InterContinental Boston by IHG — Hotel in Boston

We returned for the 1st time in about 6 years and stayed 3 nights: 10-13 July 2025 in Room #1245. When I first made the reservation, I called the hotel directly and spoke to a nice lady at the front desk in the evening hours. My main questions were about the lounge and breakfast? She said that the Club Lounge only had a minimal buffet. Upon arrival, I spoke with Krish (spelling?), the general manager of the lounge, and he remembered our favorite lounge person, Dagmara, who had trained him and unfortunately had gone elsewhere while the lounge was closed during COVID. All of the current staff treated us very well, especially the PM staff since we were usually in the lounge in the late afternoon and evening. Because of my IHG Diamond status, I can choose breakfast for up to 2 people as my welcome amenity, which I did. They also gave me welcome points for my second reservation. We stayed the 1st night with my annual Chase IHG Mastercard free night and the last 2 nights with my annual Ambassador weekend certificate (pay for Friday and Saturday is free or pay for Saturday and Sunday is free). One of the few issues was the several system-generated emails about upgrades before our arrival, (which I am supposed to receive at booking and then, if available, at check-in for my Ambassador status) and the nightly amenity fee during stay. I sent an email to the hotel about the emails and received a response 6 days later, with an apology for tardiness, from Esteban Castaneda. He upgraded us to a suite across from the lounge, but we were later only given a Club Lounge floor King (just next door) since they had full price demand for the suite. This was understandable and still a great room with convenient, easy access to the Club Lounge. I also explained to the Concierge and to the best representative of the hotel, the nice lady who checked us out, that in previous IHG stays with "amenity fees", these had been waived for any "free" or "reward" nights. The concierge took the one off the 1st night, and the front desk rep took the 3rd night off at check-out so I only was charged 1 night's $37 + tax amenity fee even though I don't see why top tier IHG members should be charged the amenity fee at all since most of the items are already benefits of the status? The concierge mentioned the nightly turn-down service as an extra, but $37? Overall, I have to say it was a great stay and that we were treated very well by everyone at the hotel. My favorite and most anticipated meal each day is breakfast. As I mentioned earlier, the breakfast in the lounge was slim pickings. Before COVID, the lounge had a chef making eggs to order and such on the weekend. Krish did tell us that he is trying to bring back some of these pre-COVID offerings. We ate breakfast each morning in the main restaurant but would stop by the lounge for coffee to-go afterwards and to check out the breakfast so I have pictures of both the lounge offerings and those in the restaurant. My biggest disappointment in both locations was the lack of sugar-free syrup. (when I told the concierge, he said he'd never heard of such!) Many of us like pancakes (on the hot buffet) and waffles (on the special menu along with Eggs Benedict and more) and can cheat a little with sugars but maple syrup is basically pure sugar, like most fruit juices (note: they did have tomato juice, which like V8, is better for those of us with these issues). I also mentioned this to Krish, and he seemed to agree that it would be good to add this option (I also recommend some sugar-free jelly or jams). As I told several people, even Holiday Inn Express has sugar-free syrup! I did enjoy the waffles with the berries and asked for some olive oil, which they did have to add a little moisture. The chef's station, available everyday in the main restaurant, did make omelets and other egg choices plus the special menu had some great items as well. The hot buffet only had a few items (less than 6, I believe). For the price charged, I thought there should be much more. In fairness, they did have lox and other specialty items, including the chef's station and the special menu, included in the $45 per person net price. In conclusion, I hope I have made an impression about sugar-free and more healthy items on both the Club Lounge breakfast spread and that of the main restaurant. Breakfast is very important to me! Thanks for letting me vent my feedback. Overall, I highly recommend this hotel. I receive lounge access for having stayed more than 40 IHG nights last calendar year, but, if you don't have such, I recommend paying for it if you plan to enjoy the now 3 hour cocktail time (used to be 2) and the lounge breakfast, which is basically a mini-version (no egg making station or special menu) of the main restaurant. The staff was professional and made the stay even more special. We will return sooner than the 6 years since our prior visit. It's also an easy walk from South station, where one can ride the Silver Line free from the airport; we lucked out on a special free Sunday when we were able to return without expense as well! Thanks to everyone, and I apologize for not listing more individual names, but your assistance was all very...

For several years now, I have stayed dozens of nights a year at the Boston Intercontinental. This was one of IHG‘s flagship hotels, even during the dire time of the pandemic, when the staff was reduced from over 400 to less than 30, I made sure to stay at the hotel, I was loyal to its brand and wanted to see it survive.

Since 2017, my business clients routinely booked rooms for me at the hotel so my total stays over several years, were well over 100 nights. Since 2020 I have booked the rooms under my name, adding even more nights, several dozen to be correct.

When Covid lifted, the hotel had some decline in amenities, and of course had dramatic turnover in staff. However, nothing prepared me for the rapid decline I saw during my most recent trip.

Virtually every aspect of the experience has been stripped. The rooms are far more expensive than they used to be and gone are the luxurious robes, towels, foot slippers and other amenities in the bathrooms.

I would note that parking has increased from $35-$65 a night. The old well staffed, diverse menu restaurant has been replaced. And the new facility serves a buffet breakfast only at $45 per person. These charges are all but hidden, along with a plethora of fees, exclusive of taxes. A bit of a bait and switch.

What was most distressing, however, was the deceptive and demeaning in which I was treated as a platinum elite member. Unlike previous times, the hotel did not recognize my status and made several differing explanations from several managers as to why it was now rejecting any complementary upgrades, even though rooms were available.

Frankly, I was appalled at the various explanation since none of them made sense to me nor were they consistent with IHG policy.

I was first told that no rooms were available, which I found to be untrue because the hotel was still advertising rooms on the Internet

I was told by a second more courteous manager, that the Boston IHG had discontinued the room upgrade policy for loyal members, and that the hotel had given advance warning of this change in policy in October of this year. I looked online in vain for any such change. Further, I determined that IHG policies on complementary upgrades on the Internet had not changed since 2022.

The third explanation involved a claim from a manager who was all but abusive. He dismissively said that international hotel groups as a whole was “cracking down on the use of upgrades“, suggesting that the use was somehow inappropriate or part of some scam. This explanation, shocked me since part of the whole reason I stay with IHG as a loyal member is because of its policy of granting, complementary upgrades, and other benefits for loyalty to the brand.

I would also note that I had to ask the hotel to credit me additional points as part of my loyalty program. And unlike previous times, they did not grant me any breakfast vouchers nor did they offer me any form of amenity based on my status.

Additionally, the hotel has removed all beverage service that used to greet incoming guests. There is no cold water or juices in the lobby.

The room service menu has also been significantly reduced. Add to this fact that the hotel has a series of hidden charges on the bill that are never fully explained in advance and has levy several charges for room service that that add 35% or more to the advertised price on the menu.

One of the managers, was kind enough to provide me with the names of the senior management of the hotel. I wrote to them days ago and I’ve heard no response. Granted it is the weekend of a holiday, but still the old IHG would have immediately returned my inquiry with a phone call.

It appears that the hotel management has made a determination that it will seek large convention type guests, at the expense of families, individuals, small business members, and most importantly, its loyal clientele

It has apparently decided that it will not compete with the more luxurious Boston Harbor Hotel two blocks away nor try to keep up the other five star hotels that populate the city. As of now, I questioned whether it is even entitled to a four star rating.

While the hotel has drastically cut the amenities that used to provide, its gym is in also in serious need of an upgrade. The two peloton machines in the gym still there broken straps something that I saw over a year and a half ago there have been no improvements and it looks like many of the former amenities in the locker room have been reduced.

I don’t know whether this is part of IHG or simply the Boston IC’s strategy. But as a businessman myself, the idea of drastically, reducing the quality and value of your service in an increasingly competitive and resurgent market seems to me to be ill advised, both in terms of inspiring loyalty and sheer economics. With so many options for high-quality hotels, the upper and echelon of guests who are willing to spend $500 or more a night on a room is not the group that you want to alienate

The IHG already has a series of hotels at less luxurious levels. If I wanted to stay in a Staybridge Inn or a Holiday Inn, I would’ve chosen that range of value...

Disappointing Stay at the Intercontinental Hotel – Not the Luxury Experience We Expected

I am extremely disappointed in my recent stay at the Intercontinental Hotel. My brother and I booked rooms for Valentine’s Weekend, hoping to create a special and memorable experience for our wives. Given the cost of the weekend, which included a dinner package at Matria Hotel and spa treatments, we expected a certain level of care, professionalism, and hospitality. Unfortunately, our experience fell far below these expectations.

From the moment we entered our rooms, issues began to arise. Both robes were missing, which may seem minor, but in a luxury hotel, attention to detail matters. We informed the staff, but despite bringing it to their attention, nothing was done to rectify the situation.

Our dinner at Matria restaurant was one of the most disappointing experiences of the trip. We were treated as though we were insignificant guests. Our waiter displayed an outright lack of professionalism and respect, going so far as to loudly and aggressively tell us to "Wait Your Turn" when we simply attempted to clarify our drink order. This level of hostility was not only unwarranted but humiliating, especially considering we were the only two Couples of Color in the restaurant. The way he catered to other guests made the contrast even more apparent. Despite spending over $600 on dinner, we were left feeling disrespected and undervalued. Another server had to step in multiple times just to provide us with basic service.

The issues continued into our hotel room. While attempting to unplug a device, the entire socket came out of the wall—something I would never expect in a high-end hotel. Additionally, the bathroom drawers were completely off their tracks, forcing me to fix them just to use the space properly. Minor inconveniences? Perhaps. But for the premium price we paid, I should not have had to "fix" anything in my room.

The spa experience, which was meant to be a relaxing highlight of the trip, was anything but. The spa did not have robes larger than a Large, making it impossible for me to fully prepare for my treatment. After 10 minutes of searching, I was told that the larger robes were in the washer. The slippers were also too small, adding another layer of discomfort. While the staff was kind and did their best to assist, the situation was unacceptable—especially considering the cost of nearly $300 per person. I expected a seamless, stress-free spa visit, and this was far from it.

Our experience at Bar Fellini was another letdown. Our waitress barely checked on us throughout the meal, possibly only once or twice. At one point, I had to flag her down just to get my water refilled after drinking everyone else’s at the table. Again, we were made to feel like an afterthought rather than valued customers.

This weekend was meant to be a much-needed retreat from our demanding careers and the responsibilities of our families. Instead, it turned into a frustrating experience filled with disappointment and regret. We left feeling unappreciated, disrespected, and as though we had wasted both our money and precious free time. When we brought these concerns to the front desk, their response was underwhelming—merely waiving a couple of fees rather than making any real effort to address the deeper issues we faced.

The only bright spots of our stay were the excellent service at the Speakeasy Bar and Zach’s professionalism during check-in. However, these positive moments were not enough to salvage our overall experience.

I expected luxury. I expected professionalism. I expected to feel welcomed and valued. Instead, I left feeling ignored and deeply disappointed. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone seeking a true...