InterContinental Wellington by IHG

We could smell smoke at one point, but the manager went out of their way to make sure we still had a positive stay. The facility was top notch, with an amazing continental breakfast, and the cooks were friendly and made food to order. Really good customer service. I’d recommend it to friends and family.

The concierge was excellent, but that was one of the few parts of this stay that felt like a five-star hotel. At reception, just one of four desks was staffed. The receptionist spent ten minutes on the phone about a booking for next year, without acknowledging the people waiting, signaling for help, or apologizing afterward. In several three-star motels in New Zealand, I’ve had better service. Breakfast was frustrating too. A large group had been booked in by name and time, so it was predictable that the buffet would be mostly empty once they’d eaten. Staff only started setting out replacement dishes after the food had run out, which seemed like poor organization. The person who looked responsible for greeting guests was clearing tables inside instead, leaving people waiting outside unsure what to do. And every day, our coffee order was forgotten and we had to ask for it again. For a place presenting itself as luxury, the service was disappointing.

We had a harbour-view executive room for New Year’s Eve, with a great view of the fireworks. Breakfast in the executive lounge was excellent, and there’s a good-sized indoor pool, jacuzzi and sauna. The staff were friendly throughout. Renovation work is due to finish soon and had made the check-in area smaller, but we didn’t really notice any other effect.

We stayed at club level for my birthday, and the food, staff and service were out of this world. We live in Australia and are planning to come back for a long weekend. We haven’t stopped thinking about what a wonderful time we had. 10/10!