Hotel review: The Intercontinental, Warsaw

I can't tell you just how much I loved Warsaw as a city, when I was there a few weeks back on a business trip. A walk around Warsaw is a breathtaking yet painful experience - particularly on the Jewish aspects, what it was and what it has come down to. The people are wonderful, and the weather was awesome (at least when I was there)!. So, in spite of this being a points and miles blog, I think I'll write about Warsaw itself, sooner than later. But I digress...

I'd been traveling for close to 16 hours, first on Lufthansa's new business class from MAA to FRA, and then (after a brief reunion with my favourite split-flap display!), on Lufthansa's Euro Business class from FRA to WAW.

My hosts suggested that I stay at the Intercontinental Warsaw. They were footing my bill in any case. Since this was going to be a 5-night visit, and the IHG Into the Nights promotion was/is currently on, I wasn't going to look this particular gift horse in the mouth!

The hotel is located quite centrally in Warsaw, right opposite the Palace of Culture and Science, and is close to a large number of attractions. 

I arrived at the hotel close to 2 pm, and there was one guest at the reception area that had 3 staff. However, for some reason, they were all attending to him, and after waiting for a minute or so, even the bell hop got annoyed and suggested we head up to the 43rd floor and check in at the Platinum check in counter. It was an offer I couldn't refuse, so off we went.

While the hotel is modern and contemporary in every sense of the word, the elevators were a huge disappointment (if one can be disappointed by the looks of an elevator) and a strong reminder of Russian influence on Polish culture!

Anyway, they were functional, and quite fast I must say. We reached the 43rd floor in no time, and check-in was done by a very helpful agent and in a less formal and more comfortable setting. 

There was a cooler with some beers, water and soft drinks, which was quite thoughtful. 

It turns out that this is the same area as the Executive Lounge, and I made a mental note to come back here for some drinks later. The check-in agent even mentioned drinks and dinner in the evenings, which would help me save a bit with the meals!

At check in, I was told that I would be having the junior suite for being a Platinum member, but that wasn't on a smoking floor. 

So I was assigned another room - a deluxe one, if I recall correctly, which was a corner room with great views on the 23rd floor. The bell-hop (Marcin was his name) and I went to the assigned room, and as soon as I opened it, I realised something was wrong - there were cardboard boxes with what looked like confetti all over. For a minute I thought this was part of the decor, till I looked at the bed that was to my right - and it was unmade! I'd stopped in my tracks, and sensing something wrong, Marcin took a quick look, and immediately ushered me out of the room, apologising profusely. How I wish I had pictures!

With Marcin, the bellhop, at the lounge

After a series of frantic calls and annoyed voices, I was moved to the 8th floor - one of the floors that housed the serviced apartments that form part of the hotel - and was actually given a serviced apartment that was smoking-approved. 

I wanted to protest, but realised that this was probably bigger than any suite I've ever been in. In any case, it met my needs, and I could always take up the case with IHG later on.

The room was quite spacious and well laid out. On entry, there was a small powder room just off the vestibule, followed by a kitchenette and a living area.

Vestibule

Living area, with kitchenette to the right

Living area

TV and kitchenette

There was a 29" TV in the living area, along with a work desk and a cabled internet connection. And enough couches to relax in - I could clearly see the "residence" mindset at work.

And on to the bedroom.

There was a king sized bed, and a couch by the window.

Do check out the massive pillows - though the picture above does no justice to the size of the bed or pillows.

There's also plenty of storage space / closets, to the left and right of the entrance to the bathroom.

The bathroom too, was proportional to the size of the room, with a bathtub, wash basin and a separate shower cubicle.

And the usual Agraria bath amenities that have now become standard - at least among the Intercontinentals and Crowne Plazas I've been to.

After unpacking and getting settled, I left the hotel to get my first look at the sights of town. I've made it a habit to do this, particularly when I travel to Europe, because it is dual-purpose: firstly, I can get a first hand and quick look at things and find out what's interesting around (I did Copenhagen on foot in about 8 hours), and secondly, I walk so that it tires me out and I can avoid jet lag. And so I missed out on the lounge.

I came back from my ramblings around town and reached the hotel, but not before I found this the imposing and arresting night-time view of the hotel!

Next morning, I decided to head up to the lounge for breakfast, rather than to the restaurant. 

The lounge was quite full, even though it was only 7.30 in the morning, and I managed a seat on the only available table near the buffet. The buffet itself was pretty good, though nowhere as vast a spread as I'd have got at the restaurant, I guess. I'll never know, because I never went to the restaurant for the entire duration of my stay.

Breakfast: Fruit, juices, yogurts, cereals and jams/preserves

Breakfast: Salmon, ham, varieties of cheeses and breads

Breakfast: Salads, vegetables and coffee

Breakfast: Coffee and tea

Breakfast: Congee, scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and tomatoes

There was a separate egg menu at the table, that you could order off:

Breakfast: Egg menu

Sadly, the buffet menu is exactly the same every day - including the placement of each of the items! I'd like to have seen some variety.

On one of the evenings that I had some time, I went up to the lounge for cocktails. The lounge is spread across the entire wing of the floor (the opposite wing has a restaurant), and the drinks and buffet are on the right side of the lounge. 

There's a lot of couches and seating on the left, as well as barstools, from where you can get a great view of the city.

Lounge: Seating

Lounge: view of the Marriott Warsaw

Lounge: a view of Warsaw

The food spread was reasonably good, and there were enough people out there that were effectively having dinner.

I didn't, because 6.30 pm was a little too early for dinner, and I was still enjoying my drinks.

Lounge: Polish beer and nachos with guacamole and salsa

Lounge: Clearly, I can't pour my Guinness, though I can down it!

The hotel's internet is extremely fast, and I had complimentary use of it. However, the password changes each day, and you'll need to ring up front desk to get the new one - in my case, they gave me a whole bunch of 22 passwords that I could use, since one or two didn't work initially.

Overall, I had a rather good stay at this hotel. The central location meant that most of the must-see places weren't too far out, and I made it a point to walk as much as I could (which was possible because of the really nice weather) to burn off all those calories that my hosts were feeding me for lunch and dinner!

Sure, there were a couple of issues with the rooms at the time of check in, but I've taken that up with IHG separately. Would I come back to this hotel? Definitely yes!