InterContinental the Strings Tokyo by IHG — Hotel in Tokyo

First of all, I am pretty laid back and mostly let things slide off my back, but this one I could not ignore. The Strings Tokyo..I really wanted to like you. I had high expectations and was spoiled prior at the Intercontinental Osaka (which btw, I highly recommend). We stayed 11-23, checked out 11-27; check in was uneventful, front desk staff was polite and efficient, our room was ready when we got there at 3pm, so far so good. The lady that greeted us at the door and helped bring our bags to our room was very sweet--hotel management: she's a keeper! Everything else about the room was good, although the hotel is showing its age, it is still nice. The reason for my review title is our experience at the Dining Room restaurant. It may probably sound pretentious but with the prices you are paying and the hotel reputation, a certain level of service is expected. After a full day of shopping, we got back to the hotel but housekeeping was still tidying up our room. Fine, we go downstairs because a poster caught my eye earlier about their afternoon tea offering. We get to the Dining Room around 3:30ish, in the middle of afternoon tea time. The maitre d' was stiff, unfriendly, quickly ushered us to the back near the kitchen. A server came a few minutes for our order and I said "could we get the afternoon tea?" She replied: "It'll take more than 20 mins for us to prepare for the afternoon tea. Do you want to do the cake set instead..blah blah" Huh? Ok, so you guys don't prep this stuff beforehand? This was the 1st time I had a restaurant dissuade me from placing an order because it was too long to make. I was like, whatever, we'll get your cake set, give us a few minutes to decide what tea or cake to get. She leaves, another lady in a different outfit comes in and takes our order. I ask for water, I never got my water during our whole time there. I get into a discussion with my husband, then we realize we have been waiting for more than 20 mins for our cake set. Mind you, all this time, NOBODY CHECKS IN ON US. I flag the original server to ask about our order and she says: 5 more minutes. I am livid at this point and want to leave but I was too tired at that point to complain and really hungry already, so we wait. My husband remarks that we probably could have gotten the afternoon tea set since we waited this long already :/ We get our tea and cakes and they were ok, not worth the prices but I get it, it's hotel prices. Again, NO ONE CHECKS ON US, only when another server saw we had finished our food, BOY, WAS HE QUICK TO GIVE US THE CHECK. No one offered us water, if we wanted to order more, etc. I've gotten better service at Denny's. I quickly sign our room number 3205 and we leave immediately. I wanted to complain to a manager or the front desk but I did not have the energy anymore and just wanted to go back to our room. I was waiting for someone to call us from the front desk to check in our last night (LIKE HOW THEY DO AT IC OSAKA), but no one called. I debated whether to talk to the manager the next day but we had to rush because of our early flight and had to catch the N'EX. I did not want to waste any more time if ever they had more questions for me. Another minor annoyance was that the housekeeping staff threw away a pack of band aids on one of the tables and I still needed them. I distinctly remember it looking pretty full and not looking like trash, so was surprised to see it gone. Anyway, suffice to say this will be my first and last stay at The Strings, I will be conveying this to my traveling...

My wife and I did a two-night stay at The Strings to use my Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night Certificate. We arrived on a Saturday evening at HND Terminal 2 on a domestic ANA flight and took the Keikyu Airport Line to Shinagawa. Navigating the station is a bit challenging the first time and the signage isn't that great, but once you find the correct way, it's easy to do it again.

I booked a King Classic City View: 31.5 sqm room, which is the highest non-Premium room in the hopes that the one-class Ambassador upgrade would result in a decent outcome. I was pleasantly surprised that our upgrade was to King Premium Club Lounge Access: 38 sqm on the 32nd (top) floor. As some will likely know, an upgrade to a "Lounge Access" room does not grant a guest Lounge Access, but it was a slightly larger room than the standard King Premium so that was a nice upgrade. Under the current exchange rate, our two-night was very reasonable given the upgrade and free breakfast amenity available to Diamond members like myself.

We was very happy with the quality of the breakfast in the restaurant; in addition to the Japanese and Western options in the buffet, there was also a decent variety of Chinese dim sum, noodles, congee/jook, and fried rice. The only weakness was the bread and pastry options, which was pretty 'meh.' A pleasant surprise was to find that the lovely classical music heard while eating Sunday breakfast was provided by a string quartet sitting just adjacent to the restaurant. Service was top-notch.

On the day we checked out, we had plans to see a Delta flight attendant friend of mine who happened to be on a one-night layover later in the morning and have lunch with a co-worker so rather than tie up the room with a late check out, we opted to check out after breakfast and left our luggage with the hotel. We were given options to pick up the bags back at the 26th floor reception area or the second floor elevator lobby; we opted for the second for convenience. We decided to splurge and take a taxi to get to our next hotel (Kimpton Shinjuku); the taxi entrance is on the first floor and reached by the same elevators used to get to the 26th floor lobby. I didn't see any taxis waiting in a queue (there really isn't room for a proper one) so I used Uber to get a taxi. It was only a 100 JPY surcharge to use the app and it had the benefits of giving the driver exact address details of the destination (helpful if one doesn't speak Japanese) and having the charge settled directly to a linked credit card.

Shinagawa is an excellent station for access to HND, the Tokaido Shinkansen, and local trains/transit. We'd certainly consider...

Every night after I finish my daytime schedule, the first thing I return my room is: call for incidental service to ask them make up one set shortage of our 3 occupancy. I need one more set of hand towel, facial towel, tooth brush..., because housekeeping set up for 2 only. there is one set shortage only but hotel surprised me to bring me 3 set of everything to my room after my call. So I receive one set and return two set back to the delivery man. We repeated this for my entire 4-night stays. It's reckless to repeat this mistake again and again.

Day one after I check in, I go to cafe to enjoy my complimentary beverage but they told me all tables are reserved. It's not pleasant to hear that.

Day three morning I bring my son to buffet restaurant. And they say there is no table for me. When I pointed there is a table looks ready, they say table was reserved for somebody....? I am a pre paid customer, but the table was reserved for whom..? soon they bring us cross a isolated place where table was not ready for dining.... no cups, no napkins..., just a table and isolated...., soon both my boy and I feel so bad, it's very insulting to make this placement. So we go back to the room and my son was in tears..., we gave up to dine at hotel breakfast buffet because it's no mood to go back and we have our new day schedule to catch up..., When we walk out the hotel, room manager Russel apology to me, but everything is too late. Crying over spilt milk. How can Hotel comfort my son's soul? How can Hotel make up my ruined morning and the coming whole day? The simple word" We are sorry" doesn't work at all.

4-Days in this hotel is my worst experience at IHG ever. Facility is 5-star but management team is below the average. That's my view.

Recognition as Silver member when check in? No, not at all. I can't find a table for bereave after check in. There is no greeting card when I walk in my room, forget about anything else. I am just a simple guest in their's eyes... that's the message I feel from them. Horrible.

Hotel emailed me before I check in: 1 min walk from Shinagawa Station...., nope, it's absolutely not 1 min walk from Shinagawa Station. That's another reckless mistake again.

On the last night, housekeeping did a very bad setting on the bed sheet.., I show photo to front desk already when I check out. It's unbeilable. I've never seen housekeeping do so in any other InterContinental....