MrsW

IC Marseille

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive? We booked a Deluxe king room for three nights on points and received a one category upgrade to an Executive king.

How are the rooms? Comfortable and light. We had a rollaway bed (we were 3 guests) and there was still plenty of room. Bathroom has a separate toilet and rainforest shower.

How is the exec. lounge? No lounge but we did upgrade to Club InterContinental Life for the second two nights at a cost of €80/night for the three of us, so a total of €160. We received full breakfast, afternoon tea on the terrace and aperitifs and canapés in our room. All soft drinks in the minibar were free with this package and our Agraria bathroom amenities were swapped for Clarins. The package also included pressing of two items of clothing and free local calls but we had no need for either.

What was good and what was bad? At check in we were each given a bottle of water. I was offered 600 points or a drinks voucher. I accepted the voucher which I used for a champagne and gin cocktail, menu price €21. The room amenity was a litre of water, and a tray of fruit, nuts and biscuits. My kids received a gift of a drawstring bag and balloon, a cuddly toy, a bag of Haribos and a colouring book with crayons. The second day we received more water as expected plus another tray of fruit, nuts and biscuits. The third day we received two bottles of water.

The food offered during afternoon tea and evening canapés was substantial. Along with breakfast, this was enough to fill us. My only criticism is there was considerable overlap with many of the same items offered for both afternoon tea and canapés. I would prefer more variety. I was given a half bottle of wine with the canapés and my kids were given more fizzy pop.

The pool is on the small side, but when we were there, there was only one other family present so plenty of room for everyone.

The staff were excellent. I was addressed by name frequently and nothing was too much trouble.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return? At 40,000 points per night, this was excellent value.

akhenaten0987

IC Tokyo the Strings

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked Deluxe King, received Premier King on BOGO Certificate

How are the rooms?
Excellent! Incredibly large by Tokyo standards and relatively modern and stylish. Also stayed at the ANA IC and this one is leagues better.

How is the exec. lounge?
N/A

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Location is almost on top of Shinagawa Station, which is convenient for most sightseeing (assuming you don't mind taking one of the many trains at the station) or for the shinkansen.
Rooms are bright and have good views of the city.
Received fruit, Japanese sweets, and Japanese snacks.
Didn't request late checkout, so don't know how accommodating they would be.
Bad:
None

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Would definitely return. I think this is the best IC in Tokyo.

akhenaten0987

IC Tokyo ANA

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked Queen Bed Classic, received King Executive Deluxe, but did not have a view of Tokyo Tower.

How are the rooms?
Basic and dated, although there was a notice in the room stating that they will be rehabbing the lounge and IIRC the rooms soon. Also, to their credit, the room was gigantic by Tokyo standards. Did not have a separate shower/tub like that in The Strings though.

How is the exec. lounge?
N/A

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Large rooms
Close to metro station and a short walk to Roppongi
Relatively affordable
Tasty, but expensive breakfast on the ground floor
Received fruit and a Daruma as a welcome amenity
Bad:
Rooms and hotel are dated
Front desk was not the best organized (I had called to ask them to make a reservation for the Nartia Express, but when I checked out the next day, no one had done so)

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
I wouldn't unless you could get this at a very low rate or needed to be in Roppongi.

akhenaten0987

IC Chicago Magnificent Mile



Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked Grand Suite, upgraded to 1 Bedroom Executive Tower King Suite

How are the rooms?
Quite nice and large actually. Bedroom had a view of the Magnificent Mile and the sitting room had a partial view of the lake.

How is the exec. lounge?
N/A

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Suite was a good size and looked fairly new
The pool is gorgeous
Location is almost perfect
Bad:
While there was a sign for the Ambassador check-in, I never saw anyone actually standing there during our entire stay, even when the check-in lines were extremely long.
It's a big hotel and often full of weddings and other celebrations which the hotel doesn't appear to have the manpower to handle.
Amenity was a fairly underwhelming jar of nuts.
Room was high up in the older tower, so wait times for the elevator could be long.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Depends on the price. Was a good deal for under $200, but the Kimptons in Chicago are generally better and around that price point.

akhenaten0987

IC The Willard Washington DC


Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked Deluxe 2 Queen High Floor received Willard Room with 2 Queen Beds (no view)

How are the rooms?
Very large. A long hallway leads from the door to the oversized combo bedroom/living room/workspace. The hallway has a built-in bar and the bathroom has a tub. The furnishings seem a bit dated, but also appropriate given the historic nature of the hotel.

How is the exec. lounge?
N/A

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Room was nice and large
Location is great, being across the street from the White House and a short walk from the Mall
Fruit and water was replaced each day
Lobby and high tea were amazing
Bad:
Incredibly overpriced
No special amenity, just fruit and water
The way the rooms are segmented means that you can't really capitalize on the AMB upgrade
No view in most of the rooms

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
No, there are better Kimptons in DC that are as convenient, nicer, and cheaper. Also, the new IC at the Wharf looks very nice. I also believe that this will be closing down for renovations soon.

LostAntipod

Platinum Ambassador, 4 nights (3 paid, 1 certificate)

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked 1 King Bed Premier Full Harbour View, no upgrade. I was told at checkin that I had been upgraded to a "large corner room" that was "very nice". Walking past other rooms being serviced on the 9th floor, I failed to see any difference, so I raised this with reception while passing through the lobby, and I was told I had been upgraded, so I asked what category it was: lo, the very room class I booked. Unimpressed, but not worth arguing over.

How are the rooms?
Comfortable, modern, not particularly large. In fact if a regular room is much smaller, I wouldn't be impressed with that. I didn't even have a proper work desk - it was a round dining table for two, with two armchairs. Shower was large and worked well, but no bath. Reception later told me you can have either a bath, or a standalone shower ...not that you are asked at any point.

How is the exec. lounge?
I paid extra for access to the lounge. Great elevated views, excellent choice of food and drinks at breakfast and evening, and plenty of waiter service. Probably the best part of my stay. Maybe it was the extra large Jack and Cokes they made for me?

What was good and what was bad?
Good - 4 pieces of fruit, a chocolate, a gift of a bottle opener, note from GM, and water were in the room when I arrived. Water refreshed daily. Like other IHG hotels, the complimentary cell phone was very useful, i tethered my mobile to it and had free wireless data all day. View of HK Island was pretty good , but it looks at Causeway Bay not the main city.

Average - It's a 15 minute walk to nearest MTR Station and the waterfront promenade is a building site at the moment. I was there midweek and the main bar was pretty dead, reflecting the non-central location of the hotel, with the obligatory pop band making a lot of noise to cover for the emptiness . Having to work at a smallish round table over a few nights, instead of the usual proper desk with an office chair, powerpoints and a desk lamp, was a little annoying. Most other rooms I sneaked a peak in had a regular desk. So now we are in downgrade territory, not upgrade ....

Bad - I had a water leak through my bathroom ceiling overnight. Quite a bit of my toiletries got wet and I didnt know if it was clean or dirty water. It was attended to quickly, but as I was planning to prep in my room for a customer meeting that afternoon , it was annoying to have to leave and find somewhere to work without distraction. I was never proactively told anything about the issue, I had to find out for myself if it was fixed, was the water toxic, etc. Not even so much as an apology note slipped under the door. Unimpressed. Oh, and there is a freeway passing right under the rooms facing the harbour. You are going to hear trucks going by at night if you are a light sleeper - maybe earplugs are useful.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Speaking in terms of someone who travels to London, Sydney, HK and Singapore, it was good value for money and perfectly clean, but recognizing the location is a bit out of the centre it really depends on where you want to go during your stay and how much time you want to spend getting there. But the way the upgrade and leak were handled left a poor impression. I raised my concerns with the manager - his written english isnt up to scratch , his reply was that he was glad to hear my room issues were sorted out and that the apology note under the door was received. Not sure how he reached that conclusion....

IAMORGAN

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

Booked Club Room received King Deluxe Suite, which is a 1 category upgrade.

How are the rooms?
Modern as you would expect. It's basically a one bedroom studio - more like an Exec Room than a suite. Quite a bigspace where you walk in which feels bare, then a sofa and table and bed. I prefer the Canary Wharf view rooms here than this 'suite' overlooking the O2.

How is the exec. lounge?
I'm not a fan. Second timeI've had access and second time I've been disappointed. It's got lots of tables but not much in the way of comfortable seating.

Afternoon tea ran out. Staff there are an oddmix. There's a lady who I'm sure I've seen before - basically she is always moaning and sniping at other staff - she was very rude to the bell staff on the phone (when there were huge queues downstairs as hotel was at or near 100% occupancy); she was also banging the keyboard and generally letting stress come out but forgetting guests could see / hear all of this. Another man, perhaps a manager, came in and decided he'd come over and ask my room number and I didn't warm to him either - he seemed more concerned about his paperwork than anything else. At least the lady was good with guests when she was actually interacting with them.

What was good and what was bad?

Good: staff in bar on top floor and on lobby level - tried v hard. Door staff and front desk - basically everyone except the club.
Fruit bowl is generous rather than just 1 piece of fruit.
Bed is great, bedding highquality as is the dressing gown! Nice and fluffy.
Housekeeping is impeccable.
River / city views are special.

Bad:
Club lounge not impressive - park lane is better.
Studio suite a bit bare!

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Can be good value option. Won't bother with Club again - King Deluxe Canary Wharf View Rooms are my favourite category so far.

MrsW

IC Malta

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive? We booked the cheapest Club room and received a two category upgrade to a Deluxe Suite.

How are the rooms? Comfortable and quiet. The walls are painted grey which could be dark if it were not for the patio doors to the balcony from each room. Sitting room has a sofa and armchair with a table. There is a desk against the wall and an Illy coffee capsule machine on top of the minibar by the door. There is also a kettle and tea bags, plus milk rather than powder creamer. The bathroom is huge with a separate lav. There is a whirlpool bath on a raised dais and a walk-in rain forest shower. Bathroom amenities are 100ml Agraria rather than the standard 40ml. Lots and lots of UK plug sockets including by the desk and by the bed.

How is the exec. lounge? Wonderful. Breakfast from 6.30 - 11, afternoon tea from 2.30 - 4.30 and evening drinks/canapés from 5.30 - 7.30. There is no need for other meals unless you really love your grub or are particularly greedy! Breakfast includes egg to order dishes and champagne. Evening drinks also includes champagne but I chose cocktails. The buffet was replenished during each service.

What was good and what was bad? This is the third year running I have visited the IC Malta and it gets better every time. We checked in at the Club Lounge on the 15th floor. I received a glass of wine and MasterW had a Fanta whilst the staff were photocopying my passport and swiping my credit card. Welcome amenity points were offered and the Ambassador gift was a slate with chocolates plus some Maltese sea salts for cooking. The fruit selection was generous with 12 fruits, including Physalis, kiwi and passion fruits. There were two 750ml bottles of water (one San Pellegrino, one Acqua Panna) and an extra two 500ml bottles of Acqua Panna next to the coffee machine. My son was given some crayons and colouring paper. All this came with a hand written card from the GM.
There were plenty of loungers available at the outdoor pool. I didn’t swim there and my son said the water was nippy. We spent more time at the indoor pool.
We had no need for extra towels or turn down so when housekeeping knocked in the evening we just accepted the turn down chocolates.
Staff recognition was great. I was addressed by name constantly.

If I was being really picky, some of the grey paint on the walls needed touching up where it had chipped off. There were no instructions for the coffee machine and I had to seek help as I couldn’t work out how to remove the water reservoir for refilling. First world problems, I know.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return? We paid €181 (£165) per night. An entry level room cost €129 so the premium for Club access was €52, well worth it for two guests as breakfast alone in the Waterbiscuit would have cost almost €50. The Deluxe Suite was selling for €329 per night for the two nights that we stayed. We were happy with the price and will return here next year.

BarryL

IC Dallas

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked King bed with club access. Received an upgrade to King suite, which was a bi-level room.

How are the rooms?
Was put on 15th floor, which is where club is. The rooms were very clean, but furnishings have a very dated look to them.

How is the exec. lounge?
Served from 5:30PM - 7:30PM. Good selection of free wine/beer. I took down a couple Heinekens. Good selection of chicken strips, fruit, cheese plate. Service was friendly
Breakfast - Good spread of the usual eggs/bacon, fruit, oatmeal. I wasn't too hungry in the morning.

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Room was nice and large
Fruit and water was promptly brought to room after checking in
Lobby and restaurants look and were awesome
Bad:
This really isn't Dallas. Hotel is located in Addison, which is a bit north of proper Dallas.
Not much around hotel. This hotel is designed for conventions
Lobby / Bar / restaurants have been renovated, the rooms could use an update too

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
I paid $195 for room with Club access. Which I didn't think was too bad. I don't think they would of provided complimentary club access for Ambassador. You can find a lot nicer properties in Dallas for this $$ range, so I probably wouldn't return.

McCoy

IC New Orleans

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked superior. Received king with balcony.

How are the rooms?
Fine. Clean and tidy, and in good shape. Usual IC-style, and very comfy bed. Big HD TV. Bathroom has shower only, no bath. Balcony is interesting, but as the balcony rooms face another large building, and no sun ever shines in that small gap, there's not really much use for a balcony. (Unless you're a smoker, I guess)

How is the exec. lounge?
No lounge. Amb and RA get breakfast coupons for use in main breakfast restaurant. No drinks coupons though.

What was good and what was bad?
Good - clean, safe, daily ambassador water
Bad - glasses in room were not replaced after use (weird), over-charged on bill requiring intervention, nothing 'special' or 'warm' about the hotel or staff.. just functional

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?[/QUOTE]
Would probably try another chain if back in New Orleans in future.

shoven

IC Bangkok
Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked Club Room on a paid 3 night stay received Executive Suite instead of the normal corner suite was showing as premier suite before arrival so I think that's a 3 cat upgrade in the end

How are the rooms?
Large sitting area with work desk and guest bathroom Bedroom is large with on suite bathroom bed and pillows comfy as always clean and tidy

How is the exec. lounge?
My partner and I love the lounge here, great staff always friendly and on the ball nice selection of drinks, wines are quite good considering the high tax in Thailand, we always enjoy the food offerings although I must say that we are not there to make a meal out of what is on offer as we always head out for dinner after. They did have some nice extras on top of the canapes and buffet selection on some nights with roast beef being carved in the lounge one evening.

What was good and what was bad?
3 cat upgrade also a bottle of Red wine as a gift for the room not being ready on arrival which was the only slight negative although another room was provided until our room was ready, we always find the staff to be fantastic at the hotel from the lobby to the lounge never had an issue.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Great value in my opinion as I booked the room during a sale for under 7k thb per night, We will return for sure stayed 7 times this year and would expect to do the same next year

alancostello

IC The Willard Washington DC

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
2 Queen Bed Executive Suite, received the Thomas Jefferson Suite

How are the rooms?
The Suite was very large, the decor was a little dated, but on theme for such a period property, it's my understanding that they're mid-way through a redevelopment as several floors were closed. The suite had a large foyer with WC, to the right a bedroom with walk-in closet, separate toilet, then the bathroom with double vanity, whirlpool tub, and large shower. To the left of the foyer was the living/TV area, another salon-type area with seats and a sound system, a formal dining room for 6, and just off this a kitchenette type area with sink and coffee machine.

How is the exec. lounge?
I don't believe there is one at this property.

What was good and what was bad?
Good - The vastness of the suite for such a central property was exceptional, the staff were incredibly friendly throughout the visit, and as we were there over Thanksgiving we saw the property turned around for Christmas. Great views of the Washington Monument also.
Bad - the right hand side of the shower didn't seem to work, but as it was a mirror image of the nozzles on the left hand side it wasn't really an issue

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Exceptional value, though my upgrade was beyond what one would ever reasonably expect. I would return in a heartbeat even to a lower category room as the overall experience and location of the property are unbeatable.

illesus

How was your food experience? I've found their kitchen not so appealing.

alancostello

We ended up only having breakfast one of the mornings as we had plans the rest of the time. I think it was average for the IC brand, perfectly fine, but nothing spectacular. If you're in the area I can't recommend Le Diplomate enough, just the most incredible food.

Irons80

IC Toronto Yorkville

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked a King room with view - received an Executive Suite (a 'double' upgrade)

How are the rooms?
The Suite was large - but very dated in its appearance / decor and rather dark and dingy overall. The bathroom in particular is quite dated and the water pressure in the shower was poor. However, good-sized TV in both rooms. There was an extra toilet and also a small kitchenette of sorts with a Keuring coffee machine.

How is the exec. lounge?
There isn't one

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
- large room with comfy bed and big TV
- nice staff
- good to have a pool, especially for a N.A. IC property

Bad:
- old fashioned decor
- forgot to give me spire check-in benefit of a free drink... had to ask
- 'only' a small bowl of fruit and water as Ambassador benefit... technically as expected but a shame as so many hotels offer / give so much more
- Breakfast tasted good, but it's a-la-carte and really doesn't offer very much. Felt bad to ask for anything else!

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Very expensive, but in-line with other hotels and a good location for what I needed.