Qingdao, located in Shandong Province, is a coastal city situated on the edge of the East China Sea. It is renowned for its rich seafood offerings, German colonial influence, and Taoist culture, and is home to the Tsingtao Beer Company. Qingdao is one of Shandong's most popular tourist destinations, attracting visitors with its unique blend of Eurasian architecture, Shandong cuisine, and beautiful coastal scenery.
During the non-peak tourism season, Qingdao offers a large number of low-priced 5-star hotels, even those located along the coastline. One such hotel is the InterContinental Qingdao, situated beside the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center. This luxury hotel is owned by the local Haier Company and the Qingdao Tourism Board. It opened in 2008 for the Beijing Summer Olympics and underwent renovations in 2014. The hotel consists of two sets of twin towers, featuring 410 rooms and suites, an indoor pool, a fitness and spa center, multiple event spaces, as well as several on-site restaurants, lounges, and bars.
As someone who has frequently visited many InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, I was eager to see what the Qingdao InterContinental had to offer and how its pricing and quality compared to other hotels. With a very low starting price of ¥507 RMB (approximately $70 USD) or an incredibly low 9,000 IHG One Rewards points, I decided to explore this option. Additionally, I wanted to take a short holiday before the Chinese New Year break, and Qingdao was my chosen destination for the two nights I would be there. Given the low rate, my overall expectations for the hotel were not very high.
With that said, here is my review of the InterContinental Qingdao Hotel:
Pre-Arrival:
I booked a stay at the InterContinental Qingdao for a total of 19,000 IHG One Rewards points for two nights, from January 19th to 21st, 2025. This is the lowest redemption rate I have ever experienced for an InterContinental property. To put that into perspective, a reward night at a basic Holiday Inn Express in Guangzhou costs 10,000 points per night, which is the same price as one night at the much more luxurious InterContinental Qingdao.
For my stay, the first night only required 9,000 points, while the second-night cost 10,000 points. Initially, I booked the 1 King Classic City View Room, but thanks to my IHG Diamond Ambassador Membership, I was upgraded to the 1 King Classic Ocean View Club Lounge Access Room. However, unlike the usual protocol, the hotel did not make a pre-arrival call to me, which is customary for IHG Elite Members at InterContinental Hotels in China.
Arrival:
After an almost 12-hour overnight train journey from Shanghai to Qingdao's North Station, I took a taxi directly to the hotel for an early check-in at 10 AM. Upon entering through the revolving doors, I was warmly welcomed by the reception staff, who directed me to the lobby counters for check-in. There, I was assisted by Guest Relations Officer Miya Ai, who recognized my membership and processed my check-in quickly. I received my IHG wooden key card, along with a membership drink voucher and a 20% discount voucher for the hotel’s spa.
Room:
My initial 1 King Classic Ocean View Room has a total space of approximately 400 square feet and includes a bedroom, bathroom, and closet. The main highlight of the room is the stunning view of the CBD skyline, the Olympic Sailing Plaza, and the East China Sea. While the design of the room is appealing, it is showing signs of age, having not undergone a full renovation in nearly 11 years. As a result, the room has experienced considerable wear and tear, making maintenance challenging for the housekeeping staff. During my stay, I noticed a few minor issues that needed attention, such as a single hair found in the blanket and some missed spots in the bathtub.
Meeting Frank:
I contacted the Instant Service Center by phone, and Duty Manager Frank Liu promptly came to my room to assess the situation. He documented everything and immediately upgraded my room to the 1 King Junior Suite Ocean View. Frank was just the first of many hotel staff members I would meet during my two-night stay.
As a native of Qingdao, Frank guided me throughout my experience at the hotel and introduced a nearby local mall. He even accommodated my request for a tour, which included the Presidential Suite, Specialty Suite, 1 King Premium Balcony Room, Club Lounge, Tianxiayipin Chinese Restaurant, and Flavors All-Day Dining Restaurant. Additionally, Frank arranged a reservation for my dinner at Flavors on my first night. Throughout my time in Qingdao, Frank proved to be an exceptional Duty Manager!
Upgraded Room:
I stayed in the 1 King Junior Suite 1218 at 57 SQM, which is approximately 600 square feet. The suite includes a separate living room with a comfortable couch, rustic lighting, and an additional Haier flatscreen TV. It offers a stunning view of the Qingdao Ocean and the skyline.
The bathroom is significantly larger than the one in the 1 King Classic Room, featuring a spacious layout with a rainforest shower, a soaking bathtub, a toilet, and a vanity sink.
The bedroom boasts a king-sized bed, bedside lighting controls, a work desk, and unique touches such as a wireless charging port, seaside-inspired interior walls, and artwork. Every evening, turndown service is provided, along with a Membership Welcome Fruit Plate.
Club InterContinental:
One of the perks of being a loyal member of the InterContinental Hotel is the opportunity to use a milestone annual lounge membership card, which grants access to the Club InterContinental Lounge on the 21st floor. Due to the low season, the hotel has changed the lounge’s operating hours from a full-day service to a half-day service, now open from 1 PM to 9:30 PM. Guests can enjoy Afternoon Tea and Happy Hour services during these hours.
The Club InterContinental overlooks the Qingdao coastline and skyline and features a variety of seating options, a buffet area, an entertainment room, a library, a meeting room, and restroom facilities. However, the experience can be somewhat inconvenient due to the elevator system, which requires a transfer on the 20th floor before reaching the 21st floor.
Afternoon Tea offers a selection of cakes, mini-sandwiches, a fried snack from Northern China, fruits, and juices, including fresh orange juice. Guests can also order a pot of local Laoshan tea, a specialty of Qingdao. The Evening Happy Hour features a mini dinner buffet, tapas-style dishes served to guests and cocktail service. The club staff successfully made the Zurita Tonic, a Ginger Ale drink that I challenge all club lounges to prepare. Though some adjustments to the service can be made, I have communicated all suggestions to the staff. A major highlight of the experience is watching the Qingdao City Light Show from the Club Lounge!
Food & Beverage Experience:
I had the opportunity to explore both of the hotel-operated restaurants to evaluate the dining experience.
Flavors Restaurant:
At the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, Flavors, located on the 3rd floor, I sampled both the dinner and breakfast buffets. While the restaurant features an older interior design, the atmosphere, enhanced by its lighting and decorations, made for a pleasant dining experience.
Dinner Buffet:
The hotel offered a Chinese New Year promotion, allowing guests to pay ¥179 RMB ($25) for admission to either the lunch or dinner buffet. The buffet included a selection of Chinese hot pot, Chinese barbecue, a noodle station, various Chinese dishes, a selection of Western foods, sushi and sashimi, and a wide range of desserts. However, I found the dinner buffet somewhat disappointing, as many of the hot dishes had already cooled down. I also felt that the variety of food could have been better. That said, given the affordable price for a buffet, I believe it’s worth it if you enjoy the dishes they offer.
Meeting Cherry:
I reached out to Duty Manager Frank about the issues I encountered at the dinner buffet. In response, the Food & Beverage Manager, Cherry Chen, met with me at my table to gather my feedback. To explore ways to improve the dinner buffet, Cherry accepted my photos of the impressive dinner buffet from the Ningbo InterContinental Hotel, which also has a low price point. After listening to my suggestions, Cherry generously offered to make my admission to the buffet complimentary. Thank you, Cherry!
Breakfast Buffet:
Not all was lost at Flavors Restaurant, as the breakfast buffet exceeded my expectations compared to the dinner buffet. It featured an array of selections, including bakery items, salads, fruits, Western dishes, Chinese dishes, and noodles. I was served by Food & Beverage Supervisor Vita Xia, who offered me exclusive items for select members, such as Qingdao local pork chicharron and fresh juice. I particularly enjoyed several Northern Chinese specialties, including pork dumplings and Northern-style pickles with rice porridge, as well as other items I hadn't encountered in any other InterContinental hotel.
Meeting David:
During my visit, I also had the opportunity to meet the Food & Beverage Director and Qingdao native, David Qi. David noted the feedback I provided to Cherry, and I shared additional ideas for enhancing the breakfast buffet. As a local, he also provided insights about activities for my second day in this beautiful town, recommending a visit to the Golden Beach in Huangdao.
Tianxiayipin Chinese Restaurant:
On my final evening in Qingdao, I enjoyed a curated meal prepared by Cherry, David, and the head chef at Tianxiayipin Chinese Restaurant. This restaurant, located on the 2nd floor, features a traditional Shandong-style ambiance with wooden seating, stone-marble floors, and Northern Chinese decor. The menu includes a variety of Shandong cuisine, along with elements from Huaiyang and Beijing cuisine, emphasizing local seafood since Qingdao's cuisine heavily relies on it.
David introduced me to the attentive restaurant staff and some of the dishes he had planned for me to try. With a budget of 200 RMB ($27 USD), the restaurant served me the following dishes:
- Boiled octopus with pickled cucumbers
- Braised Jiaodong cabbage with sea shrimp
- Stir-fried red island clams
- Crispy fried flatfish
- Qingdao stir-fried egg noodle soup
- Fresh fruit plate
Additionally, David encouraged me to try a Sichuan-style dish comprising pork blood, tripe, and spam cooked in an intensely spicy chili oil, accompanied by an array of chilies. I must admit, the spice level was overwhelming, and I do not have a palate accustomed to such heat. Nevertheless, the rest of the dishes were well-prepared and offered me valuable insights into Qingdao's culinary delights.
Other Facilities:
There were other features of the hotel that I tried. One of them was the swimming pool, which was a refreshing lap pool to cool off and exercise. The changing room has seen its age, but it was at least mostly clean and easy to use. I also got to see the Lobby Lounge and Spring Lounge, which were nice places to relax and have afternoon tea. The location of the hotel is conveniently close to the Olympics Sailing Center where you can walk along the harbour that overlooks the city! There is no shortage of malls around the area such as the Hisense Mall and Marina City.
The Need For A Renovation:
The overall theme that I got from the hotel was that given that 2014 was the last time the hotel received an extensive renovation, the hotel certainly can use another renovation to refresh all the hardware. I feel that the hotel can find better success once the renovation has been completed.
Meeting Mona:
During my time at the Club Lounge, I spoke with Mona Yin, the Assistant Front Office Manager and a native of Qingdao, about my experience at the hotel. To my surprise, I learned that the position of Front Office Manager is currently vacant. I shared some suggestions I had regarding the rooms and the club lounge with Mona. She informed me that there are plans to renovate the hotel starting this year. This news was relieving, as I had some concerns about the condition of the hotel's facilities. It’s encouraging to know that the hotel intends to update much of its outdated interior design, aiming to transform the Qingdao InterContinental into a more modern space.
My Departure:
It was time to say goodbye to the City of Qingdao, and with that, I had to bid farewell to the Qingdao InterContinental. During my stay, I met the Duty Manager, Heidi Hu, who took the time to hear my final thoughts about the hotel before I left. Feeling happy and satisfied with my experience, I departed the hotel, saying goodbye to both Heidi and Cherry one last time before embarking on my long journey home.
Before I left, I received one final thoughtful gesture:
Mona, knowing that I had a five-hour train ride ahead of me back to Shanghai, prepared a packed meal for me. It included a Club Sandwich, fries, fruit, pastries, and a bottle of Laoshan sparkling water. This incredibly kind gesture left me feeling grateful for the remarkable hospitality I had experienced. Additionally, Mona wished to give me a souvenir from the hotel but was unable to be there at check-out. As a result, she called me while I was at the Qingdao North Station to ensure I was there and to ask for my address so that she could send the souvenir to me. Mona also promised to notify me when the renovations are completed and invited me back to see the hotel's upcoming new look!
Conclusion:
In conclusion, I initially had low expectations for the hotel due to its low room rates and the age of the facility. At this time of year, during the low travel season, this InterContinental Hotel offers the most affordable rates in the entire Greater China region. While my stay in Qingdao was not perfect, it remains one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had since I started visiting IHG Hotels.
The hotel does have some areas for improvement, but I believe the issues that need addressing will be resolved with the ongoing renovations. I have provided valuable feedback to David, Cherry, and the Food & Beverage Team, and I am confident that the restaurant experience will improve significantly over time.
The highlight of my stay was the service, as I benefited from a strong customer support network within the hotel. For the points I redeemed, my expectations were far exceeded.
With that said, I look forward to returning once the renovated hotel reopens!
Here is how I personally ranked this hotel amongst all the InterContinentals I have visited:
#14 out of 28 for the Breakfast Buffet amongst InterContinentals Hotels in China.
#14 out of 36 for the Club InterContinentals I have visited globally.
#18 out of 42 Overall amongst all the InterContinentals I have visited!
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