InterContinental Dubai Festival City by IHG — Hotel in Dubai

I want to highlight two reasons why this hotel is in my top three of IC’s I’ve stayed in:||1. THE FACILITIES AND LOCATION ARE GREAT AND WHAT WOULD EXPECT IN AN INTERCONTINENTAL ||I always saw it as a business hotel, which it definitely is and why I like it. After all, this is how I got to know this hotel in the past without actually staying here because it served as a great meeting point for meetings at Pierre’s café or event lunches at Anise. As a guest through for over 2 weeks, it is a great location to host meetings and given it is connected to Festival City Mall is an added bonus. It is also pretty cool that there is the small boat that connects people to the metro as well.||The 4th floor – gym and pool – are great. The gym is sufficient with equipment and the pool area, which could get crowded, is really nice. It is great that it also connects to the Crowne Plaza so guests can use both pool areas. ||All the restaurants – from the main buffet Anise to Pierres and Pierres café to Karam el bahar are great. Belgian Café that is in the Crowne Plaza next door is also great. However, my favorite places were definitely Vista and Eclipse. ||If you have access to the club lounge on the 26th floor it is one I really liked. It is big but intimate. You can have meetings here without feeling overheard too much or you can also be enjoying leisure time with your family and friends without feeling intrusive. The club room has great views of the creek and Dubai as a whole. They do a theme night every Thursday through sampling a different country’s cuisine (out of the other ICs I’ve been to that is something unique I’ve seen). ||2. THE STAFF ARE WHAT MADE THE STAY GREAT AND “WOW” ||Most of my hotel stays have been great but not all have been wow – my stay at the IC FC was “wow.” ||I will probably forget people’s names but everyone who I interacted with during my stay was great and amazing. ||However some I would like to acknowledge include: ||Gym and pool – in particular with the gym thank you to Fungai. In terms of the pool staff at both IC and CP thank you as well. It was nice chatting with you all. ||Vista and Eclipse – To Lovely including her team in Vista such as Aakash and Gaurav from Eclipse thank you I’ve enjoyed chatting with you all. ||Belgian Cafe – the staff there were all great ||25th Floor Housekeeping – I didn’t catch all of your names but the ones that I interacted the most include Chengdu as well as Regan and Usman. Thank you for always being consistent with the cleanliness of the room both during the day and to the evening staff that did the turndown service. ||Concierge and door people – I didn’t catch everybody’s names as there are quite a few of you. However, kamal, Kharman, Asad, Dinesh – and the rest - it was nice interacting with you from when I would go on my morning jog to just other everyday interactions. ||The ones who were serving water were very friendly especially every time I would walk into the mall. ||Front desk – I didn’t really use this much if at all (as I was dealing with the 26th floor) – but Nicole and the rest of the team were great. In particular, it was nice to see Zain and Anmol (CP reception) both here. These are two individuals I got to know when they were working at Aldar’s Crowne Plaza Yas Island. And to Mohammed – good |luck with your new role hope it goes well at the front desk. ||Club room – last but not least I wanted to thank the club room as this is where I spent most of my time. Suzana and her team were just wonderful. I didn’t get a chance to get the chef and cleaners names but they were all friendly and attentive. ||To the club room reception – Mutya, Lucy, Jessica, Fatma – you were all really friendly, helpful and attentive. I enjoyed talking to you all and thank you for making me, my sister and my various meetings all feel comfortable. ||To the club servers – Diani, Pan, Godhelp, Ali, Allen, Rakan (these were the ones I interacted with the most) – thank you again. I enjoyed speaking to you all. ||I may have missed a few names and sorry but, as mentioned, everyone here was great. ||And to Suzana – thank you for your hospitality. Thank you as well for the surprise cake on my last day as well! ||Thank you all. I will miss you. But who knows maybe I’ll be back soon.||Amazing stay overall...

I stayed with my family from Dec. 26 to 29, 2024. I checked in on Dec. 26, and Wadih at the front desk was welcoming. He acknowledged my Diamond Ambassador status and was helpful and cordial overall. As the hotel was at nearly full capacity, I could only get an upgrade to a better-view room, which is understandable. The room was decent. It had enough space to store things.

Upon my check-in, there wasn't anything special as far as a welcome amenity left in the room. However, when I came back in the evening the same day, there was a small box of chocolates and a note from the area manager, which was a nice touch.

I had to store chocolates, so I requested room service if they could store them in a chiller for me. Luckily, they didn't object. I truly appreciated their help.

The breakfast menu is extensive and you can surely find something you would like to eat. In addition, the service during breakfast is pretty decent.

The valet service is what it should be.

On. Dec. 27 around 1040AM, my husband went to check in and out as I had separate reservations and the Asian lady at the Ambassador check-in counter was not so welcoming as he had said "Hi" to her and she didn't respond. She just kept looking at the computer screen, while my husband was talking to her. Shortly, thereafter, she just placed the card key on the counter rather than putting it in a key card holder and handing it to him. In addition, she didn't even ask how many keys he wanted. He had to tell her he needed two. I thought that was a bit rude to just place the room keys on the counter. Some soft skills training is surely required as this is an IC, not a two-star hotel.

Dec. 28: My husband went again to check us in and out. Before going to the front desk, he took a peek at the counter to check if the same lady who checked him in yesterday was at the counter or not. Luckily she wasn't. Gwen, who was nice and welcoming, checked him in and out. She didn't place the room keys on the counter and handed them to him just like how it should be done.

The food deliveries aren't delivered to your room like St. Regis Dubai. So, you need to go down and pick them up. I wish IC would offer this service. In addition, no reheating of food is available either.

My husband told me that something interesting happened during checkout that hadn't happened to him in years. Carmen who checked my husband out, acknowledged his IHG status upon departure, which was an unexpectedly pleasant thing one can hear from a front desk representative upon departure. So, kudos to Wadih, Gwen, and Carmen for being so hospitable. We truly...

Dear Management Team at the Intercontinental Hotel, Festival City, Dubai

I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for the outstanding service provided by Ms. Joy from the front office and Ms. Shun from the restaurant during my recent stay at your hotel. Their professionalism, dedication, and thoughtfulness left a lasting impression and made my visit truly memorable.

On 30th December, I arrived at the hotel during the early hours of the morning, around 2:30 AM, after a challenging journey. I had faced some issues at the airport and with a taxi driver, leaving me feeling quite frustrated and stressed. However, Ms. Joy's exceptional service quickly turned things around.

Ms. Joy ensured a seamless check-in process, which was handled efficiently and with genuine care. She went out of her way to offer me a cold drink from the front office, a small but meaningful gesture that helped soothe my frustration and made me feel cared for as a guest. This level of attentiveness and empathy was truly beyond my expectations.

Throughout my stay, Ms. Joy continued to demonstrate her dedication to exceptional guest service. She never failed to greet me warmly each morning, always saying “Good morning” with a smile. Her approachable demeanor made it easy for me to seek her assistance regularly. For example, when I needed help finding places to purchase items for my children, she provided helpful recommendations and ensured I had all the information I needed. Her consistent support and willingness to assist on a daily basis were remarkable.

I would also like to highlight the wonderful service provided by Ms. Shun from the restaurant. Her attentiveness and welcoming nature created an enjoyable dining experience. Her helpfulness and commitment to ensuring guest satisfaction stood out, and she made every meal a delightful experience.

Both Ms. Joy and Ms. Shun are exceptional members of your team, embodying the high standards of service that your hotel is known for. Their kindness, professionalism, and attention to detail made my stay truly memorable and left me feeling valued as a guest.

Please extend my heartfelt gratitude to both Ms. Joy and Ms. Shun for their incredible dedication to guest satisfaction. They are true assets to your team, and I am certain that their efforts greatly enhance the reputation of your hotel.

Thank you for an exceptional experience. I look forward to staying at the Intercontinental Hotel, Festival City, again in the future.

Warm regards, Dr...