfuffle]

Hotel: voco Brisbane City Centre
When: November 23-24
Status: Diamond Ambassador
Rate: $250ish
Booked: 1 King Bed Premium
Received: 1 King Bed Premium River View
Amenity Offered: Breakfast, drinks or 600 points. Got all three because I said I was staying there for my birthday. They also gave a bigger welcome platter than usual and a bottle of sparkling wine. Not bad!

Excellent service from staff as usual; love staying here! Was also able to use the drink voucher at nearby Hotel Indigo.

Hotel: InterContinental Sydney
When: November 28-30
Status: Diamond Ambassador
Rate: $400/night roughly
Booked: 1 King Classic
Received: 1 King Harbour Bridge View. Which was the same that I got back in April on a points stay ... where I didn't say it was my birthday.
Amenity Offered: Breakfast, drink or 600 points. Took the breakfast, but also got 600 points, which was nice 'cause they never gave my 600 points from my June stay ...

So last year when I stayed for my birthday, IC Perth City Centre upgraded me to a suite. No such thing at IC Sydney. Like with Brisbane, I said it was my birthday (and this stay occurred during my actual birthday). No special anything. They did have Birthday Cake flavoured Lindor balls though coincidentally at reception; many confused guests asking what flavour it was.

Also, you can use your Ambassador credit at Aster if you have your drinks charged to your room; nice (the minimum spend is reduced if you're a guest).

For 2025, I plan to stay at IC Melbourne if reasonably priced to see what they do for a birthday stay.

 

[ShrinkWrapped]

ANA Intercontinental Tokyo
When: December 2024
Status: Diamond Ambassador
Rate: 73,000 points
Booked: Classic Room
Received: 1 king classic high floor, walk in shower, separate tub.
Amenity: took points as I had lounge pass which covered breakfast

Experience left a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth. 24 hours before check in the hotel amended my rate from 73,000 points to 134,000 points. No explanation, no email. IHG diamond support stated that the hotel changed it. The hotel couldn’t offer an explanation - “I don’t know what happened”. Eventually the Diamond support line refunded the points difference for me.

Also odd upgrade shenanigans. Went from 1 king classic to 1 king premium (32sqm) with separate shower and walk in tub. 24 hours prior shifted to 1 king classic high floor, with less space (28sqm), but apparently more premium due to a higher floor. It overlooked a cemetery for bonus bad vibes.

Though refurbished, I do think the hotel as a whole is a tad past its used by date.

Breakfast at restaurant was reasonable with a standard Asian selection. Afternoon tea in club lounge was fine.

The biggest issue for me with this hotel (still don’t know what people like this IHG hotel, I suspect because (a) it’s an IC and (b) lounge access) is the location. 10+ minutes walk to Ginza Line platforms through a maze of underground networks. Not much nearby - longish 15-20 minute walk to Roppongi. Location wise I think Indigo Shibuya for IHG wins by MILES.

ANA Crowne Plaza Niigata
When: December 2024
Status: Diamond Ambassador
Rate: 130NZD ish per night (Visa rate)
Booked: 2 twin classic
Received: 2 twin deluxe 15th floor
Amenity: Breakfast

So I have reasonable experiences with Crowne Plazas in Japan. They aren’t fancy but are rather functional. Though most of them look like they are frozen in the 1980s with a very brown colour palette, analog radios in guest rooms and cavernous open lobby spaces with nothing. This hotel was no exception.

About a 10 minute walk from Niigata station. Took breakfast as amenity. Offered 2 cans of beer or 2 bottles of tea as an extra amenity. Upgrade to the top floor room (33sqm) from a based 25 sqm room. The bed was exceptionally comfortable.

Nespresso machine which also surprised me

Breakfast was a decent spread by Japanese business hotel standards. Omelette station. Mixed Japanese and Western options.

I think great value for money in general once you’re outside Tokyo. I mean sure the hotel looks like you step into a time capsule, but the hardware is still functional and comfortable.

Plus, it’s Niigata, so plenty of sake to make the experience enjoyable