InterContinental Mark Hopkins

My experience at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins was at best average. If you want luxury, stay across the street at the Fairmont or down the street at the Ritz-Carlton. 1) No pre-arrival email. 2) No welcome letter at arrival. 3) Cheated out of a suite upgrade. Despite IHG elite status, no suite upgrade. Front Desk first claimed no suites were available. That was a lie. Multiple categories of suites were available at the time of check-in. 4) Club Lounge is uncompetitive and practically nonexistent. It's a small area inside the restaurant. At breakfast you have to "charge" the breakfast to your room. They include a 15% tip but don't tell you and the tip line is blank. So if you leave a tip you're actually tipping twice. There's no daytime food or alcoholic drinks in the Club Lounge. From 5 to 7 or 5 to 8 pm (I forget) there's a couple of self-serve items. Think chicken skewers and egg rolls with two or three cheeses. Very basic. More like a Sheraton airport hotel club lounge, not an InterContinental Club Lounge and certainly not competitive with what's offered at the Fairmont and Ritz-Carlton. Wines were average. No champagne. Just a cheap bottle of prosecco. Club Lounge closes at 8 pm. So there's nothing available, not even grab-and-go coffee from 8 pm to 6:30 am. 5) Rooms are clean but very tired. Outlets are few and far between. I don't mind a classic decor because it fits the building's architecture and historic charm. 6) No bar of soap is provided. How does a luxury hotel not provide a bar of soap? No mouthwash. The toiletries are dispensers mounted on the wall. The dispensers were empty or half-empty. 7) Turndown service wasn't provided every evening of my stay. 8) Staff did not respond to text messages. 9) Some rooms are sold as having Golden Gate Bridge views. Maybe there was a view of the iconic bridge 50 years ago, but newer towers have all but obstructed the view. It's like a resort claiming a room overlooking a parking lot is ocean view. I had a great Nobb Hill view. Now the good things: 1) Location 2) Clean rooms -- again tired but clean 3) Excellent pillows and bed linen 4) Some rooms have excellent views of Nobb Hill The InterContinental Mark Hopkins positions itself as a luxury hotel but it falls short of true luxury. The hotel is way behind the Fairmont, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and St. Regis. The only thing that makes it better than a Hyatt Regency or Grand Hyatt is turndown service -- if it's provided. Read less

I am an IHG lover and fan for life. This hotel further emphasizes why I will be a loyal guest. Ric and David were extremely helpful, thoughtful, meticulous to details and absolutely lovely people! All of the staff were kind, but these two stood out above the rest. The stay was exceptional, I greatly enjoyed my extended weekend. This is a hotel not to be missed, simply for the ebullient and impeccable treatment that I received! Read less

My spouse and I return here every Spring for our anniversary and love it! The hotel is iconic and has gorgeous views all around, especially from the Top of the Mark. Service is generally very good. The various front desk staff were not particularly friendly, but Ben Duenas at the club lounge and Firas Muheisen are both rock stars! They were super responsive and attentive to our needs. The rooms are a bit tired, but we will return year after year for the charm and priceless experience we associate with the Mark Hopkins! Read less