InterContinental London - the O2 by IHG — Hotel in London

Just returned from a 3 night stay which we enjoyed overall, however for a hotel or this standard and calibre we expected a little more.

Having requested and been assured an early check-in we didn’t receive our room until after check-in time which was a little frustrating especially with IHG loyalty, told we would be called but no one did and constant checking at reception with no degree of urgency to get room sorted. Even reception were frustrated and apologetic.

We had a one bedroom suite on the 11th floor which had a stunning view of the o2 and Greenwich it was lovely to watch the world go by, The room is very comfortable with a lounge / diner area with table for four, TV with a mix of channels,and ability to watch YouTube and BBC iPlayer (more on this later), Nespresso coffee machine, stocked minibar (not included in price unlike other IHG properties - we called for it to be emptied - as no price list either.

Bedroom, has a very comfortable bed with two windows overlooking the o2, vanity are, chaise long and then a fabulous bathroom with separate shower cubicle (most amazing shower) and bath tub. An integrated Bose speaker allows you to listen to whatever is playing on the bedroom tv. Is a nice feature along with a heated bathroom mirror which is good but doesn’t turn off when you switch the bathroom lights off which keeps the bathroom warm!

The Spa is beautiful and the staff wonderful, a lovely indoor pool, spa with hydro jets, steam room and sauna. The sauna was broken at time of writing, which was warned about on the website. Highly recommend.

The meridian lounge looked nice, however the price for a cake was astronomical compared to restaurants in the o2 and whilst afternoon tea was available we chose not to take up the offer, partly as we felt it would have been better served either in the first floor bar or the amazing views from the bar on the 18th floor.

We loved the Clipper bar on 1st floor, the staff were so attentive and helpful, and went out of their way to make a chocolate martini for me which I really appreciated and enjoyed. We went up to Eighteen Sky Bar which was lovely however it was really hot in there and drinks were expensive albeit delicious.

Breakfast is bountiful and so nicely presented. We had a breakfast included rate and there was so much choice que attentive service from all of the team with lots of smiles and laughter to start your day on a high.

We did experience a couple of niggles, especially with housekeeping. For example it took five times over some time to get pillows to our room, we asked for a turndown each night which was never done, and a television that kept crashing which was frustrating, The TV system felt outdated and in our room couldn’t cope with downloading a bbc iPlayer programme or a YouTube video and would often crash and reset. Annoying if you wanted to relax in your room. We were also surprised by the fact the outside is clearly being renovated and there was no mention of this on any website.

I will commend the guest relations team (thank you Micaela) who dealt with all of my feedback really well and hence a high score overall. I cannot fault the customer service from all the front of house teams, jts just a shame they were on this occasion let down by housekeeping.

That being said we enjoyed our stay and have already booked a...

I had high expectations for my stay at InterContinental London – The O2, especially given my past experiences with the brand. While the facilities and initial booking process were smooth, the overall experience was overshadowed by poor communication, inconsistent service, and frustrating problem resolution.

Before my arrival, I had sent my employee details to the reservations team, and they confirmed that my discount would be applied, with this information noted in my booking. However, when I dined at the restaurant in the evening, the staff refused to apply my employee discount, claiming I had not presented my employee card. This was confusing, as I was greeted as an IHG employee upon arrival at the restaurant, yet no one requested to see my card before I dined. If this was a requirement, why was it not mentioned beforehand so I could have retrieved it from my room? Adding to the inconsistency, the breakfast staff at the same restaurant applied my discount without any issue or request for verification. It was frustrating to experience two completely different approaches to the same discount policy within the same hotel.

The situation became even more disappointing when I questioned the bill at checkout. I was only informed at that point that the meal package I had booked did not allow employee discount, despite this not being communicated when I made the reservation or before I dined. Had I been told earlier, I would have made a more informed decision. Furthermore, beyond the meal package, there was an additional charge of £93.66, which was not part of the promotion. Even then, the hotel still refused to apply my employee discount to that portion of the bill. The lack of clear communication regarding pricing and policies was frustrating and avoidable.

What made this experience even worse was the way my concerns were handled. On the night I raised the issue, I was passed from one staff member to another, none of whom seemed to have a proper understanding of the charges. At checkout, the same thing happened again, with no resolution. When I escalated the matter through email, the process dragged on for nearly a month, and I repeatedly felt like my concerns were not being properly addressed. The hotel’s responses felt dismissive, as if they had never genuinely looked at the case from a guest’s perspective. Rather than acknowledging the lack of communication and inconsistencies, they seemed more focused on justifying their stance.

Eventually, I was offered 10,000 IHG points as compensation. While I appreciate the goodwill gesture, this does not address the core issue. A simple refund of the overcharged amount would have been the most straightforward and fair resolution. Instead, I have been left feeling frustrated by the way this was handled. This experience does not reflect the level of service I have come to expect from InterContinental, and it has made me question whether all properties uphold the same standard.

While I recognize the efforts of IHG Guest Relations in escalating my case, the way the hotel itself responded has been disappointing. I sincerely hope they take this as an opportunity to improve communication, staff training, and how they handle guest concerns. Unfortunately, given the way this situation was managed, I do not see myself staying at this...

Dear Hotel Manager

I am writing to express my disappointment and frustration with my recent stay at intercontinental 02 from 6th to 11th April 2025. Unfortunately, my experience was marred by a series of issues that significantly impacted my stay.

Firstly, the check-in process was delayed by 2 hours, and I only received my room key after 6 pm. To make matters worse, my membership status was not recognized (since I am a diamond elite Ambassador), and I did not receive any welcome amenities upon check-in or in my room. This was a disappointing start to my stay, especially considering the loyalty program I am a part of.

Furthermore, I was not informed that the hotel was still under construction, with outdoor panels being installed during my stay. The room was extremely noisy, as one would expect from a building site. I believe it is essential for the hotel to inform guests about ongoing construction and potential noise disturbances before arrival, rather than leaving them to discover it upon check-in. This lack of transparency was unacceptable, and I would have appreciated a heads-up before booking.

The noise from drilling and hammering started as early as 8 am, making it challenging for my partner and me to conduct work calls and meetings without the aid of noise-cancelling headphones (and we only have 1pair with us so we had to share). When I requested a room change, I was told that it would be possible on the third day of my stay, but the new room offered was not an improvement, as the noise was still coming from the same building. The proposal to downgrade us from a 2-bedroom suite (around £700 per night) to a junior suite (£350 per night) was unacceptable, and I was disappointed that the hotel did not offer a more suitable solution.

To add insult to injury, during the room change on Day 3, we have agree with the reception to change from the original room at 5 pm to the new room, but the porter arrived at 3 pm, insisting that we had to vacate the room immediately, otherwise the other room would be given to another customer. they will not be holding the room for us. This was particularly inconvenient, as my partner and I were both on work calls at the time.

Additionally, I was disappointed to find that the steam room in the spa was under maintenance for the entire duration of my stay, and we were not informed about this beforehand. The lack of communication about the hotel's facilities and services was a recurring theme throughout my stay.

We also experienced issues with our room key and club lounge key, which stopped functioning on multiple occasions (at least 5 times). As the apartment building was located in a away from the hotel main reception, we spent a significant amount of time walking back and forth to resolve the issue.

While the staff apologized profusely, and “offered to make it up to us next time “, their apologies seemed hollow, as they did not offer any concrete actions or gestures to make up for the inconvenience.

I have been waiting for the questionnaire regarding the stay, so that I can provide the feedback on the above. Normally it is sending the day of check out, but in my case, there was no feedback questionnaire sent to me. you must have know what a poor experience and don’t want the score...