InterContinental Sydney Double Bay by IHG

Everything was incredible- especially the service

Perfect location. With ferry nearby. Nice shopping a good cafes.

The location was perfect for my stay. Loved being so close to restaurants and thoroughly enjoyed being in Double Bay.

We booked a last minute staycation and was thrilled to be able to use one of my free weekend nights. Booked a one bedroom suite with a view.

On arrival I thought the porters were maintenance staff as they were so casually dressed. No crisp shirts or jackets as you find at most five star hotels. I get that it is summer in Australia but the polo shirts looked too casual.

Check in was a poor experience. For some reason my booking could not be found. I of course then worried that I had booked the wrong dates. Then when a booking was located it was was for a different person. Ultimately it was found using the booking reference. My loyalty level was recognised but none of the benefits offered. When asking about an upgrade (which is guaranteed) I was told no. Again, I had to ask. Then there was a halfhearted offer of 10,000 points to compensate (which have not been credit but all other points have). We were merely handed a piece of paper with information on the hotel. I noted another check in agent running through this with the guest. I had to ask about information on the Club Lounge. It was very underwhelming and I may as well have been at a Holiday Inn.

Headed up to the suite which was a very decent size. Lots of grey and black hues giving it a monotone and slightly soulless feel. Bedroom was large with a very comfortable king bed. Appreciated that it had its own air con controls. We did note the construction next door but thankfully there was no work over the long weekend.

The lounge are has modern furnishings that are oddly laid out - the space just seems to be poorly used. One of the couches had a large brown stain on one of the cushions - reported it but nothing done about it. Lovely view through the trees to the water. Air con worked well. Decent sized TV with the ability to cast which is great.

Decided to hit the Lounge for afternoon tea. It is a cosy space and was unexpectedly empty. We were greeted by Allegra and she is a delight. Coffee/tea orders taken and then enjoyed the freshly made afternoon tea. As a side night, the lounge never had more than six people in it and the hotel was at very high occupancy. As a traveller who loves a lounge I was surprised at how underutilised it was.

I realised then that there had been no welcome letter in the room (I know it is a bit cheesy but it is always a nice touch). I asked at reception (same person who checked us in) and she quickly investigated and said that it had been overlooked but would be rectified (it was). A simple thing that retracted from the stay.

Went up to have a look at the pool which was over flowing with people. One thing that was odd was that there was no restriction on accessing the pool. Actually you could access any floor without needing your key card. Not sure if they were all hotel guests at the pool - I wonder. This should be fixed for safety and to ensure only guests have access to the pool. Didn't stay long as was too crowded but it afforded an amazing view and the bar looked nice. Not sure it needed the DJ though.

Visited the lounge each evening for canapes and drinks. Love the fact that there is a real champagne on offer and the other options were decent quality. The food that was on display looked all a bit sad and wilted. The warm canapes were also a bit lacklustre. Thankfully the amazing staff made up for it. Breakfast has a list of a la carte items which were pretty decent. We did try the breakfast buffet one morning which was OK. Delivery of coffee and ordered items was slow. Would also have been nice to have been told about the ability to order items - was there a menu?

One small note to housekeepping is that if you are servicing the room is that you should also put back cushions in place not just left lying on the couch.

We had a nice mini break but it is unlikely that we will be back. I get what it is trying to be but it is just not there. It just lacked a bit of finesse and pizzazz that I was hoping for.

Location

My husband and I stayed at the Intercontinental in Double Bay for 2.5 weeks from late December 2025-mid January 2026. We had a marvelous time and we highly recommend the hotel, especially to people who like village life over the gritty busy city. We loved the high end village location, a five minute stroll to top restaurants such as Margaret, the ferry to the CBD (on this ferry take a 15 minute joyful and quiet ferry ride to the Sydney warf, downtown city or a ferry to the beaches), and also a 3 minute stroll to the supermarket and liquor store (Woolworths). Bondi beach is a 10 minute uber ride away. We know of the hotel well as my husband grew up in Sydney. The hotel is high end yet charming, and includes a small but big enough rooftop pool and bar, a lounge (decorated in pink velvet to match London vibes), and the rooms are modern in style. We had a top floor bayside room which truly was amazing to see everyday. It felt like we were in Italy with hillsides and the bay and boats right in front of us. I'd choose this hotel over the City or any Carribbean island any day. The service was very good, and the concierge was excellent (Thanks Vanessa and Peter). A special thank you to Anita in housekeeping. This was my 9th trip to Sydney, have stayed in many areas and hotels, and we will be returning to the Intercontinental on our next visit to Sydney.

Wonderful location, comfortable rooms with plenty of space, huge bathroom with bath and walk in shower. The best breakfast buffet I’ve ever experienced and welcoming helpful staff.

Love that it was dog friendly. The refurbishment is beautiful and staff are great..

Where should I start? Firstly, the staff are all sad and serious - they treat you like you are their servants! I paid through Booking.com, but it didn't mention any additional fees for my dog. The hotel is NOT dog-friendly! There is nothing for poor dogs in the room! When you go for breakfast or lunch and take your dog with you, they will escort you to a corner of the room, out of sight of other guests, as if you were an unclean person. So, why do you call your hotel pet-friendly then? $80 extra for the dog per day for literally nothing!!!! $80 additional for Valet parking! Booking.com states that children's breakfast is complimentary, but they still charged me. I do not care about the money, but what I care about is how they look at you as someone who is rich and you MUST PAY because YOU HAVE MONEY! Too much for something that they don't even bother helping with, such as putting or taking stuff from our car! I will certainly NOT be visiting that horrible hotel EVER AGAIN!

Location
Style of hotel
Artwork hanging around the hotel
View from Rooftop pool
Concierge service

Lage, hervorragendes Frühstück, sehr freundliches Personal

Excellent customer service - great location .

The in room dining was average - the kids were very excited about the pool which we heard was heated but sadly it wasn’t heated and it was freezing so could not swim.

Location, village ambience
Poolside setting on rooftop