Intercontinental Ningbo

A large oldish hotel but having said that, my executive floor is renovated and nice Odd setup where office buildings are in between hotel floors Had a nice upgrade and the suite is nice and large. With byredo products The gym is medium size and stuffy. The pool seems popular and not sure if non hotel guests can also use. The changing room is musky and needs renovation 9/10 mainly due to upgrade

我與家人上週在寧波洲際酒店有非常棒的住宿體驗，唯一的遺憾是我們的時間只能住一晚，真希望能多住幾天！ Alisa迅速回覆入住前的電郵，讓我們有很棒的第一印象。前檯的Emma和Yuta每次見到我們進出酒店時，發自內心地微笑讓我們備感溫暖，並在入住期間悉心照顧我們。行政酒廊的Seven是我見過最細心的酒廊服務員之一。她一個人確保了桌上的餐盤隨時被清理、餐食及時補充、菜牌擺放正確外，同時兼顧每位賓客的需求。另一位服務人員Alice也相當親切。 行政酒廊的下午茶與歡樂時光都很出色，餐點選擇豐富。不過，酒廊不供應早餐，早餐僅在Elements全日餐廳提供。早餐的選擇同樣不錯，但部分菜品要8am才供應。一些服務人員顯得生疏，其中一位甚至無法告訴我洗手間的位置。此外，雖然餐廳有大使會員專屬用餐區，但我們並未被引導到該區域。早餐仍有改進空間。另方面，陸園中餐廳不僅餐點出色、價格實惠，服務也極為週到，讓我們食指大動之餘，也享用了一頓難忘的午餐。 禮賓部的Nick非常專業，多次為我們提供幫助。同樣在禮賓部的Gun也很健談。退房時有小插曲，部分職員對IHG餐飲兌換券的使用方式不太熟悉，但瑕不掩瑜。整體而言，這次的住宿體驗非常出色。特別值得一提的是，這家酒店各部門都提供卓越的服務，有一致性，令人印象深刻。 The stay my relatives and I had last week at the InterContinental Ningbo was fantastic, so much so that the most disappointing part was that our schedule only allowed us to stay for 1 night! We wished we could have stayed longer. Alisa responded to my pre-stay emails promptly and set a great tone for our stay. Emma and Yuta at the front desk always greeted us with smiles from the bottom of their heart whenever we entered or left the hotel and looked after us throughout our stay. At Club InterContinental, Seven was one of the most attentive Club attendants I have met. She single-handedly ensured that plates were regularly cleared from tables, food was replenished timely, and menu cards were correctly placed, all while making sure the guests' needs were met. Another attendant, Alice, was also very kind. Afternoon tea and happy hour at the Club InterContinental were awesome. There was a great variety of dishes. The Club is not open for breakfast, which is only served at the Elements All Day Dining. While the breakfast offering there was good, certain dishes were not available until 8am. Some waiters and waitresses seemed clueless, including one who could not even tell me where the restroom is. We were also not led to the designated area for Ambassador members, even though there is one. This is where I think the hotel still has room for improvement. On the other hand, the Lu Yuan Chinese Restaurant not only had excellent food at an attractive price but also provided exceptionally attentive service. We had a great and memorable lunch there. Nick at the concierge was very professional and helped us on several occasions. We also had some great conversations with Gun, also at the concierge. While there were some hiccups during check-out because some hotel staff members were not exactly familiar with the IHG food and beverage coupons, we had a fabulous stay overall. We were especially impressed by the consistently great service at this hotel.

Ningbo, Zhejiang Province… a city that balances the surroundings of mountains and the East China Sea all around its metropolitan area. Some make the long journey here for the seafood shipped in from the Seas of Zhoushan. Others come this way to understand and develop an interest in the bustling economy of a new trade port city. Most enjoy the surroundings of this dynamic city from the all-natural Dongqian Lake to the ancient shopping strip of Nantang Old Street. There are many luxury hotels travelers choose to stay at, but the Ningbo InterContinental Hotel is one of Ningbo’s most prestigious hotels that deserves recognition. The Ningbo InterContinental Hotel is located in the Yinzhou District, one of the newer developed areas of Ningbo with a high-tech industrial zone. Unlike the 28 other InterContinental Hotels I visited, this InterContinental Hotel is located in a residential neighborhood rather than central urban areas, sightseeing destinations, resort districts, etc… This is the 5th time I visited the 2013-opened InterContinental from September 7th to 8th - my previous visit was 1 year and a half ago. During that period, the hotel underwent modernization renovations, including new executive rooms and suites, a new children’s playground, meeting rooms, dining suites, and the new Club InterContinental Lounge. The hotel also has new members of management and new unfamiliar faces that have joined the team. With that said, here is my 3rd review of the InterContinental Ningbo Hotel: I booked a one-night stay at the hotel using 15,000 IHG One Points - a complete bargain for rewards nights at the InterContinental Brand. Typically, an InterContinental would charge around 30,000 Points per night in more well-known areas of China such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, etc… At the time I booked the only available redemption room category: 2 Twin Bed Garden View Room. I was the only guest at the time of my visit, so my preference was a 1 King Bed. The hotel on its non-peak season charges a room rate of ¥1000 or even as low as ¥850, which isn’t that expensive when you think of other InterContinental hotels that charge multi-thousands of RMB. Getting a room during the weekend can be proven to be a challenge, as the hotel sells out for the tourist peak weekends and holidays. On the morning of my arrival, the hotel’s Duty Manager Angie Wan called me to confirm my bed preference and arrival time. I arrived at the hotel at 10 AM and was greeted at the front desk by the front desk agents. I was also told that I would get a higher leveled river view room for my Diamond Ambassador Membership Room Upgrade. Within 5 minutes and 47 seconds, I got my passport checked, my room card made, and Ambassador benefits introduced. I was even surprised with an upgrade to the hotel’s 1 Bedroom Suite instead of the Room. However, my passport had to be scanned again due to complications with my visa. Therefore it was collected and returned by the concierge, but was compensated in goodwill with a bottle of white wine. The 1 Bedroom Suite given to (1518) is the suite that I had last time. This was not the suite that was renovated recently, as it still holds the old 2013 design. I was told that only 2 out of the 25 levels have been renovated. The 1 Bedroom Suite can go as big as 96 SQM or 107 SQM, depending on where in the building is the suite located. The suite has many features that will be of comfort, satisfaction, and value to those looking for a great suite. Once you walk into the front door, you have the powder room on one side, and to the other is a small closet. In front of you is the office desk space, and living room. The living room has an extensive couch, table, TV, and speaker. At the end is the balcony with two outdoor chairs and a table with its own combined lake and city view. Unfortunately, it was not accessible at the time. Next door is the bedroom containing a King Bed, lamps, a day bed, an extra bed space, and another TV. Towards the hallway is the master bathroom with dual sinks, a bathtub, a master closet, a toilet, and a shower. The 2013-installed suite has proven to be a hectic environment given the age of the suite and the difficulty there is to maintain the hygiene of the suite. Already I found the carpet to be inconsistently clean, the desk seat is already falling apart, and the amount of flies seen in the suite certainly is unpleasant. I had a fly pop out from the towels and escape to the unreachable ceiling. That is not a great rare sighting to witness. Realizing that the suite was not prepared up to standard, Angie who assigned me this suite pulled me out and got me to the newer yet renovated Executive Suite (1 King Bedroom Suite City View Club Lounge Access). The Executive Suite (2509) was refurbished in 2022. The 96 SQM space is refurbished in black and white-hued marble and wooden interior wall decorations. With the grey abstract carpet on the floor, the Executive Suite holds a similar bedroom, living room, powder room, and bathroom concept to its older suite generation. Except this suite faces the northern direction, typically having no balcony unlike my previous suite based on the building configuration. In addition, the furniture and suite arrangement has been modernized. The workspace now has a black wooden table with wireless phone charging, an innovative lamp, and leather seats. The living room has a marble table, with a white fabric couch and leather seat. The flatscreen TV holds many International and Domestic channels. The abstract artwork above the couch mimics this interior design’s atmospheric feeling: simple yet abstract. In the separate bedroom are the king-sized bed, JBL speaker, bedside tables, rotatable reading lights, a simplistic modernized lighting and curtain control panel, and a day bed. The bathroom has a modernized double vanity sink, marble bathtub, shower, and brand new electrical toilet. Toiletries are provided as always, with the standard edition of the Byredo Blanche Soap brand for the shower and sink. The closet has space for luggage and clothes. Overall, I was impressed with the suite and thought it was better than other latest designed suites in the InterContinental Brand. Angie made sure the room was clean and thankfully it was. Henry Song the Front Office Manager whom I met earlier during my 3rd stay assured me later on that everything should be fine from there. Henry offered me a complimentary visit to the All Day Dining Restaurant Dinner Buffet (even though I offered to pay at first, which was very nice of the hotel). I wanted at the time to give the buffet a review. The hotel has 4 main restaurants, a private dining/kitchen space, and a lobby bar. Here are the dining spaces introduced below: 1. Elements: The hotel’s All-Day Dining Restaurant is located on the 1st floor. It is a restaurant serving the hotel’s breakfast and dinner buffet. Elements’ interior design resembles a calm space with vibrant chandelier lighting, abstract wooden pavilions, a high 3-level ceiling surrounded by 2 waterfalls, marble countertops, and an open kitchen and bar. In addition, family seating, a small kids’ play area, and an outdoor garden are available for families. 2. Lu Yuan: The hotel’s Chinese Restaurant, serving local Ningbo, Sichuan, and Cantonese cuisine. Located on the 3rd floor, it is a main dining room for guests and diners, with an atmosphere of round tables, wooden walls, and a 2013-designed interior. 3. Top: The exclusive restaurant extension of Lu Yuan is also on the 3rd floor. Top features the traditional private dining suites with each of their own private living room and powder room. The menu featured more exquisite yet more formal Chinese cuisine dishes ranging from fresh seafood from Zhoushan to Chinese dishes. Uniquely, each room has its design such as the cloud-themed room I was in years ago for lunch. 4. EMW: The hotel’s Sichuan Hot Pot restaurant next to Lu Yuan with its own Sichuan restaurant theme scattered around the interior design. Guests can experience the ingredients for the hot pot including curated seafood, meat, vegetables, and staple dishes. 5. TOP ONE: A private dining room extension of TOP on the 25th floor. However, this is an exclusive dining room featuring its kitchen and part of the 2022 renovations with identical abstract designs. 6. Lobby Bar: The hotel’s main lobby bar is located next to the 2nd floor main entrance featuring a space to relax and collect drinks including IHG One membership drinks. Henry and Angie gave me a one-time complimentary meal at the hotel’s signatory Seafood BBQ Dinner Buffet at Elements. InterContinental is known for upscaling prices on meals, but to my surprise, the buffet cost ¥188 ($26). This is the lowest dinner buffet price offered by InterContinental. Typically a buffet at any InterContinental property of the same quality as this would cost at least ¥300 ($40). Supervising much of my time at Elements was Restaurant Manager Alex Wu, Jet Wan, and the hotel’s Food & Beverage Director Gino Liu. I started with the exclusively provided IHG One member freshly squeezed watermelon juice and cheesecake. I then had some salad, BBQ corn, BBQ lamb kebabs, BBQ steak, assorted sushi, salmon sashimi, freshly steamed Zhoushan razor clams, and steamed live crayfish. Gino then came around and spoke with me whilst introducing me to other specialized dishes such as the DIY cold noodles, Ningbo Yam & Pork Ribs, Buddha Jumping Over Seafood Soup, Ningbo Seafood Rice Cake Soup, and Seared Fois Gras. I had a great time talking to Gino about the hotel industry. This is followed by Alex introducing me to the most famous durian cake and New Zealand Ice Cream. All the dishes I had were spot-on, and I think this although isn’t the most luxurious InterContinental dinner buffet in the world, but certainly it’s the most reasonably priced I have ever seen. Overall, a solid experience with the dinner and I’d like to thank the hotel for granting me this experience. The Club InterContinental Lounge on the 25th floor is the ultimate upgrade and makeover from the previous Executive Lounge once located in the hotel’s business center. Now, the 2022 renovated lounge features comfortable leather and marble seating, a new business workstation, modernized sofa seating, a buffet area, and a view of Ningbo City. Opened from 12 PM to 10 PM, the lounge serves guests afternoon tea and happy hour. Duty Manager Angie told me that both the afternoon tea and happy hour are quite generous in selections. To be honest that is true when you think of the quantity, but the quality of selections can be questionable. For example, Afternoon Tea oddly away from InterContinental standards has a salad station, cold canapés, and breakfast pastries. Whatever is served in the Afternoon Tea is provided during Happy Hour in addition to the hot dishes made available. Either way, I enjoyed both services and my hotel industry conversations with the Club Lounge Supervisor Royan Xiang and her brigade of trainees. Breakfast took place at Elements, where the hotel provides another impressive buffet experience. Elements provide the usual range of Chinese, Western, and Continental Selections; but the restaurant also serves unique Ningbo breakfast dishes. This includes baked-to-order scallion and pork pancakes, Ningbo Tangyuan, and Ningbo Rice Cake Soup. From the buffet, I had the scallion and pork pancake, an assortment of Western classics, scrambled eggs, and rice noodles. In addition, Gino arranged some Eggs Benedict, a meat floss-covered bread, and a membership fruit platter. Some things I think could improve are more selections of fresh juice available at the buffet counter and having Eggs Benedict on the Eggs station menu. Aside from that, I think it was a well-curated buffet breakfast. The amount of recreational options available at the hotel is surprisingly generous given the hotel for one isn’t a resort and for two isn’t completely a hotel catered to leisure travelers. Newly built in the hotel’s courtyard garden is the new outdoor children’s playground. It features a whale-shaped play area with slides and climbing walls, but most impressively a children’s go-cart track that surrounds the playground. Indoors is also a play area for younger children, but if you’re feeling like a child as an adult, there’s a video game room near the fitness center. There’s also a table tennis table for those looking to get some competition in. The fitness center has the usual workout machinery and weights, but one of the more grand features of the fitness center is the swimming pool. The fitness swimming pool is larger than any average InterContinental Hotel pool and even has a second pool for children. Should the hotel receive more patrons on a good day, each locker room has a large public sauna bath pool. Even during summers, the hotel holds a summer camp for elementary school children, which I’m pretty sure was a great experience for them. Overall, I had a very solid experience at the InterContinental Ningbo Hotel on my 5th stay. There were some misguided steps seen in the hotel from my unclean suite to the check-in procedure skipping on some steps. However, the eagerness to correct and make up for those misguided experiences certainly proves to me that this is a hotel that looks for improvements. I think if the hotel continues to modernize its rooms and suites with floors yet to be renovated, I think based on service quality this could be Ningbo’s best luxury hotel. The hotel based on my experience is better than the 3 other InterContinental properties in Zhejiang Province. With that said, here are my personalized rankings: Club InterContinental Ranking: #7 out of 19 Club Lounges I have visited InterContinental Chinese Buffet Ranking: #8 out of 19 Buffet Restaurants in Mainland China Overall InterContinental Hotel Ranking: #6 out of 29 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts