InterContinental Hotels: Priority Club & Inter-Continental Ambassador - Favorite IC Hotels overseas?

Starting to plan for some international travel in 2010 and would like to get some input from the FT community on favorite IC hotels between the following locations: Bali, Fiji, Moorea, Bora Bora, Australia, Czech Republic, and Hungary.

What makes them a favorite IC hotel of yours?

Of the places you've listed, I've only stayed at the IC in Sydney. It's a great location and an interesting building (built using part of an old treasury structure, I believe). It's within walking distance of the ferry landing at Circular Quay, the Rocks, the Opera House and numerous other attractions. When I was there last I had a room with a spectacular view of the Harbour Bridge. It was my second visit there, and I wouldn't hesistate to stay there again.

Bali, Fiji, Moorea, Bora Bora, Australia, Czech Republic, and Hungary.

What makes them a favorite IC hotel of yours?

I will be able to speak of Sydney after my stay end of December.
Czech Republic : very ugly 70s building, superb location, room recently renovated (some with very nice view), nice lounge and good service.

Hungary: ugly 70s building, superb location, lobby recently renovated, some suites very nice view (but a bit dated), nice lounge and good service.

Not the best IC properties in the world.

Czech Republic : very ugly 70s building, superb location, room recently renovated (some with very nice view), nice lounge and good service.

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Just got back from a 4 night stay at the IC Prague. Very poor hotel, and it has been recently renovated. Entire hotel, above the lobby area had very bad old mildew, mold smell. Smelled very old. Room, I was given "Jr. Suite" two rooms, both very small. very small living room with very dated old furniture, bright green color. New flat tvs, small dinning table took up large part of room, small marble bathroom (very clean). standard tolitries. very small bedroom, not much floor space left after king bed. nice view of water. again room had bad smell same as hallways.

club lounge very small. again two separate rooms, small room with out 7 closely space 2-seat tables, computer station, small kitchen service area with table for 6 and a couch in front of tv. lounge was empty each of the three days, we finally declined to pay for the lounge on the 4th day. food offerings liited and the same each day. one of the worst lounges and hotel experiences I have had recently. we used 3 free night promotion award and paid 210 Euro +tax for the a night. Hotel charged Euro 39 for lounge, reduced to Euro 20 when we complained about the smell. In contrast, we looked at the Four Seasons which was offering 1 night free with 4 3 paid nights, which would have made the rate 221 euro per night + tax. FS may have a slightly better location, maybe, but the building looked great and rooms were very clean, updated and typical luxury. I will not stay at the IC again on either a paid or free night.

Prague is great, however, so go, but forget the IC.

This hotel was awesome, great service and a great view of the bay. I landed in the evening on the first night and the lobby of the hotel was packed with people singing and having cocktails. I was greeted when I entered and immediatly taken to my room which had a view of the harbor and awesome amenities.

Check it out

i stayed in IC GS too. the room service was really great. i was suffering from food allergy (outside food) and need to order congee that is not in the room service menu. they have it delivered to me within an hour and the quality was one of best i had. but my #1 fav still go to IC Singapore. they go over the top to make sure you are happy with your stay.

jhanserd - did you get the suite upgrade?

Bora bora, baby!!!! All the way!!! Rooms are phenomenal, location divine. The blues of the waters defy description. A few nights at the Le Mo to do the mainland things, followed by a few nights at the Thalasso for the phenomenal rooms and view.

BEST ever for me was Bali! WOW WOW WOW make sure you are in Club section. private area of hotel club lounge is the best in the 40 IC i have stayed in and the UPGRADES are amazing.

I also like the IC Sydney, in fact the manager of IC Sydney is now the Manager in Bali.

IC GS HKG is nice stayed there at least 100 night over the past 15 years. but it was not on the list of the OP????

Prauge is :td:

BEST ever for me was Bali! WOW WOW WOW make sure you are in Club section. private area of hotel club lounge is the best in the 40 IC i have stayed in and the UPGRADES are amazing.


Another vote for the club at Bali - by far the best IC experiences everytime I've been there.

Ok, Bali and French Polynesia look wonderful.

What other IC properties (level 5, 6 and 7) are top notch hotels to rival those? Looks like I am going to use points/cash combination and I want something relaxing, scenic and as beautiful as those the FT replys have already recommended. We can open this up to worldwide locations except middle east and africa locations.

I'm nominating the dark horse candidate of the IC Sao Paulo. I was on the executive floor there and had a great experience. Large room with a balcony, wine and fruit in the room, great lounge etc.

The best part though was the staff. They were absurdly helpful and great about arranging dinner for me and my companion. It was also located so we could walk everywhere we wanted to. Frankly, it was the best part of my trip to Sao Paulo.

Excellent hotel with very good location and superb view. Amb upgrade is usually "river view" don't settle for anything less! Email beforehand for club access (good club with again superb views), you should get it for ca 30-40€/night (rack rate at check-in is 60€ AFAIR) For two it's cheaper than the hotel breakfast (if your room rate is w/o brekkie)

Just got back from a 4 night stay at the IC Prague. Very poor hotel, and it has been recently renovated. Entire hotel, above the lobby area had very bad old mildew, mold smell. Smelled very old. Room, I was given "Jr. Suite" two rooms, both very small. very small living room with very dated old furniture, bright green color. New flat tvs, small dinning table took up large part of room, small marble bathroom (very clean). standard tolitries. very small bedroom, not much floor space left after king bed. nice view of water. again room had bad smell same as hallways.

club lounge very small. again two separate rooms, small room with out 7 closely space 2-seat tables, computer station, small kitchen service area with table for 6 and a couch in front of tv. lounge was empty each of the three days, we finally declined to pay for the lounge on the 4th day. food offerings liited and the same each day. one of the worst lounges and hotel experiences I have had recently. we used 3 free night promotion award and paid 210 Euro +tax for the a night. Hotel charged Euro 39 for lounge, reduced to Euro 20 when we complained about the smell. In contrast, we looked at the Four Seasons which was offering 1 night free with 4 3 paid nights, which would have made the rate 221 euro per night + tax. FS may have a slightly better location, maybe, but the building looked great and rooms were very clean, updated and typical luxury. I will not stay at the IC again on either a paid or free night.

Prague is great, however, so go, but forget the IC.

I would agree with NYCbustravelguy that the IC is on a steep path downhill, and has been for the last few years when competition in the 5 star class has been deepening. About the furniture: its has an extremely 50s look about it, but it is actually brand new (or let's say two years old). The hotel has been completely renovated after the Moldau floods in summer 2002, the furniture was put in a few years after that, around 2006/7 - and somebody thought it was a good idea to give it a retro look. The rate NYCbustravelguy is quoting is very high - typical entry level rates are around EUR 100 these days.

NYCbustravelguy has a lot of patience with the hotel, I personally would have left on or after day 1 - the chances that mildew smell will disappear after a day seems remote. I personally have never seen any mildew (or smelt it). I never understood the IC Club lounge - or why anyone would pay for it, as there are a lot of Internet cafes around that would serve better fare against very competitive prices (and have a better atmosphere). As an RA NYCbustravelguy would have free access to a very well stocked minibar, as well as have free Internet per the Ambassador promotion, and even EUR 20 seems a lot for some fried cheese, so no need to go there.

FS indeed is nice but basically it could be in any city over the world, nothing very Prague about it, except a few rooms with a nice view over the Moldau and Prague castle - but those are jealously guarded and I wouldn't count on getting those by paying a deeply discounted entry level rate like EUR 221 (actually 884 for four nights, a single night will be EUR 295). The hotel also has been renovated in 2002 after the floods (but it had been open only for a few months before that). Generic FS furniture - but it certainly looks better than the stuff they put in the IC.

Best hotel in Prague is the Mandarin Oriental on the other side of the river. Also not particularly cheap, but fairly new, in a converted monastery.

I have stayed at the IC Prague a couple of times - the last visit was in April - and have always enjoyed my stays, although I was concerned to read the above comments.

Looking at rates for Spring/early Summer, and no Club room rates? Any ideas?