InterContinental Paris Le Grand
What is your IHG Fewards Club status?
Platinum
Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, but disappointed
Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
I booked the Classic Room (only one available with points), and was upgrade to an Opéra View Junior Suite.
How are the rooms?
The junior suite has an entrance hall, a large bedroom with a sofa and a balcony overlooking the Opéra, and a bathroom with separate shower and toilet.
How is the exec. lounge?
No access.
What was good and what was bad?
Good:
- Upgrade without asking. I never thought I'd get it, as the hotel was full and I'm just a humble Plat
- Unbeatable views of the Opéra.
- Great location
- Attentive staff
Bad:
- The furniture is old and worn, the wallpaper was peeling off, the bedsite table had a missing knob... We had to report a water leak (a drop was falling down from the ceiling every 10 seconds), which was fortunately fixed. The rack rate of this room is EUR 1600!!!
- 5 minutes after we got the room, someone opened the door without knocking! He was coming to bring us a welcome gift, which is fine, but why did he enter the room like this?? He was polite, but didn't really apologised for it.
- We had breakfast for EUR 45 each. It was good, but not great: almost no cakes, the fruit was not very tasty... That would be a fine breakfast at a Crowne Plaza for less than EUR 20. Here you just paying that much for having breakfast at the Café de la Paix.
- No swimming-pool, the sauna is not free for guests... only the gym, which is quite small and claustrophobic.
- I was told I would be getting my Welcome points automatically, as I usually do at other hotels one or two days later. After a week without getting them I e-mailed the hotel, but they haven't even replied as yet.
Value for $ or IHG Rewards Club Points? Would you return?
I would never, ever pay that much for such a hotel, it's not my cup of tea. However, when so many points are required for any IHG hotel in Paris, for 50k this a no-brainer (but only once for me).