This is the third InterContinental I've stayed at, and definitely the worst. The staff seem untrained, which is a real shame given the excellent location. I had quite a few uncomfortable experiences, but I'll stick to the two main ones.
First, we went to the bar on the 78th floor in the evening. We were told only drinks were available, no snacks, which was fine. My friend and I were chatting in a corner when, at 11:45 PM, a spotlight directly above us suddenly switched on. It instantly felt like we were center stage. I had a hunch, so I asked a staff member and confirmed the bar closed at midnight. I told them, "If you want to remind guests the bar closes at midnight, there are more gentle ways than shining a light directly in their face." The staff member replied, "That's not what I meant." Okay, if you say so.
Second, the next morning around 8 AM, we went for breakfast. Despite there being no queue, a staff member tried to seat us far from the food area. (At this point, a supervisor-type staff member made eye contact with another server and even squeezed their hand, which I found quite amusing.) I asked, "Are there no tables inside?" and was told the tables inside were too small. After I insisted on checking inside, I found plenty of empty tables, and the space was not cramped at all. Still, a staff member persisted in trying to guide me to a spot she deemed appropriate (which had an unsatisfactory view and lighting). I told her, "When there's no queue, I don't need your guidance; I can find a seat myself." She then recited a standard spiel to me. I simply ignored her.
Later, a staff member who had previously added me on WeChat asked for my feedback, and I shared these issues. That afternoon, a person claiming to be the duty manager called me, asking me to cancel my platform booking and settle the bill privately for 1250 yuan (I had paid 1387 yuan online). It was truly a 'can't-tell-whether-to-laugh-or-cry' moment. InterContinental was trying to privately resolve these basic service issues, but only offered a 10% discount contingent on me canceling my booking. It's not that I don't like money, but I'm not that desperate for a hundred-odd yuan, am I?
To sum up, I won't even bother mentioning the food or decor, as those are highly subjective. Compared to the InterContinental hotels in Thailand and Wuhan, the Nanjing branch genuinely made me feel uncomfortable at every turn. In one sentence: "I don't care what you think, I care what I think." If they had been good enough to make me *not* notice these issues, it would be one thing, but they couldn't even manage a superficial effort. I suggest they focus on user experience, thoroughly review their processes, and stop relying on their brand name.
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