After coming back from Macau, I have one more night in Hong Kong before heading back to Singapore. I decided to stay at the InterContinental Grand Stanford. Hotel prices are on the high side in HK and I figure that this will be a good use of my IHG points. It will also be a good opportunity to take advantage of my expiring Diamond status and extract the most benefits from these points. This is the only InterContinental in Hong Kong. It is one of the more affordable mid-range selections. It is quite dated. The location is decent and just slightly out of the core Tsim Tsa Tsui area. To be honest, it doesn’t feel like the level of an InterContinental brand.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I booked directly with IHG for the stay. I got the base-level room and paid 29,000 IHG points for my 1-night stay. I wanted to spend most of my points before I lost my Diamond Status. This is much better than paying cash for the stay. A couple of days out of my stay, I was upgraded to the Club Victoria Harbour View Room on account of my Diamond Status. This is pretty nice. I was expecting to get club access too. InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong comes with 572 guest rooms and suites spread across 13 categories. You can check out the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Club InterContinental Access | Bathtub | Room Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | No | No | 30 Sqm |
| Classic City View | No | No | 30 Sqm |
| Classic Skyline Harbour View | No | No | 30 Sqm |
| Classic Victoria Harbour View | No | No | 30 Sqm |
| Premium City View | No | No | 34 Sqm |
| Premium Victoria Harbour View | No | No | 34 Sqm |
| Club InterContinental Room | Yes | No | 32 Sqm |
| Club InterContinental Harbour Room | Yes | No | 32 Sqm |
| Club InterContinental Full Harbour Room | Yes | No | 32 Sqm |
| One Bedroom Suite | Yes | Yes | 48 Sqm |
| Skyline Harbour View Suite | Yes | Yes | 48 Sqm |
| Victoria Harbour View Suite | Yes | Yes | 65 Sqm |
| Victoria Harbour Presidential Suite | Yes | Yes | 167 Sqm |
Checking In
I got the noon ferry from Macau and then transferred to a taxi to the hotel. The location isn’t that ideal since it is off the core of Tsim Tsa Tsui. It is also about a 10-minute or so walk from the nearest MTR station. The bellboy came over to help us with our bags and to send them to the room. There was a slight wait and the hotel also has an elite line for platinum members and above. The lady reconfirmed my info and provided me with all the information. I was also proactively offered a late checkout at 1pm. I choose breakfast as my diamond welcome amenity. I got upgraded to a club room but this doesn’t come with club access. I still can’t understand this policy of IHG. They also provided some welcome drink vouchers. There are some seatings by the side of the lobby and the bar. It does feel kinda dated.
Club Victoria Harbour View Room
I was assigned a room on the highest floor of the hotel on the 17th floor. The rooms are much nicer than the common areas. Upon entering, you can find a short entranceway with the bathroom to the right. It is on the smaller side but nicely appropriated. It comes with a single sink and plenty of counter space. All sorts of amenities are provided and they are generous with them. There is also a cosmetic mirror here.
The bathroom only comes with a standing shower with a ledge. This is great for your lower extremities. There is both a handheld showerhead and a wall-mounted one. Water pressure and temperature control are excellent. It came with Byredo toiletries in large pump-size bottles.
Along the entranceway, the spacious wardrobe comes with bathrobes, bath slippers an ironing kit, a safe and plenty of hangers. There is also an extra pillow here. The minibar is nicely built into the concept with both a kettle and a proper coffee machine. Coffee capsules and packaged tea are provided. There is also a fully stocked fridge below.
Moving on to the main space of the room. It is in a rectangular configuration. The highlight of this room is the full harbour view. It immediately greeted you when you first entered the room. It would also be nice if the blinds and sheers were electronically controlled.
In the corner of the room, there is a luggage rack that fits a full-size suitcase nicely.
Next to it is the high-quality smart screen TV that is of a good size for the room. It comes with a good number of local and international TV channels. I did wish that you could cast content from your devices.
The spacious office table is suitable for getting some work done and dining in the room. It comes equipped with an armchair that offers decent back support. The wifi connection is strong in the room.
A generous welcome amenity consisting of some sweets, fruits and a bottle of wine is offered.
In the other corner, you can find another armchair and a side table.
The plush king-size bed is in the middle. I prefer that is on the firmer side. The pillows offer good neck support. Flanking both sides were nightstands. Power outlets are within reach and controls for the lighting too.
It is quite a shock at an InterContinental that no turndown service is automatically offered.
Fitness Centre
The facilities are located on level 18 which means that you have to take the lift up to level 17 and then the stairs up. Surprisingly, there are also some rooms here. That might be rather inconvenient. The gym is nice and bright with plenty of natural light. I did love how spacious the place is. There is a good number of equipment.
Pool
The pool is similarly located on the 18th floor and the roof. It is not an overly big space but does get plenty of sun. They have some sunbeds by the side of the pool too. Water and towels are provided.
Tiffany’s New York Bar
Tiffany’s New York Bar, located just off the lobby, is reminiscent of a New York bar from the extravagant “Roaring 1920s”. It boasts one of the largest selections of whiskies in Hong Kong with more than 250 labels of whiskies on the menu. Signature cocktails, craft beers and champagnes are also available. It is open from 5pm till late with happy hour from 5pm to 7pm daily. We came here to enjoy the welcome drinks. It is very cosy.
You can check out the menu here for a list of drinks that you can choose from. We got some gin and tonics.
Breakfast at Cafe on M
Breakfast is served at Cafe on M. Some creativity for the name? Breakfast is buffet style from 6.30am to 10.30am. You have to show your key card holder with the chop to get access. Breakfast costs 45 AUD if not included in your rate or membership. I was down for breakfast at around 9.45am and it was quite busy. Some of the seats here even come with a Harbour view. Here are some pictures of the food.
The selection is decent. I love the noodle station that serves up a hearty ham macaroni soup. This brings back so much childhood nostalgia. Don’t give it a miss if you have access to the breakfast. With that being said, I will not pay to have breakfast given that there is a plethora of good food out in this city.
Conclusion
I am not a fan of IHG always upgrading elite members to a club room but hold off the access. This is the only InterContinental in Hong Kong and it needs a renovation right now. Thankfully, the rooms are much nicer than the common areas. I did enjoy the stay and felt that it was a good use of my points and status to extract the most benefit since I am losing the Diamond status. It is one of the more affordable mid-range selections over here in Hong Kong. With this, that brings an end to my Hello Hong Kong adventures!
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