InterContinental Sydney

Fabulous location with iconic views of Sydney opera house and Sydney harbour bridge. Enjoyed seeing the cruise ships coming in at 06:00 every day! Super convenient for Circular Quay ferries and all the facilities it has to offer. Breakfast buffet is highly recommended there is so much choice! The staff are friendly and attentive, too many to mention but a special shout out to Ben and Sonu for making our breakfast experience so enjoyable.

This hotel is hands down the best I have ever experienced! The location is absolutely perfect, you’re within walking distance of all the great places! It’s such a classy clean place, really such an amazing atmosphere, hence why we come back every time we stay in Sydney. The rooms are always so clean and tidy, great views no matter your location in the hotel. They're also so spacious and organized and even the beds are so comfortable! For location, amenities, and fantastic service, it’s a great value. Additionally, there is never any issues with the noise or smell. I would recommend this hotel over and over again!

I stayed at the Intercontinental hotel for 4 nights with Trafalgar Tours. The location is excellent, the view is amazing (go up to the swimming pool during sunset). The rooms are very quiet compared to any other hotel in town. The breakfast is great, so much to choose from. At the breakfast area I noticed the staff to be well trained and attentive. Ben was outstanding. He even remembered my coffee order on the following morning.

InterContinental Sydney promised a special stay for a long‑time Diamond Ambassador celebrating a birthday and flew us in from Singapore, but delivered a dismissive, box‑ticking experience that made us regret choosing IHG over Marriott. 1-Loyalty and status ignored: Despite over a decade of loyal stays, Royal Ambassador history, and more than a million IHG points, the hotel hid behind rigid “terms and conditions” instead of recognising the relationship or the clearly documented issues from my last poor stay. Previous visits with Club access as Royal Ambassador were treated as if they had never happened, and staff claimed they could not even see my history properly while contradicting what had been extended before. 2-Club lounge and benefits mishandled: The hotel repeatedly quoted programme rules to deny lounge access, rather than exercising any discretion for a milestone, personally significant stay that had been flagged well in advance. Being told to pay an extra nightly fee for benefits that had historically been extended as part of Ambassador recognition felt like a calculated downgrade of loyalty rather than a hospitality decision. 3-Early check‑in charged as an extra night: Despite arriving early after a long overnight flight and specifically flagging the importance of this stay, the hotel’s solution to early check‑in was to make me pay for an entire extra night just to access the room about an hour earlier. This kind of nickel‑and‑diming, especially towards a high‑tier Ambassador guest, is the clearest signal that revenue protection matters more here than guest comfort or long‑term loyalty. 4-Check‑in experience and staff attitude: Check‑in was rude and confrontational: a front‑desk agent with a smirking attitude dismissed prior stays, refused to meaningfully check records, and at one point essentially challenged whether we would check in at all. For a supposed flagship luxury property, this tone at the desk was unacceptable and completely at odds with the brand image and what any experienced traveller would consider basic professional hospitality. 5-Management response and accountability: Multiple emails in advance clearly outlined concerns and context, yet the on‑property response was slow, fragmented, and conveniently timed so that the General Manager was unavailable when the issues peaked. What came back were polished but hollow apologies, offers of minor gestures like a birthday card, and restatements of policy, rather than any concrete attempt to restore trust or make the stay feel genuinely valued. 6-Cosmetic “attempts” to fix it: The latest message claimed that two managers “attempted to meet” me while I was resting, then invited yet another conversation at my “convenience,” as if a single knock on the door somehow equates to real service recovery. After multiple written complaints and a formally documented prior bad stay, expecting the guest to chase managers around the property is the opposite of proactive resolution and only underlines how reluctant this hotel is to take genuine ownership. Overall verdict: This stay felt like a case study in how to hide behind loyalty terms instead of honouring loyalty, and how to talk about “valued Ambassadors” while making a long‑standing guest feel like an inconvenience. For anyone considering using hard‑earned points or celebrating a special occasion in Sydney, this property has proven that it will prioritise policy over people; next time, those nights and cash will be going to Marriott or another brand that actually understands loyalty.

This marks my second visit to the InterContinental Sydney, and my return to this location was primarily motivated by the desire to spend time with my family residing in Australia. My decision to revisit this esteemed establishment was influenced by numerous compelling factors. Specific Reasons for My Return: The staff is exceptionally courteous, and the hotel consistently demonstrates a remarkable ability to incorporate guest feedback. Furthermore, requests for assistance or necessities are handled with near-immediate efficiency. Following my visit last year, I submitted a review via Google mentioning that the Kimchi should not be sweet. I was genuinely impressed and delighted to find upon this current stay that the sweetness of the Kimchi had been completely eliminated; it was, in fact, served fermented, which was both surprising and outstandingly delicious. As an InterContinental Ambassador member, I have experienced several other InterContinental properties, yet the InterContinental Sydney stands out as truly excellent. An establishment of this caliber is what defines a genuine Five-Star hotel. I fully intend to return next year without fail. If you are deliberating on where to stay in the Circular Quay area, I wholeheartedly recommend experiencing this hotel. You will not regret your choice.