HadesNL

I have to give the hotel credit for responding so quickly to my query. This is the email i received:

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Dear


Thank you for contacting our reservations department.

Regarding your question about the change of brand in our hotel, I would like to confirm that as of May 1st 2020,

the InterContinental Hotel Prague will change brand affiliation and name to become the Golden Prague Hotel, a Fairmont managed property.

The owning company of the hotel made this announcement publicly in Prague on November 13th together with representatives of Fairmont Hotels and Accor.



The hotel team is taking every step to ensure there is a smooth transition between brands and our guests continue to enjoy the same fine hospitality the property has been known

for the last 45 years and in principle we will honour all conditions you have received confirmation for when you made your reservation except the points.

To clarify further please see below the answers to your questions:



- as i booked a prepaid non refundable rate will my reservation still be valid? – Yes we are honouring all reservations

- will the present booking change in cost? – No , your reservation is fixed as it was booked

- will the club lounge still be available and included in my reservation?- All benefits apply as per your booking

- as i booked this reservation under the guise that IHG Royal Ambassador benefits would be applicable, are those benefits still being honored when the hotel changes management? All benefits apply as per your booking

- with my current booking, i would earn valuable points which aids me in requalifying for the Royal Ambassador status, is this negated when the hotel transits to Fairmont? No, this is not something we can confirm at the moment.



If we can assist with anything else please do let us know.



Warm regards

Flying Lawyer

Only overseas? The largest numer of tired and dated ICs is in the US, the lowest number of tired and dated IC in in China

B42

I have never stayed in a Fairmont before. Is it any good?
My main concern is that the room price will increase, the clublounge will disappear and the IC staff will not be there anymore when it becomes a Fairmont. Jiri is gold, it would be a great loss for the hotel if he has to leave.

777 global mile hound

Fairmont has some great properties
Pretty much what you state is likely to happen room rate increases,overpricing,lack of recognition nickle and dime on each and everything etc
Hopefully they will at least update the property
One of the many reasons brands change as they frequently believe another program/ hotel brand will increase pricing power ROI
I like many of Accor's premium hotels Fairmont Swissotel however between a lackluster unrewarding program and a bad business culture I avoid
almost all of the time for the more generous programs with guest friendly policies for loyal customers
Sad as I would like to be their customer but they can't seem to get there with elite recognition,rewards or the ability to build strong relationships

777 global mile hound

Never said they don't have dated properties elsewhere but the ones in Europe standout especially like Budapest etc.
San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles and even the tired Times Square property work pretty well for me in the fully acceptable satisfactory range.
Those are some of my go to properties though there is immense competition
Try and forget some of the others like Chicago and the horrible Dallas area property and some others

Atacama40

Extremely odd choice by Fairmont. The IC building was well known (mainly by IC themselves) to be a nightmare to modify.

The skeleton is classic soviet era and very very tough to change. Is why rooms and bathrooms and layout have been so fixed forever ... it was just too complex and expensive to do. And their occupancy and margin was always too good to warrant doing anything.

Is also why the lounge looks like a couple of mid range rooms glued together ... because that's what it was.

IC Prague staff have always been good but they know they have a poison chalice there in architectural terms ... certainly not in location and motivation.

Fairmont will have to level it to make anything useful and yet would they be allowed to do that. Not sure.

Atacama40

Second that....night and day

briantoronto

If it is a management contract (which I assume) and not ownership any renovations would be up to the current ownership in like with any brand guidelines from Fairmont. Given their portfolio of old railway hotels I suspect their guidelines are broad enough to handle this concrete pile. I know some of the rooms I have had at Fairmonts were downright odd.

Atacama40

Is a good point, they owned less and less these days. And that makes it even stranger.

From what I was led to believe it's less the concrete than the mountain of over spec'ed but under quality steel sitting under that concrete that's the problem. Not insurmountable but costly hard work.

It's only from memory but I'm sure I was told there was (hard to believe) some form of preservation order on the building. Shame as historical record aside, flattening it and making a purpose designed building would allow a huge improvement in layout. And of course the location itself is priceless.

777 global mile hound

demolish & rebuild?

B42

Thank you for your quick reply, you have helped me a lot

Atacama40

The most practical one would have thought but I do believe there is a restriction on that. That soviet era building in and around town now (in the main) has preservation orders on so I'm told by those in the know.

But yes would agree

est-gratuite

Hotel is not on the IHG website anymore and has left the IHG group.

For those who want to keep staying here, here is the new website
https://www.goldenpraguehotel.com


(Hotel is closed at the moment anyway)

Boraxo

Sad news but I find Fairmont and IC largely equivalent in terms of service and amenities so maybe no diff except I can’t use my BOGO here again. I certainly hope they don’t flatten it as I like the older style rooms, quirks and all.