Old Apr 14, 2017, 8:51 am
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Intercontinental London Park Lane

Address
Intercontinental London Park Lane
One Hamilton Place / Park Lane,
Mayfair, London W1J 7QY,
United Kingdom
Tel +44 20 74093131

Link to hotel:
http://parklane.intercontinental.com/

Location:
Google Maps

Next tube / subway station:
Hyde Park Corner served by Piccadilly Line (serving LHR)
Green Park served by Piccadilly Line, Victoria Line and Jubillee Line

Does not honor Royal Ambassador Benefits on award stays.
You can earn points for food and beverage spending in the restaurants & bars: Wellington Lounge, Arch Bar

Lounge Supplement: Ambassador rate is 150/day for up to two guests, non-Ambassador rate is 185/day. Prices as of Sept 2022.

Lounge Benefits:

Club InterContinental privileges include:
  • Private registration for check-in and check-out
  • A complimentary welcome drink
  • Club InterContinental deluxe breakfast between 06:30 - 10:30 M-F and 06:30 -11:00 on Weekends
  • Afternoon Tea with seasonal sandwiches, scones with jam, homemade cakes/pastries, and a pot of tea between 14:30 - 16:30
  • Evening drinks - Champagne, cocktails, and canaps between 17:30 - 19:30
  • Entertainment area featuring a plasma TV and wireless internet access
  • Shower facilities
  • Complimentary pressing of two pieces of clothing per stay (express service is not included)
  • Personalized Concierge and business services
  • Complimentary local calls (0203, 0207, 0208)
  • All day refreshments
Notes:
  • On weekends between 09:30 -10:30, Club InterContinental can be considerably busier, so guests may wish to consider alternative times to avoid any unexpected inconvenience
  • Club InterContinental is included for a maximum of two people. Any additional guests would incur extra charges (50 GBP for guests of Ambassadors and 60 GBP for all others).

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IC London Park Lane Master Thread [merged]

Old Aug 24, 2018, 9:52 am
  #451  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
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Originally Posted by rknight20772
Booked a paid junior suite here in October as an Ambassador for 1 night, with a mastercard free night cert for a second night. I received the below from the hotel this morning:

T
he rate for the junior suite is 535. 480 for an upgrade when I can get the same room for only 55 seems a little steep!
Seems fair to me. Attempts to game any IC with such free night upgrades in base room with a single paid night in much jigher cat room will give rise to the IC pushing back.

If booking that big a difference bewtween paid night and free night (award or CC) when free night has zero upgrade right, you can't expect the hotel to give a foc of that multiple cats upgrades.

Booking same cat oe even 1cat above free night would probably not be mentioned and the free night would have been treated like paid night. Similarly possible that 4-5x paid with 1x free night may also be let through without request you ante up.

Pre-arrival upsell quoted will be the rate difference between the flex rate of base room and flex rate of suite, since free night accrues no foc cat upgrade from j-s to full suite.
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Old Aug 24, 2018, 9:58 am
  #452  
 
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Originally Posted by scubaccr
Seems fair to me. Attempts to game any IC with such free night upgrades in base room with a single paid night in much jigher cat room will give rise to the IC pushing back.

If booking that big a difference bewtween paid night and free night (award or CC) when free night has zero upgrade right, you can't expect the hotel to give a foc of that multiple cats upgrades.

Booking same cat oe even 1cat above free night would probably not be mentioned and the free night would have been treated like paid night. Similarly possible that 4-5x paid with 1x free night may also be let through without request you ante up.
I agree that it is important to pay an acceptable rate for the majority of nights, and that in that case tacking on the odd award night is more likely to be let go in the same category without extra charge.

However, if the hotel wants to charge nearly the full rate as upsell, it would be better to just use the free night elsewhere or another time. Or, simply accept to move to a lower category room if one is okay with that.

I am sure that booking high category with BOGO certificate, followed by award nights to continue the stay is a “trick” that hotels are very wise to. It likely also depends on who the guest is. Someone loyal to the specific property in question, with a history of high incidental spend will be treated differently than someone who has never stayed before and is just unloading points and certificates.

Last edited by MikeFromTokyo; Aug 24, 2018 at 10:20 am
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Old Aug 24, 2018, 10:28 am
  #453  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
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Originally Posted by MikeFromTokyo


I agree that it is important to pay an acceptable rate for the majority of nights, and that in that case tacking on the odd award night is more likely to be let go in the same category without extra charge.

However, if the hotel wants to charge nearly the full rate as upsell, it would be better to just use the free night elsewhere or another time. Or, simply accept to move to a lower category room if one is okay with that.

I am sure that booking high category with BOGO certificate, followed by award nights to continue the stay is a trick that hotels are very wise to. It likely also depends on who the guest is. Someone lotal to the specific property in question, with a history of high incidental spend will be treated differently than someone who has never stayed before and is just unloading points and certificates.
Agreed, mixing entry level free night (award/CC night) with much higher room cat , leading to free night being a suite is poor use of award night , and only likely to work if many paid nights alongside a single free night.

I see the pre-arrival high upsell (bad value for free night if you are the guest) as being priced that way as the IC will be taking the high cat room out of sale inventory for your award/CC free night that might otherwise been sold.

If OP doesn't bite that high pre-arrival upsel offer, and at checkin the IC has still unsold suites the second night, then typically hotel upsell offered is 20-35%% off the delta rate difference (booked flex room to flex of suite).
There is also a smaller chance at checkin the IC may let it go if guest refuses as hotels really do prefer not to move a guest betwween rooms, though as lowly Ambassador guest won't get foc lounge on free night unlike on the first paid night if included in Studio/J-S Suite rate.

More likely to go well and foc for Guest, if guest suggests they get the J/S (Studio suite) both nights, forgoing Amb 1cat upgrade on first paid night to have foc multi-cat upgrade to paid room cat on the CC/award second night.
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Old Aug 24, 2018, 10:38 am
  #454  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
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Originally Posted by scubaccr
Agreed, mixing entry level free night (award/CC night) with much higher room cat , leading to free night being a suite is poor use of award night , and only likely to work if many paid nights alongside a single free night.

I see the pre-arrival high upsell (bad value for free night if you are the guest) as being priced that way as the IC will be taking the high cat room out of sale inventory for your award/CC free night that might otherwise been sold.

If OP doesn't bite that high pre-arrival upsel offer, and at checkin the IC has still unsold suites the second night, then typically hotel upsell offered is 20-35%% off the delta rate difference (booked flex room to flex of suite).
There is also a smaller chance at checkin the IC may let it go if guest refuses as hotels really do prefer not to move a guest betwween rooms, though as lowly Ambassador guest won't get foc lounge on free night unlike on the first paid night if included in Studio/J-S Suite rate.

More likely to go well and foc for Guest, if guest suggests they get the J/S (Studio suite) both nights, forgoing Amb 1cat upgrade on first paid night to have foc multi-cat upgrade to paid room cat on the CC/award second night.
Yes. I have no idea how IHG internal compensation for certificate nights works, but it could indeed be the case that they receive very little in compensation for those nights, thus the larger upsell charge.

Re club access, I have had it comped for entire stays (including award nights), but that has been at a regular property that knows I hardly use the lounge at all anyway because I am too busy dining in their restaurants. If I were a heavy consumer of F&B in the lounge, with low incidental spend, they likely would be charging me upsell.
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Old Aug 25, 2018, 12:12 am
  #455  
 
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Originally Posted by MikeFromTokyo
Yes. I have no idea how IHG internal compensation for certificate nights works, but it could indeed be the case that they receive very little in compensation for those nights, thus the larger upsell charge
Certs come out of same pool as award nights and hotel thus gets same remuneration. Award 'nominal pittance' remuneration reported as based on four criteria
i)each IHG Brand has own payment scale
ii)ADR of hotels income prev year, hotels award nights getting low/med/high remittance fee on scale for the brand based on that ADR
iii)Boosted rate if hotel releases 10% rather than 5% of rooms to award pool
iv)Boosted rate remainder of calendar year once hotel reaches/sells set %age years total rooms (ie 365 x rooms at hotel) as award rooms. So hotels with higher/popular redemptions get a boost later in the year.

I believe IC Parklane having 400 roooms releases 10% (not minimum 5%) to award inventory, so then qualifies for the boosted 'ihg award remuneration pitance' though at the top end already, ie i)an IC ii)top category IC.

Saw the IC PL Award fee on my checkout invoice as 175gbp over 2years ago when award here only needed 50k points. That was higher amount than I saw for equally upmarket/good IC Paris LG that same year (from memory 150euro = 125gbp, room rate that night circa 350euro and < 95% occupancy).

I have also seen IC PL get 800gbp/night (paid rate only 635gbp) for one of my award nights when soldout > 95% occupancy (again over 24months ago). At that 95% occupancy trigger, IHG hotel actually gets ADR for occupied award room which is supposedly the average daily rate (adr) of all their sold rooms not just entry level cat room rate, but averaged over all sold rooms ie Entry Cat level through to highest cat ( Royal suite).

nb
I have booked award late in (stayed at) a 25K UK HI Portsmouth, the HI releasing all rooms in last few days to awards pool when hotel selling out, and IHG paid the hotel 235gbp/night instead of the usual 35gbp , and have also seen other award night invoices at normal rates from time to time by mistake
HI LHR T5 receives just 18gbp/night, normal booked nightly rate nominally 95-130gbp ..I remembered that as my evening snack was 15gbp and instead saw bill with the 18gbp room cost instead of my meal cost, and thought I was overcharged on meal, lol
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Old Aug 25, 2018, 1:31 am
  #456  
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The IC PL often releases award inventory when it is close to being sold out (thus getting good revenue from IHG for award nights) and at that point award nights tend to get very good upgrades for RA's as they have actually sold out of all the regular rooms.
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 8:42 am
  #457  
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I was just quoted the following prices for Club/Lounge access: 110 GPB per day for Ambassadors and 145 GPB per day for non-Ambassadors. I've updated the wikipost accordingly.
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 8:50 am
  #458  
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Originally Posted by FlyinHawaiian
I was just quoted the following prices for Club/Lounge access: 110 GPB per day for Ambassadors and 145 GPB per day for non-Ambassadors. I've updated the wikipost accordingly.
In no world is this lounge worth that much
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 9:04 am
  #459  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Originally Posted by Land-of-Miles
In no world is this lounge worth that much
I pay it every time and think its well worth the money. But then I always stay on points.

For 2 of us we can easily eat and drink 110 if we arrive afternoon;

Afternoon tea - which is much better these days
Canapes and champagne for a couple of hours
Excellent breakfast

Thats worth 55 a head at Park Lane prices any day.

Plus the staff are lovely and always look after us.
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 10:18 am
  #460  
336
 
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Contrary to many other lounges, the lounge at IC Park Lane is often quite full, so basic economics suggest they can charge a higher price. Whether you receive value for money is another discussion.
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Old Apr 26, 2019, 3:10 am
  #461  
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Originally Posted by 336
Contrary to many other lounges, the lounge at IC Park Lane is often quite full, so basic economics suggest they can charge a higher price. Whether you receive value for money is another discussion.
Ironically the fact that it is full makes it less good value because it tends to be noisy and difficult to find a good space too.

I honestly think that for not much more than 110 you can get a similar amount of food and drink in the local vicinity and be more in control of your time and environment. Who wants to travel to hurry back to a lounge twice a day, just to "get value" rather than doing what you want?

It's not a bad lounge and has a nice view but even back when I used to do points stays rather than cash stays there and it was something like 60 for RA's I didn't think it was worthwhile and never paid for it.
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Old Apr 26, 2019, 12:19 pm
  #462  
 
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Has anyone had problems booking rooms that include Club Access.

All of my previous stays I have booked a 'London Executive Room' which has included Club Access.
With the added bonus that these rooms are upgraded to a one bed suite upon arrival.

However when attempted a booking for Nov and next Jan the 'London Executive Room' is no longer an option.
I also note that standard 'One Bed Rooms' i.e Classic, Superior and Deluxe have no mention of Club Access.

When you select the 'Suite' Tab both Studio Suite and One-Bed Suite only refer to the Club as 'Additional supplement to access Club InterContinental'

So I can't seem to be able to book a room which includes Club Access.
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Old Apr 27, 2019, 12:22 am
  #463  
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The one bedroom suites come with club access.
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Old May 10, 2019, 11:11 am
  #464  
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Originally Posted by Flying Lawyer
The one bedroom suites come with club access.
london exec onwards includes club as you said would be odd of the are no longer sold rather than sold out. Studio suites also include lounge access. Or get a RA to book for you

Last edited by Land-of-Miles; May 10, 2019 at 11:40 am
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Old May 10, 2019, 11:22 am
  #465  
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So I used my free luxury night from the Principal Hotels UK promos at the PL my first redemption stay here in quite some time. I had a standard double upgrade to a deluxe room that had been refurbed and had a sofa (I truly do not understand why all larger rooms here do not have a sofa, most have a very bad use of space).

I was given “Club Life” Experience as a RA which was absolutely fabulous and way better than lounge access. This included:-

Breakfast for 2 at Theo Randall, which had a much better menu selection and buffet than the club lounge and was worth 64

Royal Afternoon Tea for 2 at the Wellington Lounge. The afternoon tea included a glass of champagne (unlike the lounge) and had a great offering themed around royal tours. The Club Life was a definite winner again here at a value of 64 again.

Evening drinks and canaps from 5:30 to 7:30 in tne Arch bar with apparently most reasonable drinks including cocktails included. Service in the Arch is normally leaps and bounds above that in the Club lounge but in this occasion there was a very large Group frustrating this and monopolising staff time. That said with the apparent absence of.Champagne every other aspect of the offering was far better than the lounge, so the value was if you make the most of this.

i did ask if I could have this package on paid stays in future in lieu of lounge access and was told I could so to me this is a total no brainier as a RA.

My Minibar bill (within the 35 limit) was also waived, which surprised me a little despite this being the norm before the most recent changes.

RA redemptions here now make total sense and are something of a bargain even at 70k points.
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