Originally Posted by
jenecho
Has anyone stayed here recently? Umming and aahing between the intercontinental and here for a weekend for me and my mum for my fortieth birthday. It is pretty cheap at €76 for my dates and I would have the diamond breakfast and exec lounge.
Intercontinental is 86 for a basic room but I don't have status and would need to pay €€20 for breakfast or € 35 for lounge access. And it doesn't have a pool.
Any recent feedback on either would be good. Especially if anyone has info on the lounge hours here as I think we might arrive too late, which takes that out of the equation!
As a demoted Royal Ambassador I've largely dumped the IHG family and moved over to HH and Bonvoy. But Sofia is one of the very few IC properties that still gets me through its doors.
On a sort of "special" weekend I'd absolutely pay a little more for the IC. It's in a delightful location and the option of club access is certainly better than just adding on breakfast: and booking club should get you a room upgrade. If you have to, play the birthday card to ensure a terrace room/suite overlooking the cathedral. Maybe cosider Ambassador membership if you have occasional IC stays. It's quite new to the IC brand (ex Radisson Blu), and staff work hard to make the upgrade and renovation work.
The club lounge is a small but elegant and well-managed space, and IC access rules mean that it never gets anything like the crowds of Hilton executive lounges. The regular breakfast room has a wider spread, but it's a bit of a zoo and I'd always prefer the lounge.