Intercontinental Athénée Palace Bucharest, An Ihg Hotel

“ANN Club Lounge Review”

Great experience I had every time with the lounge host Catalin

“First time staying at an intercontinental”

Located at a walkable distance to the old town, this luxury hotel is a good home base. I booked through Amex platinum and was kindly upgraded. Unfortunately, we booked a balcony room and the upgrade placed us into a room without a balcony. When I asked if it’s possible to downgrade, they instead ga… more

Located at a walkable distance to the old town, this luxury hotel is a good home base. I booked through Amex platinum and was kindly upgraded. Unfortunately, we booked a balcony room and the upgrade placed us into a room without a balcony. When I asked if it’s possible to downgrade, they instead gave us a second free upgrade to a suite! Despite overlooking the city center we had a peaceful sleep. The room was pristine and was of amazing value. We will continue booking intercontinental during our travels because of this experience!

less

“Very satisfied customer.”

Staff were friendly and helpful. Special mention to Catalin and Rodalyn at the Club Lounge. Very solicitous and patient answering our questions. The Spa is also very good for relaxation. Lucky there are only few people in the morning. Could be busy before or after dinner.

“My first stay at IC AP Bucharest was excellent. My most recent one, however… was incredibly dissappointing.”

Recently I have stayed with my wife at this hôtel . Let’s start with the King Suite with Balcony. The air conditioning barely worked. A technician was called, but he admitted there wasn’t much he could do other than reset the system. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t solve the problem either. In the end… more

Recently I have stayed with my wife at this hôtel . Let’s start with the King Suite with Balcony. The air conditioning barely worked. A technician was called, but he admitted there wasn’t much he could do other than reset the system. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t solve the problem either. In the end, we were moved to a cheaper room, but we accepted it because at least it was cool enough to sleep. A special mention goes to Radu at the front desk, who genuinely cared and did his best to find a solution. Up to this point, fine—these things can happen. Now the real problems begin. The Club InterContinental Lounge has declined dramatically compared to our first visit in March. Although the internet is full of glowing reviews, today’s reality is completely different. I have nothing negative to say about the Afternoon Tea, but what we experienced during the evening service was downright ridiculous. Mushroom quiche? Mangalitsa pork skewers with no side dish whatsoever? How can you serve a main course without any garnish? Shrimp orzo was well below any acceptable standard. A cheese platter without even a single type of cured meat? And then… lettuce and carrots, like rabbit food. Seriously, what is this supposed to be? We then went down to the restaurant, hoping to have a proper dinner worthy of a luxury hotel. My wife ordered the cream of corn soup. The taste was acceptable, but no croutons? It’s a cream soup, after all. I ordered the Carbonara. The pasta was almost raw, the portion was extremely small, and to make matters worse, I honestly think the chef accidentally emptied the entire salt shaker into the sauce. I’m not someone who complains over every little thing or has unrealistic expectations, but I’ve honestly never experienced anything like this. Today’s morning breakfast was not on par with what we had in March this year. I will not get into details but the cakes and the cold cuts sélection wasn’t as broad as before , so it is clear to me that the hôtel is cotting costs on food — I hâte when hôtel do that, i think it is disrespectful. I genuinely don’t know what has happened to this hotel. It feels as though significant cost-cutting measures are being made when it comes to food, but management should rethink this strategy as soon as possible. Bucharest has plenty of excellent five-star alternatives, and it’s very easy for guests to take their business elsewhere. It’s a real shame. My first stay made me recommend this hotel to everyone. My second stay convinced me that, unless something changes, If they continue on this path, they will loose customers, including myself.

less