InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront by IHG

My stay at the InterContinental St. Paul in September 2025 ended unexpectedly, and the experience was extremely disappointing. I booked by phone directly with the hotel and clearly said I’d be bringing my cats. I was told that was fine. The animals were with me when I arrived, I confirmed it again at check-in, and I got through the first night without any staff concerns. I was also approved for a second night because a meeting had been delayed. On day two, while I was out at lunch, I got an abrupt, unprofessional text from someone identifying themselves as a manager. They said pets weren’t allowed, accused me of sneaking them in, and claimed housekeeping had entered even though my “Do Not Disturb” sign was up. I came back right away to sort it out, but management wouldn’t acknowledge that I’d disclosed the cats multiple times and that staff knew about them. They canceled my second night and told me to leave and find somewhere else on short notice. Several front-line employees were kind and professional, but the communication failure, the way this was handled, and management’s refusal to consider the documented conversations caused a major disruption and left a very bad impression. Based on this, I can’t recommend the property.

Having Grand Casino Arena nearby makes each visit convenient and pleasant. The restaurant and bar staff are attentive and amazing, the front desk is always friendly and efficient, and the valets are quick and courteous. I always love staying at the Intercontinental because the service is fantastic.

The whole visit felt like one strange, annoying episode after another, and I wouldn’t stay again. When I asked about parking, I was told it was valet only, which was fine, but the next morning the desk said they don’t take calls to bring your car around and that I had to come down. Then, at the desk, the guy trying to find my keys asked if I’d called ahead. No, I’d just been told that wasn’t an option. They eventually found them. On the second night, my room was 79F even though I’d set it to 67. The desk sent someone up who replaced the broken thermostat, but said the building was in heat mode and couldn’t cool to my preferred temperature. I went to the bar around 7:30 to give the room time to cool. The bartender asked if I was okay with just a drink because they were about to close. When I asked what time they closed, he said 9 and that he could wait for me. I had a drink and went back upstairs, and he immediately shut the gate behind me. The website says the restaurant is open until 10, so I wouldn’t count on it for food either. My room stayed toasty, and the service left me baffled.

Everything else about the stay was great, but the room was really warm at first. It took us a while to figure out how to set it so it would cool down.