Trip Report & Review – InterContinental Hong Kong

by Enoch

Having grown up in Hong Kong, I remember when the InterContinental Hong Kong was called the Regent Hong Kong, until it was sold to IHG in the early 2000s. Located in the touristy district of Tsim Sha Tsui, the InterContinental Hong Kong is perhaps most known for their amazing views of the skyline and a pseudo-infinity pool that sort of extends into the harbor.

This trip report/review is part of a series. See also:

There are two InterContinental hotels in Hong Kong, one located in central Tsim Sha Tsui (this one, the InterContinental Hong Kong) and one located in East Tsim Sha Tsui, the InterContinental Grand Stanford. The IC Hong Kong costs 45,000 IHG points a night to redeem, whereas the IC Grand Stanford costs 50,000. I have always been puzzled by this because by almost all standards the IC Hong Kong is far better than the IC Grand Stanford (though some might disagree). Regardless, here is my report/review of the InterContinental Hong Kong.

The IC Hong Kong is not a super tall hotel at only 17 floors. It sits right at the waterfront, and is easily identified by its 70s looking exterior.

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The entrance is up a steep ramp which shouldn’t be a problem if you arrive by car. For people like me, who arrived by bus, it requires a walk up the road with your luggage in hand.

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At check-in, no upgrades were mentioned, but I did get placed on the highest floor. I was thanked for being an IHG Platinum member, though the lady who checked me in basically yelled at the top of her lungs “YOUR ROOM HAS ALREADY BEEN SETTLED WITH POINTS BECAUSE IT IS A FREE NIGHT.” I am pretty sure everyone at the lobby found out I was on a free night award.

I was given two drink coupons redeemable for basic beers, house wines, juices or coffee/tea at the lobby bar. Keep in mind, there is a completely separate menu for the free drinks so be sure to ask for it before ordering.

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My room wasn’t immediately ready (to be fair, I did check in at 11 am), but the receptionist told me the guest had already checked out so it should be ready in an hour or so. I opted to grab lunch around the area and got back to the hotel just a bit past noon. I was given the room key and was told that my luggage was already waiting in the room.

The elevator only goes up to the 16th floor so I took a flight of stairs to get to my room which was located on the 17th floor. There is a nice waiting area by the elevator lobby.

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The hallways are wide and I found my room easily.

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An entryway leads to the bedroom and the bathroom is off to the side.

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Right next to the main door is a control panel for the temperature as well as a button for the butler.

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The bathroom is generously sized and includes an open closet that is very roomy. The luggage bench is wide enough to fit one large suitcase and a carry-on.

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The bathroom features both a wide bathtub and a spacious shower. Bathrobes and (very comfortable) slippers are provided.

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The bathrobe comes in small and large sizes while the slippers are available in medium and large.

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The toilet is in a separate room in the bathroom which I always like.

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There are two sets of toiletries, one inside the shower and one by the sink. It’s the standard InterContinental Agraria selections.

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As is customary in many Asian hotels, a variety of bathroom amenities are also provided (without having to ask). These include toothbrush/toothpaste, combs, cotton pads and Q-tips, razor/shaving cream, and shoe-shining cloth.

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The bedroom is extremely large by Hong Kong standards, I booked a room with two twin beds for my friend and I.

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There is a couch by the end wall accompanied by a bowl of welcome fruit and a menu for a pot of “welcome tea.”

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There is also a large working table in the room with a very comfortable office chair.

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There are a few post cards and a nice set of stationery inside the desk drawer. There is also a Hong Kong outlet adapter (that didn’t work for me).

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A SHARP flatscreen TV is located directly in front of the beds…standing in front of the huge windows that look out to Salisbury road. You can see the Sheraton Hong Kong and Peninsula hotels across the street, as well as the Hong Kong Space Museum off to the side. The rooms with views of Victoria Harbor, unsurprisingly cost more.

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A pillow menu is available…I ordered the cool bamboo pillow, which was very comfortable and was delivered to the room in 5 minutes.

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The AV system features Bose speakers and I found the humongous subwoofer inside the cabinet. There is an iPod/iPhone dock, but unfortunately the 30-pin connector didn’t fit my phone.

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Also in the cabinet is a mini bar with an extensive selection, all of which I didn’t touch. I did appreciate that it isn’t one of those annoying mini bars where they charge you if you move the bottle of water even half an inch.

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It was slightly rainy, but I checked out the pool downstairs. The Infinity Pool is named one of the top 10 things to do in Hong Kong by TIME Magazine.

The infinity pool referred to in the article is actually the hot tub (the swimming pool is on the other side and is fairly large). They have three whirlpools, one hot, one freezing cold, and one lukewarm. The pools offer spectacular views of the skyline and are an experience not to be missed.

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All in all, I enjoyed my stay at the InterContinental Hong Kong. The rooms were spacious, the service was attentive, and the location was ideal. At around USD 400 a night, it’s also a fairly good redemption in terms of IHG points or free night awards.

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16 comments

Christian April 21, 2015 - 12:35 pm

Thanks for the review. I’m in the process of deciding on a nice hotel in Hong Kong in February, and the IC is one of the final three, so this helps. Out of curiosity, was breakfast included by any chance, and do you recall what time the hot tubs closed?

Reply
Enoch April 21, 2015 - 12:48 pm

Sadly I don’t recall when the hot tubs close. The breakfast wasn’t included in my rate (points night), even as a Platinum member.

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Henry K April 21, 2015 - 2:30 pm

Thanks for the comprehensive review. As a platinum, there is a separate check-in area for Ambassadors immediately to the left of the main doors. You can also pay a reduced rate for daily access to the Club on the 2nd floor which is absolutely outstanding. In January I paid $70 daily which was quite reasonable given the quality of the food offerings for breakfast, mid-day, evening snacks as well as alcoholic beverages.

I like this IC best in HK as it is well located, near the Peninsula and an easy walk to the Star Ferry Terminal and the Pacific Club.

Reply
colleen April 22, 2015 - 12:00 pm

Was that HKD $70 or USD $70? Was that on a paid rate, or do you know if they allow it for rewards too?

Thanks for the data point.

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