FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Please post your Ambassador experiences (Archive Thread 2016)
Old Nov 8, 2016, 5:27 am
  #142  
davrossuk
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: London
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, Accor Gold, HH Diamond, Krispy Kreme Brown with chocolate sprinkles
Posts: 507
InterContinental London - The O2

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?

Booked a standard room (reward night) and upgraded to a King Deluxe - Canary Wharf View on the 13th floor

How are the rooms?

Modern and reasonably spacious for a London hotel with great views over the river. This was especially nice as it was bonfire night so we could see lots of fireworks displays over London. The bed was very comfortable.

The bathroom was large (much larger that the IC PL) with a bath and walk-in rain shower.

As the hotel is <1 year old, I was surprised that the room was already showing signs of wear and poor maintenance on the carpets, soft furnishings and some of the bathroom fittings.

How is the exec. lounge?

As my wife and I are purely leisure travelers and mostly stay to relax and unwind without the kids, access to a good club lounge is especially important to us. We couldn't help but compare the lounge at the IC o2 to the IC PL lounge. We both agreed that the lounge at the IC PL is significantly better.

The o2 lounge is perfectly acceptable but lacks the attentive service and some of the little touches that makes the IC PL lounge so exceptional. The space itself is also not as nice as it lacks the IC PL's spacious feel with it's high ceilings and panoramic views. (Although the IC o2's 2nd floor view over the river was still quite nice)

The standard rate for lounge access for 2 people is £95. This is reduced to £75 for Ambassador members (almost exactly the same as the IC PL which is considerably better). I feel this is too much.

What was good and what was bad?

Good

- Location if visiting the o2

- Great views over the river

- Large and well equipped bathrooms

- Impressive public spaces

- Warm welcome and ambassador upgrade

Bad

- Access from the tube station. There are 2 main routes and one involves a short (5 min) walk across an unfinished (and in some places non-existent) pavement. The other route requires a longer and convoluted walk through the o2.

- Inexperienced staff. We experienced several minor issues, sometimes encountering an obvious language barrier, but the main example: At check-in I was advised that lounge access included breakfast in either the lounge or restaurant. As we had been told that breakfast in the lounge was a continental buffet with no à la carte option, we wanted to eat in the restaurant. In the morning, my wife phoned reception to ask in which restaurant breakfast was served only to be told by the lady that we did not have lounge access so could not eat breakfast anywhere in the hotel unless we paid. She would not back down so I had to get out of the shower to sort it out. Eventually she agreed that we did have lounge access but told me that we could only eat in the lounge. I thought this was incorrect so she said she would contact her manager and then she cut me off. She did in fact turn out to be incorrect and, after some more hassle, we were able to eat at the restaurant. Not a major issue, but a big faff for something we had already paid for.

- No à la carte options in the lounge for breakfast or the restaurant (or if there was, it was not pro-actively offered) - although lots of buffet options in the restaurant

- It was my birthday and I didn't get a cake. Not a major point but I always get one at the IC PL, Pullman and Conrad etc :-)

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?

I paid 45k points which I feel was excellent value.

I would stay here again when the cash rate is low (sometimes it's only around £100 which is exceptional value). For reward nights, I would think twice about paying the extra 15k to stay at the IC PL for the polished service and better club lounge, albeit with a smaller room and often a mediocre view.
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