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InterContinental Edinburgh The George adds a club lounge

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The InterContinental brand returned to Edinburgh in August 2019 as a result of IHG’s May 2018 acquisition of Principal Hotels.

Principal’s Edinburgh hotel was previously an InterContinental, so it was an obvious choice for IHG to bring the brand back.

InterContinental Edinburgh did not have a club lounge but this appears to be changing.

InterContinental Edinburgh George club lounge

A slightly confusing Facebook post says that anyone booking a suite at the hotel from 21st July will have ‘exclusive’ access to a new club lounge.

This could not be accurate. Royal Ambassador elite members would automatically get access. You can also get an annual lounge pass for all IHG hotels as a ‘milestone reward’ for completing 40 nights in a year.

It also seems that some rooms other than suites will get access. If you look at room descriptions on the hotel website, it says this:

King Bed Premium City View

Step into luxury and soak up the breath-taking views of Edinburgh’s New Town. Club InterContinental Rooms are located on the upper floors of the hotel and boast spectacular views across Edinburgh, all the way to out to the Forth river estuary.

Spacious rooms complete with plush King Size beds, comfortable sofas and indulgent amenities are sure to make you feel at home. Club InterContinental Rooms’ comforts include Nespresso coffee machine, still and sparking water, a complimentary mini-bar (wine, beer, gin and whisky), shortbread and breakfast included during your stay. Essentials such as complimentary Wi-Fi, USB charging points, central air conditioning, toiletries, flat screen smart TV, laptop safe, bathrobes and slippers are also included in your stay.

This IMPLIES that the ‘Premium City View’ room category will be rebranded as Club InterContinental Rooms.

Benefits of the lounge, according to the Facebook link, include:

  • Fresh coffee and tea available all day, alongside fruit and snacks
  • Afternoon tea service
  • Evening cocktails and canapes
  • Traditional Scottish or InterContinental breakfast
  • Check-out from lounge

The hotel website is here. It is included in the current IHG UK flash sale.

Hopefully we can get some clarity as to what is happening nearer to 21st July.


IHG One Rewards news

IHG One Rewards update – November 2024:

Get bonus points:

Nights to do not need to be consecutive. Read more in our article here and click here to register.

IHG is running a second promotion for stays at five of its smaller brands. You will receive triple base points between 1st October and 31st December 2024 on stays at voco, avid hotels, EVEN Hotels, Atwell Suites and Garner Hotels. Read more in our article here and click here to register.

New to IHG One Rewards?  Read our overview of IHG One Rewards here and our article on points expiry rules here. Our article on ‘What are IHG One Rewards points worth?’ is here.

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Comments (25)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • roberto says:

    “Routes included in the 20% off promotion are for BA Euroflyer marketed services departing from London Gatwick to the following destinations: Nice, Montpellier, Dalaman, Malta, Mallorca, Bordeaux and Amsterdam.”

    Hardly worth it , not even the return flights are included. I appreciate some will benifit (assuming prices did not go up last week) but this is about as thin as it gets.

  • Frank turner says:

    Nice to see lounges opening . It’s annoying to see some closing since lounge is Now a diamond perk after 40 stays.

    Reading CP is a premise example , and now no longer worth staying in when you consider it’s dated rooms and terrible service . Much better at voco or thr CP east

    • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

      It’s only a perk if you chose it as one of your rewards – and not everyone does.

      And anyone who reaches 40 nights can chose it.

      It’s not specific to Diamonds

      • barry cutters says:

        I know the rules.
        its still the main driver for people to hit 40nights.

        my point was more about the lounge closures since that benefit came in.

        • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

          I was responding to a post made by Frank. There isn’t a post by you to respond to!

          Or are you Frank as well?

          And which lounges have closed?

          • Peter K says:

            Sounds like “Frank” is “Barry”. Chances are they posted on different devices with different accounts on each.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      I need somewhere in the general reading area and was between the Voco and CP east. Any reason you choose one of the other? Don’t need lounge or breakfast just a quiet comfortable nights sleep and maybe an EV charger (none at the voco last time I was there)

  • The Savage Squirrel says:

    Think you’ve overthought the use of “exclusive” a bit here. It clearly just means that not every guest can get in (therefore some will be excluded – therefore the process is “exclusive”); not that you will have sole use of the lounge.

    • Rob says:

      The original says that suite guests have exclusive use. It may be bad English (Scottish).

      • Andrew J says:

        The BA call centre queue message refers the part Avios part cash option as “this exclusive benefit” – not sure where the exclusion comes in seeing as anyone can join EC and use this benefit from as little as 500 Avios.

  • JandeW says:

    No discounts available for Amsterdam flights…prices same as always

  • NorthernLass says:

    The George introduced some kind of lounge experience during the pandemic but it didn’t seem to last long. I have a booking for November and have been upgraded to a King Premium Pet Friendly, which sounds gross, frankly! I’m guessing this won’t include lounge access, lol.

    • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

      Small dogs must be carried. You’ll be walked otherwise

      • TGLoyalty says:

        But that’s only the general areas in the room they’ll be doing what they want?

  • Darren Key says:

    Asking for clarification. I have the annual Lounge access from my Milestone reward, however, not all Intercontinental Hotels are participating in this. I have just come off the phone from Ambassador service and they state that they do not have a list of participating hotels, but have to phone individual hotels to check if they participate! I am staying in Berlin Intercon next week and they have given 6 nights of Lounge access and upgrade to Suite, however London Park Lane will not honour the Lounge access. So what is the correct situation?? Thanks Also Reading and Marlow CP have now closed the lounges!!

    • Rob says:

      Not true. All lounges participate. Not heard a single story otherwise EXCEPT for hotels that have different levels of lounge and send you to a lesser one.

      • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

        Generally Rob I’d agree with you. But remember, for months IHG T&Cs did not explicitly exclude the IC Alliance properties in Vegas from the Diamond breakfast benefit. I even have emails sent to me where IHG told me to disregard the published T&Cs on this point. Suffice to say tenacious types on here extracted equivalent reward from IHG in lieu of said breakfasts. But it does seem that the T&Cs for IHG are not always gospel. I do wonder what kind of corporate governance manager they employ who would be content to carry those kinds of risks….

    • Michael says:

      Just finished 2 night stay at IC park lane on the 40k points/night error rate, lounge access via milestone reward accepted no questions asked.

      • Rob says:

        My brother and family had two rooms last night as well, same deal.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      Not the experience I’ve seen of the PL. are you positive? They’ve said no lounge access?

  • Paul says:

    The IC Edinburgh is never an IC. Those city view rooms mean staring into the offices across the back lane. Rooms other than on top floors are dark dull and have little to commend them. The bathrooms similarly poor.

    Top floor rooms do get a view.

    The staff were good but there was certainly no IC standard in evidence in my last stay which ended with them comping my first night.

    • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

      Same could be said re the Caledonian not being a proper Waldorf Astoria. Generally in the UK, we suffer with brand standards of any upper tier brand outside London.

      • Peggerz says:

        The WA Caledonian Hotel was sold this week and there is a ‘major’ upgrade promised. Looks like it will stay within the Hilton stable of hotels as owner also has Hilton Carlton and the Doubletree in Edinburgh. But the Caley does need a big boot up the bahookie as it is not in great shape.
        I was in the IC George this week too and they still seem v short of staff in front of house areas. It’s been like this for some months.

        • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

          A shame re the Caledonian as the UK Hilton stable is already pretty thin for anyone wishing to use the Impresario one night free offer

  • Roberto says:

    IC Edinburgh’s reference to their club lounge can be found here:
    https://www.facebook.com/IntercontinentalEdinburgh/photos/a.111330285618211/4177464515671414/?type=3

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