Originally Posted by
TakeFive7
Had a four-night stay and have to say: not impressed, should rather rebrand as Crowne Plaza (in fact, I liked the Crowne Plaza Luphini better...)
Booked a Destined rate as Platinum Ambassador
Check-in agent was quite junior and didn't know much about the Destined rates. Thankfully the supervisor helped out. Expecting the low-ball, stingy single upgrade I was positively surprised they offered me a double upgrade but only after asking if AMB+Destined upgrades stack. Yet, one of the upgrades would just have been high-floor, so I stayed with a single upgrade from Classic to Premium where the room was available earlier, I could check in 10am which was nice again.
The decor of the lobby and rooms was quite nice, but that's about it. There was a slight but noticeable sewage smell in the lobby that stayed throughout my stay, not a good welcome to guests. What's even worse, it extends to parts of the breakfast room. Breakfast itself was average, with items needing to be ordered via QR code. Come on, this feels cheap and not IC-like. Crab omelette had old smelly crab-meat that was at the verge of turning rotten, guys, just take it off the menu if you cannot make it properly...
Swimming pool had a nice view, water was a bit cold. As the previous poster mentioned, way too few loungers for the hotel, I had to regularly use a chair to place my towel.
Premium room had ample space and as mentioned had a nice decor. Service was average with housekeeping regularly missing on some minor items like replacing water bottles. Interestingly, there was no shoe shine service available, I wouldn't have expected that from an IC branded property.
If it wasn't for the somewhat nicer decor, this property should rebrand itself a tier lower as a Crowne Plaza, then it would be appropriate.
The rooftopbar featured in the previous post is nice, but _not_ affiliated with the IC, so you cannot charge to your room or use and F&B credit.
I did two back-to-back stays at both InterContinentals (the “old” one at Chit Lom and the new one in Thong Lor), and my experience was quite different.
I’ve stayed a few times at the Chit Lom property before, but this time I booked a few nights at the new IC just to see what it’s like, and I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked the Thong Lor area, and the fact that the hotel is brand new is a big plus for me.
Room-wise, I actually preferred the Premium room at IC Sukhumvit compared to Chit Lom. The soundproofing is better, the A/C felt better (drier, more comfortable air), the shower water pressure was stronger, and the closet/storage layout is more practical if you’re traveling with a lot of stuff.
About the QR-code breakfast menus: I had the same “seriously…?” reaction at first, but after a couple of mornings I ended up finding them genuinely convenient. And if you don’t want to use them, you can always just wave a waiter down and order normally.The vibe and atmosphere of breakfast felt more upscale at IC Sukhumvit/Thong Lor than at IC Chit Lom.
That said, I completely agree on the pool area. I have no idea who designed it, but it’s a disaster. The water is freezing, so it’s not really enjoyable. Chit Lom water temperature isn’t great either maybe a degree warmer, but still too cold.
From a value perspective, I think IC Sukhumvit is a good deal if you can keep it under €150/night with lounge access and breakfast included, as long as you don’t care too much about the pool.
And to be fair, IC Chit Lom could also do a lot better on the pool side: stained sunloungers and chairs, worn towels, ice-cold water, and the staff often seemed more focused on their phones than on looking after guests. It didn’t feel like a proper 5-star experience.