IC Sydney Master Thread [merged] - after January 2011
Aug 11, 2014, 9:58 pm
#662
Join Date: May 2011
Location: South Island, NZ
Programs: IHG Ambassador, Air NZ lowly Jade now, Emirates
Posts: 559
ah that will explain why I couldn't book a club room for this weekend then when I was looking some time ago... down the road at the grand Pullman this time..
Aug 26, 2014, 2:04 am
#663
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Scotland & London
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Mucci des Salons Ouvrants
Posts: 3,074
Currently staying here now and am quite impressed - room upgrade was great and the staff super friendly.
For those of you that come regularly, they have just updated the menu in the Club Lounge tonight apparently. Compared to what I ate yesterday, this is a huge improvement! Highlights include, Peking Duck Spring Rolls, Tapas starters, great tomato salad, humous - although some pita to go with it would be great.
All in all a good lounge, made batter by the food improvements. I was a bit disappointed to find out the diet coke I had was charged - every other lounge I have been in has soft drinks free - tut tut for being so stingy!
Bangkok Club Lounge still the best imho.
aks120
For those of you that come regularly, they have just updated the menu in the Club Lounge tonight apparently. Compared to what I ate yesterday, this is a huge improvement! Highlights include, Peking Duck Spring Rolls, Tapas starters, great tomato salad, humous - although some pita to go with it would be great.
All in all a good lounge, made batter by the food improvements. I was a bit disappointed to find out the diet coke I had was charged - every other lounge I have been in has soft drinks free - tut tut for being so stingy!
Bangkok Club Lounge still the best imho.
aks120
Aug 26, 2014, 1:09 pm
#664
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: San Diego,CA
Posts: 10,108
Currently staying here now and am quite impressed - room upgrade was great and the staff super friendly.
For those of you that come regularly, they have just updated the menu in the Club Lounge tonight apparently. Compared to what I ate yesterday, this is a huge improvement! Highlights include, Peking Duck Spring Rolls, Tapas starters, great tomato salad, humous - although some pita to go with it would be great.
All in all a good lounge, made batter by the food improvements. I was a bit disappointed to find out the diet coke I had was charged - every other lounge I have been in has soft drinks free - tut tut for being so stingy!
Bangkok Club Lounge still the best imho.
aks120
For those of you that come regularly, they have just updated the menu in the Club Lounge tonight apparently. Compared to what I ate yesterday, this is a huge improvement! Highlights include, Peking Duck Spring Rolls, Tapas starters, great tomato salad, humous - although some pita to go with it would be great.
All in all a good lounge, made batter by the food improvements. I was a bit disappointed to find out the diet coke I had was charged - every other lounge I have been in has soft drinks free - tut tut for being so stingy!
Bangkok Club Lounge still the best imho.
aks120
In a recent property they offered hundreds of cokes and diet cokes for free at check in as the line was long
What's the IC Sydney without nickel and dime behavior?
It might just change the perception of the property forever and it wouldn't be fun reading these posts and rolling ones eyes around in their head
If your happy that's all that counts. Drink up and pull out your credit card
Hope there was no deposit fee/credit card surcharge
Aug 26, 2014, 3:08 pm
#665
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,984
Query this with the hotel. I have never been charged for soft drinks in the Club IC here.
Aug 27, 2014, 10:00 pm
#666
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Scotland & London
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Mucci des Salons Ouvrants
Posts: 3,074
Actually you are correct - I take the diet coke charge accusation back. I was given a menu to choose a drink form- diet coke was $7 so I assumed I would be charged but it was not on my bill at check out.
Oct 14, 2014, 4:24 pm
#667
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Philly, Madrid
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 2,591
Can someone please provide an email contact at this hotel to pre-arrange my RA upgrade preference for my stay next week? I tried PM'ing the contact that is listed in this thread but received no response.
Thank you.
srodr
Thank you.
srodr
Oct 14, 2014, 8:34 pm
#668
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: 404 - Can't Be Found
Posts: 134
Oct 23, 2014, 8:54 pm
#669
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Philly, Madrid
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 2,591
I am here now and see this menu also listing prices for soft drinks, coffee, wine, beer, and food items. This is quite confusing... What do they actually charge for and why have prices listed for things that are free?
Oct 24, 2014, 1:14 pm
#670
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Scotland & London
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Mucci des Salons Ouvrants
Posts: 3,074
aks120
Oct 28, 2014, 10:58 am
#671
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Philly, Madrid
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 2,591
So my thoughts after our 3 night stay...
Definitely underwhelmed overall, especially by the RA treatment in general (they definitely provided the required RA amenities, but not an inch more). Of course it didn't help that we stayed 4 nights at the Hyatt just prior.
Our 22nd floor suite was just okay with not so comfortable furniture, especially a very stiff sofa in the living room. The club was very nice, but not the best food spread I've seen. The view from the club was the highlight of the hotel, which was also nice from our room despite being so rudely cut in half by that apartment building across the way.
I was also not pleased by a 3% charge to our bill for using my Amex card as payment. The Hyatt certainly didn't do this.
It was worth a try but I doubt that we would choose this hotel again.
Definitely underwhelmed overall, especially by the RA treatment in general (they definitely provided the required RA amenities, but not an inch more). Of course it didn't help that we stayed 4 nights at the Hyatt just prior.
Our 22nd floor suite was just okay with not so comfortable furniture, especially a very stiff sofa in the living room. The club was very nice, but not the best food spread I've seen. The view from the club was the highlight of the hotel, which was also nice from our room despite being so rudely cut in half by that apartment building across the way.
I was also not pleased by a 3% charge to our bill for using my Amex card as payment. The Hyatt certainly didn't do this.
It was worth a try but I doubt that we would choose this hotel again.
Last edited by srodr; Oct 28, 2014 at 11:06 am
Oct 28, 2014, 11:31 am
#672
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: San Diego,CA
Posts: 10,108
So my thoughts after our 3 night stay...
Definitely underwhelmed overall, especially by the RA treatment in general (they definitely provided the required RA amenities, but not an inch more). Of course it didn't help that we stayed 4 nights at the Hyatt just prior.
Our 22nd floor suite was just okay with not so comfortable furniture, especially a very stiff sofa in the living room. The club was very nice, but not the best food spread I've seen. The view from the club was the highlight of the hotel, which was also nice from our room despite being so rudely cut in half by that apartment building across the way.
I was also not pleased by a 3% charge to our bill for using my Amex card as payment. The Hyatt certainly didn't do this.
It was worth a try but I doubt that we would choose this hotel again.
Definitely underwhelmed overall, especially by the RA treatment in general (they definitely provided the required RA amenities, but not an inch more). Of course it didn't help that we stayed 4 nights at the Hyatt just prior.
Our 22nd floor suite was just okay with not so comfortable furniture, especially a very stiff sofa in the living room. The club was very nice, but not the best food spread I've seen. The view from the club was the highlight of the hotel, which was also nice from our room despite being so rudely cut in half by that apartment building across the way.
I was also not pleased by a 3% charge to our bill for using my Amex card as payment. The Hyatt certainly didn't do this.
It was worth a try but I doubt that we would choose this hotel again.
IC Sydney is still amongst the top poster child of what's wrong with IHG /InterContinental
Sadly almost every program and many a local hotel in their league typically outperform them. My take?
Some of IHGs customers haven't been to ICs competitors
Just be sure to do your 60 qualifying nights for the privilege to return here again and get the Royal treatment
Royal Ambassador Criteria:
Royal Ambassador status is by invitation only. To qualify for invitation to Royal Ambassador status, an Ambassador member must: During their membership year, stay at least 60 qualifying nights in any IHG® properties including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, HUALUXE™, EVEN™ Hotels, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. At least 20 of these qualifying nights must be at InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts properties. The member must also stay at 3 or more different InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts properties. SCH reserves the right to change these criteria at any time and without prior notification.
– 60 qualifying nights (remember award nights are now qualifying as well)
– 20 nights at InterContinental hotels
– 3 different InterContinental hotels
At the end of the day I stay at the Westin Sydney
(never miss where I am a Platinum) and take my last remaining magical nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney where there is
simply no better send off to leave Sydney about why life is simply good in almost every way^
Both these hotels have been historically generous to me on revenue and award as a top tier elite and everyone else I have referred.
To be fair Sydney has clearly other strong performers out of the brands I do remain loyal too and to the city's credit is one of leading hospitality cities
in the world for my personal tastes and view points
Last edited by 777 global mile hound; Oct 28, 2014 at 11:38 am
Oct 28, 2014, 12:02 pm
#673
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: BNE
Programs: QF Gold, VA Gold, IHG Spire, Accor Plat, Marriot Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,281
During the day non alcoholic drinks are free, then you have cocktail service for two hours, after which all drinks are paid for.
Oct 28, 2014, 3:36 pm
#674
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,677
Originally Posted by srodr
I was also not pleased by a 3% charge to our bill for using my Amex card as payment. The Hyatt certainly didn't do this.
Oct 28, 2014, 4:44 pm
#675
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Philly, Madrid
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 2,591
Simply meeting the official minimum in granting 'entitled' benefits is not meeting my expectations for top level treatment (which have been formed by staying in many properties in multiple programs as a top level guest). I'm not talking about more 'free' stuff, I'm talking about the non-tangible things that show an appreciation for your business and status such as the staff remembering and greeting you by name or showing an added spark of interest when they recognize that you're a RA. I never once saw any of that at this hotel despite plenty of interaction with the staff downstairs and in the club. Again it may be unfair to compare, but this had been constant at the Hyatt.
The charge was an additional 3% added to the final total at checkout. If they had already added 1.5% for this into the rate and then tacked on this 3% I'll have to contact them to dispute it.