Intercontinental Changsha By Ihg

“A Riverfront Luxury Experience in the Heart of Hunan’s Capital!”

Changsha, Hunan Province—a city that surrounds the Xiang River, enriching this historic destination with its iconic modern nightlife, spicy Hunan cuisine, and revolutionary Communist history. From the Yuelu Mountain to Wuyi Square, there is always a special charm in the city of Changsha. Although … more

Changsha, Hunan Province—a city that surrounds the Xiang River, enriching this historic destination with its iconic modern nightlife, spicy Hunan cuisine, and revolutionary Communist history. From the Yuelu Mountain to Wuyi Square, there is always a special charm in the city of Changsha. Although Changsha is rapidly developing, its luxury hotel industry is still growing from a foundational stage, with fewer international brands compared to larger cities such as Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. Sitting on the edge of the Xiang River, just a few subway stations from Wuyi Square, is one of IHG Hotels & Resorts’s signature luxury properties: InterContinental Changsha. Opened by Beichen Management Company in 2014, this InterContinental hotel was built with 396 rooms and suites, three restaurants, two bars, an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, multi-purpose event facilities, a grand lobby, and Club InterContinental Lounge. The hotel is designed to surround guests with local Xiang-inspired interior décor while providing true luxury hospitality with its InterContinental twist. As a recently appointed InterContinental Royal Ambassador member, I wanted to explore the city of Changsha for the first time and try this InterContinental to see whether the stay was worth its price and reputation. Here is my review of InterContinental Changsha: Booking & Pre-Arrival With only 24 hours’ notice, I used the IHG mobile app to book a two-night weekend stay from Friday, April 24th to Sunday, April 26th. Using the Best Flexible Rate, the room rate was ¥1,132 RMB ($165 USD) per night for the hotel’s entry-level 1 King Classic River View Room. Given my elite membership status with IHG, the hotel’s front office attempted to provide a pre-arrival welcome call, though I was unable to answer. Upon arrival, the hotel recognized my Royal Ambassador status and upgraded me to a 1 King Premium Room. My Arrival & Lobby Check-In Experience I took a 2 hour and 30 minute high-speed train from the Guangdong Pearl River Delta region to Changsha South Railway Station. From there, I took Changsha Metro Line 1 to Beichen Delta Station, followed by a 500-meter walk to the hotel. If you are traveling with light luggage, I recommend taking this route over a taxi, as a direct car ride would only save about five minutes. I arrived at the hotel at noon, which was before the standard 2 PM check-in time. The lobby consists of a three-level open hall featuring Xiang-style luxury marble, chandelier lighting, locally curated artwork, and elegant furniture throughout the reception hall. Facilities include an elegant lobby lounge, concierge services, and even a public copy and print machine. Upon arriving at reception, my check-in was facilitated by Rachel, who kindly recognized my status, introduced the benefits of my stay, and efficiently processed my registration. After completing check-in, she handed me over to Guest Services Manager Katrina Su, who guided me to my room and even showed me the hotel’s dining venues. The Guangxi-native was also kind enough to help me secure a dinner reservation and share insider knowledge about Changsha. Overall, it was a great service start to a weekend trip. 1 King Premium Room The hotel assigned me Room 2508, one of the hotel’s corner 1 King Premium Rooms. With a generous suite-like size of 77 square meters, this room features a large bedroom shared with a workspace and lounge area, an oversized bathroom, a large closet, and 270-degree panoramic views of the Xiang River and Kaifu District. The bedroom features a comfortable king bed, bedside room controls, wooden bedside tables, carpeting, and a Philips flatscreen television. Opposite the bed is a daybed sofa and table, along with a desk area that includes a leather writing pad, electrical outlets, thoughtfully selected stationery, and a desk lamp. Near the desk is a generously stocked coffee, tea, and minibar cabinet. The bathroom features a centrally positioned bathtub surrounded by dual vanity sinks, a private toilet cubicle, and a rainforest shower cubicle, accompanied by Byredo Blanche bath amenities. Opposite the bathroom is the walk-in closet, which includes luggage storage space, ample room for hanging clothes, and additional room amenities. Housekeeping service was impeccable. The room was spotlessly clean and thoughtfully maintained with turndown service, fruit and macaron welcome amenities, and mid-stay touches such as organizing my belongings within the room. On my second night, I was even given a plush toy and handwritten card by the housekeeper. Overall, the room design does show some age, as the hotel has now been operating for over a decade. However, it was exceptionally well maintained. I would recommend adding more USB ports, updating the linen design to feature fewer stripe patterns, and perhaps installing a larger bathtub and toilet layout to improve convenience. Nonetheless, I was very impressed with the room experience. Food & Beverage Experience Dining at the restaurants and bars at InterContinental Changsha was quite memorable and unlike many other properties I have visited. Xiang Show Hunan Restaurant Located on the first floor, this specialty restaurant elevates traditional Hunan cuisine into modern fine dining. The restaurant is designed to resemble a Hunan-style villa with brick décor, wooden partitions, vintage Changsha photography, and even background music inspired by Communist-era songs. Assistant Restaurant Manager Emily Yu was very accommodating in helping me order dishes as a solo diner. The dishes were created by 30-year Hunan culinary veteran Chef Nick Yang, who is originally from Chenzhou in southern Hunan Province. For my first night, I ordered: * Half portion of Mao’s Braised Pork Belly with Local String Vegetables * Stir-Fried Green Beans with Minced Pork * Claypot Steamed Rice Garnished with Corn For my second night, I ordered: * Half portion of Stinky Tofu & Crayfish Casserole * Half portion of Stir-Fried Pork with Green Chilies * Claypot Steamed Rice Garnished with Corn Everything tasted excellent and was not overwhelmingly spicy. I was served exceptionally well by Emily and her team. Everything was also very reasonably priced for an InterContinental Chinese restaurant at under ¥200 ($30 USD) per meal. I also had the opportunity to speak with Chef Yang himself, who was refreshingly kind and friendly. I learned a lot about the culinary process behind each iconic Changsha dish. In my view, he is truly a legend in the Xiang cuisine world. SKY 27 Changsha is known for celebrating nightlife, and this hotel reflects that energy. InterContinental Changsha is one of the few IHG hotels where the specialty bar remains open past midnight until 1:30 AM. Located on the 27th floor, SKY 27 offers skyline views of the Xiang River and is designed to feel like a social club, complete with live performances, exclusive balcony views, and elite bartending. It is a great place to relax while watching Changsha’s nighttime skyline. For the first time in my IHG experience, the hotel introduced a DJ and live dancers every weekend night to create a more unique nightlife experience. As a guest, I found this to be one of the boldest concepts I have seen at an InterContinental bar. I was taken care of by Assistant Bar Manager Alisa Liu, who is wonderful at making solo travelers feel welcomed. She helped me select cocktails such as: * St-Germain Land (Gin Cocktail) * Ruse (Rum Cocktail) The drinks are curated by 11-year veteran bartender Kino Ke, whom I also had the opportunity to meet. It was a memorable two evenings at SKY 27, and it has become my favorite bar within the InterContinental brand so far. Symphony All-Day Dining Restaurant Symphony is the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant located on the first floor. Breakfast here was a pleasant surprise, especially since I have not had many memorable breakfast experiences recently at IHG properties. The hotel offers a wide variety of breakfast dishes with strong quality and flavor, including freshly made eggs, Western options, Chinese dishes, made-to-order noodles, pastries, and fresh fruit juices. My breakfast included freshly made scrambled eggs, banana caramel French toast, Portuguese egg tarts, and fresh watermelon juice. My only criticism is that there was limited elite recognition during breakfast service, such as a dedicated members section or placard acknowledging membership benefits. The restaurant could also benefit from brighter interior lighting and future modernization. Zhi Wei Xuan Chinese Restaurant I also had the opportunity to visit the hotel’s Cantonese restaurant located on the third floor. Although I did not dine there, the restaurant offers traditional Cantonese cuisine, dim sum, and Hunan fusion dishes. Its design resembles many of IHG’s Cai Feng Lou restaurants while incorporating subtle Changsha-inspired elements. Lobby Lounge The lobby lounge across from reception serves afternoon tea and beverages. It is an elegant space to relax in, even for non-hotel guests. Fitness Center & Swimming Pool The hotel’s fitness center and swimming pool are located on the fifth floor. The fitness center is well-equipped with modern exercise equipment and features locker rooms with spa showers and thoughtfully stocked amenities. The swimming pool area features natural sunlight through a skylight, along with a lap pool, recreational pool, and hot tub. It was a pleasant space to relax after exploring Changsha. Club InterContinental Experience One of the major benefits of Royal Ambassador membership is receiving access to Club InterContinental Lounge. The lounge is located on the 27th floor and offers panoramic Xiang River views, a living room area, formal dining space, meeting rooms, a spacious balcony, and an exclusive reception area. The lounge offers breakfast, afternoon tea, and happy hour. It also provides a generous beverage selection including Jing Tea, Nespresso coffee, beer, soft drinks, and local beverages. Breakfast featured a smaller version of the main buffet along with made-to-order dishes. One improvement would be adding an à la carte breakfast menu. Afternoon tea included desserts, savory bites, fresh fruit, and scones. Happy hour featured both hot and cold dishes, alcoholic beverages, and desserts. I had a wonderful time speaking with Club Manager Cathy He, along with Lynn Li and Amy Hu, all of whom provided helpful recommendations for exploring Changsha. Smooth Departure & Conclusion Sadly, it was time to leave Changsha after a phenomenal stay. The hotel allowed me to use my 4 PM late checkout benefit and also permitted me to remain in the Club Lounge before my 7:25 PM train departure. Was this stay worth the price? Absolutely. I believe InterContinental Changsha offers tremendous value as one of the city’s few true riverfront luxury hotels. Its location is convenient, with nearby malls, riverside parks, and easy public transportation access. The service was consistently excellent, especially for a hotel that has been operating for over a decade. While the hotel may be older by Chinese luxury standards, it has aged gracefully and continues to perform at a high level. This hotel is truly special and now ranks highly on my personal InterContinental list. I look forward to returning to Changsha again.

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