The hotel promised something and delivery was something opposite. Everyday in the morning we would enquire if the breakfast was included in tbe tariff being paid and multiple staff members confirmed this time and again that it was included in the room price. As a matter of habit and being a regular traveler and having a family of 4 adults and 2 children I always cross check. But during check out to our horror huge amount was added to the bill for breakfast which was supposed to be complimentary. Also conversion from USD to Mexican peso being done by the hotel and then reconversion is a scam. You don’t overcharge customers on multiple conversions of currency. Ridiculous and scandalous. Don’t expect this from an Intercontinental property.

This Intercontinental hotel is in a nice and green area of Mexico City. The hotel itself is not recent and it has difficulty hiding its age despite some renovations. The lobby is huge but old fashioned. When we arrived around 9 pm the music in the lobby was very loud. As an Intercontinental Ambassador we were told we would get an upgrade but when we came to the room we really couldn’t understand what the upgrade was. Maybe the fact that had a view of the park and one of the main roads. In fact we found this not advantage because of the street noise. The room itself was rather small with the bathroom positioned in an akward way. The acoustic insulation is bad so you can hear the banging of the doors. We had opted for lounge access and found the lounge crowded with children running around as well as people speaking loudly on their phones. We have stayed in a great many Intercontinental hotels around the world but this one was disappointing…

I decided to stay in the Polanco area and this hotel was the best mix of good reviews and good pricing. I don’t generally like massive hotels and I didn’t like the decor in the photos, so I was going into it having settled. The good Check in was a breeze. Immediately offered me a bottle of water and offered me a choice of rooms. Ultimately gave me a king room on a high floor with a nice view of the city. Elevators work fast. Housekeeping came daily. Room was very clean, spacious, comfortable, with ample space for my clothes and toiletries. Nespresso machine in room. Plenty of filtered bottled water provided in room. I’m a smoker and I liked that in the back of the hotel, outside, they had seating areas with ashtrays. The bad The hotel is overdue for a renovation. The handle in my shower to turn the water on and control the water temperature would fall off daily. Surely housekeeping noticed but no one bothered to fix. The tiles in the shower need to be regrouted. The room decor is dated, good condition, but style is dated. There was a wall by the breakfast area that looked like it was patched up by a child, just wildly unprofessional work. I didn’t eat breakfast at the hotel but I bought a coffee once, it was awful. I ate at the Japanese restaurant and while the decor is cool, service was great, drink was great, the food was meh - probably the worst meal I had in Mexico City and the priciest. The lobby bar was more often closed than open, not sure if due to the holidays. On New Year’s Eve they let children spray paint on canvases and it was impossible to breathe in the lobby due to the toxic fumes. Based on the reviews, I was expecting toiletries from L’occitane. That was not the case. They had some local brand and I thought the shampoo and conditioner were just mediocre. Housekeeping did not replenish qtips, shower cap, and other toiletries provided at the sink area. The mini bar prices were astronomical. There is a very sad looking 7-11 across the street if you want to pick up some snacks, that doesn’t provide bags. Overall it was not a bad stay but I wouldn’t come back.

Location, location, location. You can walk to the anthropology museum, castle and the beautiful park surrounding it. Equally many restaurants are close by. The hotel staff is fantastic and helpful. Probably one of the most service oriented staff I have come across in my travel. Especially after the hotel experience in the US, I felt like a king in this place.

The hotel does a good job in terms of service. However, the rewards program is not creating value at all for loyal customers though. I am an IHG member for a long time and could not find a decent rate at IHG website and had to book this same hotel in a third party website that had a much lower rate. That is jut nonsense from a loyalty program point of view. So, if you have Marriott or Hilton points as options nearby an IHG property please use them instead.