Hotel4Real!

A few years ago, the Yorkville InterContinental hotel left IHG’s portfolio. This has, in turn, made the InterContinental Toronto Centre IHG’s only entry in the luxury market in central Toronto. Unfortunately, my experience here left a lot to be desired.

And it all started from check-in, which was slightly better than disastrous. The deal at the front desk was efficient, though I was not sure why my 1 King reservation magically became 2 queens, and how I had to stand my ground very firmly before the gentleman at the front desk finally switched the bed type back. I looked online when I got to my room and sure enough, they were out of king rooms. My guess was they were trying to balance their inventory by moving guests without asking and hoping nobody would notice. The gentleman was pleasant and efficient though. The same thing can’t be said about the bell person at the door downstairs, on the other hand. He was not very helpful, or in a way quite blunt and short when I asked for parking directions. He did not have any interest in helping with bags either – I was travelling solo with two suitcases. Why bother putting someone downstairs at the door when all they do is to stand there and look pretty? Aren’t hotels all about cutting costs nowadays anyways?

The room itself was modern and clean though slightly on the plainer side design-wise. My corner room had a great view of the CBD and CN Tower. Bathroom was small, but apart from that I really had nothing to complain about. A minor blemish though – I was “upgraded” to a club floor, and there was a letter waiting for me in the room outlining my “executive benefits” even though I knew I wasn’t eligible. IHG does this a lot, but I could only imagine how confusing it can get for non-frequent travelers – easily fixed if the information is delivered by the front desk like most other hotels.

I decided to try out the restaurant in the morning to use up my credit, and I was again very disappointed. I checked in with the host, was seated but nobody gave me a menu or told me about the online menu. A few minutes later, I was greeted by my server with “what can I get for you”, and she appeared very surprised that I wasn’t ready to order yet since I haven’t seen the menu even. She then reluctantly pulled out a cheaply printed paper menu. She came by at least two times in three minutes asking if I was ready. I felt like I was being rushed, which was frustrating considering the restaurant was not busy. Food quality was mediocre at best especially considering the $26 price tag, with the only highlight being the mozzarella ball. I did not see my server again until I asked for my bill.

I left the hotel feeling somewhat puzzled. On the one hand, the hotel featured hard products that were solid enough to be competitive in the entry-level luxury market. The location was impeccable, the rooms were nice enough, and guest facilities were plenty. On the other hand however, I felt like the team here somehow pull all these together and delivered a Courtyard-level experience. Seriously, it felt like nobody I encountered here actually tried to make my stay better. It may just be a one-off, who knows, but sometimes in a highly competitive business market like downtown Toronto, a one-off could mean no second chance. I mean, it’s not like there are no other options out there.

RealScore

Service: 6.0

Design and Room Size: 8.0

In-room Amenities: 8

Bathroom Size and Layout: 7

View from (my) Room: 9

Hotel Location: 10

Available Guest Facilities: 9

Food Quality: 7

Food and Beverage Service: 5

Executive Lounge Quality: N/A

Final RealScore: 7.63

Final RealRating: A

Hotel is built/opened: 1984

Total number of rooms: 586

Length of stay: 1 night

Membership level at check-in: Diamond Ambassador

Room type experienced: Premium Room (better view)