midnight

Currently staying in IC Berlin using my bogo certificate. The hotel is fairly quiet and service is very good.

I booked a Club Room and was upgraded to a Club Deluxe, a room category that did not appear on the booking site.

Apparently Club Deluxe rooms are are only on the 8th floor and Club Superior rooms are on the 7th.

I asked what the difference is, the answer was 'not much, they're a bit bigger'.

Has anyone stayed in both room types?

By the way, I am very impressed with the Club Lounge here.

Note from Modeator:
Older post prior to this post could be found in the archive thread of this property:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inte...01-2013-a.html

Thank you
FLYGVA

Chinatrvl

Yes, they are bigger (30 sqm for superior, 45 sqm for deluxe) and also usually appear on the booking site. (see German http://berlin.intercontinental.com/z...ten/kategorien as reference for room types)
Nonetheless, as RA this is a poor upgrade. For a club booking, a junior suite should be possible

nicolas75

Indeed.
I am surprised to did not get a junior suite on the club level.
Have you received a room on the Eastern or Western wing?

midnight

I am in the East Wing, a few steps away from the lounge.

I'm a little surprised because I received no welcome letter, no fruit in room, no newspaper this morning, no welcome gift, no mineral water and the top shelf of the mini bar has been cleared. Presumably this is where sprit miniatures usually are for paying guests.

The purpose of my visit is to visit museums and take the wife shopping so I'm not in the mood to start complaining, but certainly IC's are not usually this mean in my experience.

Very nice minestrone soup in the Club this evening .

Chinatrvl

There's generally no liquor in club rooms. (Discussed ad nauseam in somewhere in this thread )

I'd probably mention the disappointment about the upgrade and benefits at some point with club staff.

heer84

I stayed back in March 2012 and this was just before my Royal Ambassador upgrade. I was upgraded to a Deluxe Room as a Gold Ambassador and was on what I assume was the west wing (not on the side of the club room). I payed for club lounge access and my room was fully stocked. In my welcome letter I was made aware that all rooms with club access have a free mini bar so assume that had I originally booked a club room I would have been put on the east wing with a complimentary mini bar full of soft drinks - so seems as though I was quite lucky with the way it all worked out.

However, the club lounge in my opinion is right up there with the top IC lounges I have visited. Beers and wine are served all day - and the evening drinks and canapes are available a lot longer then most other hotels, with a wide selection of spirits.

The Deluxe rooms are also very very nice. 42 square meters from what I remember with a sofa - and overall a lot bigger and comfy then most studio suites I have had at other IC's.

This seems to be a hotel where guests opinions seems to vary a lot more then other hotels - but for me, I really strongly recommend it to anyone visiting Berlin.

loyaltypointschaser

I had a one night BRG stay just last week as Platinum Ambassador.
Within one week of the BRG approved, they have upgraded my reservation from Superior room to Deluxe room.

My BRG rate included breakfast, the complementary breakfast was mentioned and 4pm check out was also offered without me asking at check in.

I was given the renovated room in the west wing. The deluxe room was very nice a big. Design and furniture were all very modern.
Water, welcome gift and welcome letter and fruits were already waiting in my room.
The view from the window was also nice, I could see Berlin TV tower and Berliner Dom in a distance.
By the way, re minibar, I am not an RA, but there were also nothing on the top shelf, so I was able to put my staff in.

They do offer free low speed Internet for an hour, which will disconnect you after an hour, but you could reconnect again and again, this was also explained by the check in agent.

Breakfast spread was good with variety of choices and services were also efficient.
Overall, I had a good stay and was impressed with the IC Berlin. I am a bit surprised to hear midnight's experience.
Although my normal preferable Hotel in Berlin is Hilton, but I would be happy to return again.

Weller

I stayed here the week before Christmas 2012 as a plat. on two reward nights and a free night from the black Visa. The standard room booked was upgraded to a delux and the bookings merged into one even before I arrived which was nice. The room was on a corner of the hotel looking over the zoo. Very big and very classy room. Separate shower and bath with shower allowed the mrs & me to get ready much quicker in the mornings & evenings & the bathroom door slid across so you could watch tv while bathing which I thought was a nice luxurious touch. Desk, sofa etc all present in a very nice room.

Housekeeping and the turn-down service were excellent and was greeted each day with a bar of fancy chocolate and bottle of water along with an Ambassador invitation.

Good location with a Christmas market 2 minutes down the road near the U-Bahn station along with some shops and restaurants. One day we walked through the tiergarden all the way to the Brandenburg Gate and this took a very pleasant 35 minutes and a reasonable pace. On the U-Bahn it was 10 minutes max to reach the attractions on the east side of the city without any changes.

The only disappointment was that I was not aware of the club lounge and would have been willing to pay for access. But the traditional cafe we frequented down the road was still excellent and quite cheap. We would have used the lounge for breakfast and a few drinks and snacks before heading out for our evening meal.

All in all a great hotel, great service, great location with travel links and a very good holiday!

anabolism

I have a conference at this hotel later this year, and am debating staying on-site at the IC Berlin, or at the Hilton or even the new Waldorf Astoria.

• I'm a PriorityClub Platinum, but I understand that doesn't get you much. Not sure if breakfast will be included in the group rate, and how much it costs if not. They have an 18 meter pool (bare minimum for laps) but I don't know if they charge for it. Late check out may be difficult. I assume no club access.
• At the Hilton I'd get an upgrade and breakfast as an HHonors Diamond, but it's a subway ride back and forth. They have a pool that is long enough to swim laps, but as I recall it's oddly shaped for not easy to swim laps. I'd get late check-out and club access.
• At the W-A I'd get an upgrade but have to pay for breakfast. It's walking distance (maybe 1 km). The pool is tiny but has a "counterflow" machine making it theoretically possible to swim laps. It's also rather expensive, even on the January sale (which must be booked by Jan 31). I'd get late check-out.

Comments?

nicolas75

I would give a try at the new W=A, even if IC Berlin is a very nice property.
If you go for IC, take a club room, as club lounge is very pleasant.

Hilton has better location (Mitte district, close to museums, trendy boutiques and restaurants). Executive rooms are small but pleasant.

Mr. LAU

I stayed at the new WA in Berlin two weeks ago - and had a great stay!

Unfortunately no club lounge and everything is ridiculous expensive.

Received late check-out until 2 pm - anything further would have been chargeable (although they could not quote me the charges). Was allowed to stay at their library for a few hours after check-out. Very nice and quite with lots of books and a great view towards the east (and the IC ;-))

See my trip report here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20051710-post11.html

anabolism

I doubt I could get a club room, as I'd need to pay the conference rate or very close to it at a different property. I don't know for sure what it will be, but have looked at the week before to get an idea of what it might be. The W-A would be barely in the range, and only by using the January sale (which must be booked in January, so only a few days left).

Do you know if the IC charges for access to the pool (I'm a PC Plat if that helps)? I assume no free breakfast for PC Plats?

I stayed at the Hilton a couple years ago and it was nice. U-Bahn is across the street, nice places to walk to, pool that is swimmable but difficult due to odd shape if I recall correctly, nice lounge, nice breakfast that is complimentary to Diamonds (and Golds). I'd stay there again except that I'd need to take the U-Bahn back and forth to the conference at the IC, and that gets inconvenient and time consuming; I like to be able to pop up to my room during breaks if I can.

Thanks.

The W-A says their swimming pool has a counter-flow to make it possible to swim for exercise. I wonder if that works? I've never tried it.

I also wonder if they'd have given a later check-out if you were Diamond rather than Gold?

nicolas75

I think the access to the pool is free for all hotel's guests (but sauna will be charged EUR 15 - free of charge for RAs).

Mr. LAU

Did not try the counter-flow in the pool as I did not see a switch or anything for it.

But write them an email inquiring about the pool and the late check-out for Diamonds - they are responding very quickly.

loyaltypointschaser

Yes, this was what the Hotel told me last December.
However, if you pay for the club acess, which I think is 79.99 Euro, then you can acess the spa area for free.

RA and AMB also get discounted price for club acess.