Intercontinental Sydney review: great location, but the spark didn't go off
"Barbone please can you also review facilities outside the Hilton and Marriott portfolio?" more and more loyal customers write to me [...]
Australia
"Barbone please can you also review facilities outside the Hilton and Marriott portfolio?" more and more loyal customers from other hotel chains are writing to me, so more and more often on TFC I will try to bring that content as well.
Reservation
In this article:
Intercontinental is a brand that we could call 4.5 stars in the IHG portfolio, it is the name brand of the chain, and it is comparable to what happens in Marriott or Hilton.
I booked this stay through FHR, which is the channel reserved for American Express holders, but if you want, this hotel can be booked by everyone, with almost the same benefits also thanks to the program Virtuoso.
Did you get your flight cancelled, miss your connection, land late?
You could get up to 600€ compensation per person
Three nights for the price of two to which I also add credit to spend at the facility for an expenditure of 964€, here I also deducted 150€ travel voucher, so in the end the 3 nights cost me about 800€.
I also added the status-related benefits Intercontinental Ambassador, or status that can be bought And life-enhancing when traveling in IHG.
Location
We are within walking distance of Circular Quay, In front of the entrance to the botanical gardens 8 minutes from the Sydney Opera House, The Rock district. 15 minutes from the Pitt avenue shopping area.
We arrived by uber from the airport. We also could have taken the subway, but the price for three people on the train was the same as Uber's, and the driver drops you off in front of the hotel door and you don't have to drag your luggage around.
Check-in
Things didn't work out right away, or at least, there wasn't that welcoming feeling. The first thing that didn't work was status recognition and all the usual attentions of an FHR reservation. In preparation for this stay, and my 2025 around other IHG hotels, I opted to buy my stauts, or Ambassador level, which as I explained in a couple of articles is a kind of shortcut inside One Rewards, IHG's loyalty program.
With the receptionist it was a kind of card game, she wanted to get rid of me quickly, I wanted to get everything I was entitled to. I had to get the words out of her mouth., starting with the fact that my IHG number had not been included in the reservation, which I had communicated during the booking process.
This fact probably also had an impact on the type of room assigned, indeed the impression was that if I had not asked for the upgrade I would not have been given anything.
Eventually we were promoted to a better room, which As I have explained in several articles, Was a room with a view of the bay and not the city.
As I have explained many times, the credit to be spent at the facility has different rules from hotel to hotel, in this case we had the opportunity to spnder it in food & berverage throughout the facility, including room service and minibar. Which is not a given.
The demonstration of the initial "confusion" materialized the next day with a little thought from the hotel.
The room
Our room was on the 17th floor, practically halfway up the tower, which has 31 floors in total.
An absolutely normal room, nothing striking or modern. Two queen beds (narrow) and a sofa under the huge window.
Let's say the view was the best thing about it, in a room that smelled "old," and other than the mega-screen (faux smart) the only note to remember was the galley.
Various sweets, snacks, and minibars were ready to be looted.
Bathroom in the norm, with a bathtub and all the classic amenities expected of a hotel in this category.
Especially easy-to-use switches and one button that can turn off all the lights in the room.
The structure
The hotel is, as mentioned, in a great location for sightseeing in Sydeny. From here you can reach all the important places in the city, Bondi Beach excluded.
On the top floor is the rooftop bar, which is off-limits to minors, and the Club, which, however, is not a benefit included in status at IHG, but is earned through stays.
Also on the top floor are the gym and the swimming pool. The second one has the advantage of having a crazy view of Harbour Bay and everything around it.
The fitness area is equipped but has a view of the surrounding skyscrapers.
On the ground floor is the hotel's other restaurant (which, however, is only open on weekends) and the most characteristic area of the entire hotel.
The bar/restaurant is located in the middle of the historic building that was incorporated when the hotel was built, the 3 floors were preserved, complete with a spiral staircase and vintage elevator.
Then on the second floor is the hotel breakfast room, which is far too small for the amount of guests.
My birthday at the hotel
I celebrated my birthday at the hotel, something that happens to me a lot, and I have to say that here it was really the least warm absolutely.
A slice of cake, no ticket, not even cutlery to eat the offered slice of cake. Fortunately, Marika and Bete took care of the decorations.
Hotel sold out
Influencing the lack of attention to detail, the obvious stress of employees, and the staff's unwillingness to empathize was probably the turnout. An employee to a customer who complained, probably, about the same things said that they were record days for the facility, not even before the covid was ever so full.
Breakfast
This is not Asia or even the Middle East, where the buffets are spacey, Here it is almost like being in Europe or US.
The offerings are divided into two rooms: the hot buffet and the pantry room, which is where those who have "only" continental breakfast are directed.
Zero cooking station, although there is a strong Asian component among the guests there are no noodles or other typical dishes except steamed Bao.
The only concession is the ability to order eggs to your liking. but to understand there are no pancakes either.
The feeling that it is little quality, except with fruits and salads, but not much quantity either. Staff also struggles to keep up with guests, waits for hot drinks are long, sometimes glasses could not be found or trays were empty, just because of the many guests in the hotel.
In conclusion
As a first experience in an Intercontinental hotel, it was not a great debut, but definitely affects being pampered every time I set foot in a Hilton or Marriott, but it is also true that other times in FHR I definitely felt more pampered, while here I was one of many, in fact one of those who might have been better off not being here.
Pro
- The location
- Pool
Against
- Rooftop bar is precluded to minors (including guests)
- Disappointing breakfast
- Little attention to the guest