InterContinental Dubai Festival City an IHG Hotel

I just completed a stay at this hotel. Although I regularly visit the other two hotels in this cluster, this was my first time at the InterContinental after about 12 years, and I was pleasantly surprised. Check-in was busy and felt a bit impersonal, though I understand the staff were handling a lot of guests at the time. Still, I believe staff training could focus more on making guests feel special rather than just going through the motions. For example, instead of saying, “Usually we give a one-level upgrade, but in this instance we’ve upgraded you to a suite,” it would feel much more welcoming to hear something like, “We’re delighted to upgrade you to a suite. We hope you enjoy your stay and look forward to welcoming you back.” Small touches like this really make a difference. I know I would be much more inclined to keep coming back if treated that way. That said, the facilities were excellent. The suite was warm, cozy, and beautifully designed, with a fantastic view. Thank you for the upgrade it truly made the stay memorable. The Club Lounge, in particular, was outstanding, probably the best I’ve experienced, and I travel quite a lot. Special mention to Lucy, who was warm, friendly, and welcoming. The drink selection and cold food were great; my only suggestion would be to expand the hot dinner options. Checkout was also busy, but the staff were a bit warmer this time, which I appreciated. I truly hope this InterContinental continues to recognize and value returning guests above and beyond just being a Diamond Ambassador, as I’ll be back next week and look forward to seeing how the experience develops. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this hotel. It has wonderful facilities, direct access to the mall (very convenient), an exceptional lounge, and a great breakfast spread. I’ll share more impressions as I explore other areas during future stays.