IHG’s Category 8 hotels are a notch above the rest, with distinguished properties in major cities worldwide. In this paricular category, average nightly rates also shoot up, making point redemptions an even greater value. At 45,000 points per night, it’s easy to get one cent per point in value at some of the hotels in this category. Here are some of the best properties in IHG’s Category 8:
North America
West
Intercontinental San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
Source: Hotel website
Distinctions: Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence 2013
Accommodations: Standard rooms are located on the 12th floor and higher, offering 300 sqft of space with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the city. Rates at this hotel start at $200 per night and can top $400, making this a great value at 45,000 points per night.
Location: The Intercontinental San Francisco is just a quarter of a mile from the Powell BART station, an efficient way to get to/from the airport and around the city. This location is pretty central, but you’ll appreciate that it gets less foot traffic than some of the other chain hotels on Market Street. At about the same distance, you can head watch a movie at the Metreon, shop at the Westfield Shopping Center, or catch a cable car across right across the street.
Honorable Mention: N/A
East
Crowne Plaza Times Square (New York City, NY)
Source: Hotel website
Distinctions: Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence 2013
Accommodations: Guests redeeming a standard award at this hotel can choose from a variety of rooms ranging from floors 16-41. These rooms are 323 sqft and offer views of Times Square and the city. Beds feature a pillowtop mattress and guests get a complimentary coffee/tea maker.
Location: The hotel is right on Times Square, steps from the theatre district and 5th Avenue. Within a mile you’ll find Central Park and landmarks like the Empire State Building, Carnegie Hall, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall and others. The location is the perfect base if you’re looking for a tourist experience.
Honorable Mention: Crowne Plaza Lake Placid
Northeast
Intercontinental Boston (Boston, MA)
Source: Hotel website
Distinctions:
- Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence 2013
- Tripadvisor GreenLeaders Silver Level
Accommodations: A standard award gets you a 420 sqft Deluxe room with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the city. The room comes equipped with a pillow top mattress, Keurig K Cup Bewer, and a spacious marble bathroom with separate shower, soaking tub, and Agraria bath amenities.
Location: The Intercontinental is located in downtown, right on the harbor. The area is surrounded by entertainment options, within walking distance of the Boston Tea Party Museum, New England Aquarium, and Fenway Park. The Freedom Trail is less than a mile away, as is the Theatre District.
Honorable Mention: N/A
South
Crowne Plaza South Beach Z Ocean Hotel (Miami Beach, FL)
Source: Hotel website
Distinctions:
- Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence 2013
- GreenLeaders Gold Level
- Tripadvisor #7 Hotel in Miami
Accommodations: In most cases, redeeming a standard award in a big city won’t get you an amazing room. That is not the case at the Z Ocean Hotel, where you get a massive 500 sqft Beach Suite with a 250 sqft balcony. The room is outfitted with two LCD TV’s, Bose entertainment center, European wet bar, and a Nespresso coffee maker. The bathroom has a full body rain shower, and the bedroom has a pillow top mattress with featherbed duvet and luxury linens.
Location: The hotel is in South Beach, steps from the beach and the Art Deco district. Within a mile you’ll find the Lincoln Road shopping district, the Bass Museum of Art, and the Miami Beach Golf Club.
Honorable Mention: N/A
Europe
Western Europe
Intercontinental Dusseldorf (Dusseldorf, Germany)
Source: Hotel website
Distinctions:
- Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence 2013
- Tripadvisor #7 Hotel in Dusseldorf
Accommodations: Guests booking a standard award get a 344 sqft superior room on the 1st-8th floor. Each room has a large marble bathroom with a rainshower, separate tub, and heated floors.
Location: The Intercontinental Dusseldorf is located on Koenigsalle, a famous shopping district where you’ll find high-end European and American retailers, along with a variety of great restaurants and museums. Dusseldorf International Airport is just 5 miles away.
Honorable Mention:
Mediterranean
Intercontinental Malta (St. Julians, Malta)
Source: Hotel website
Distinctions:
- Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice 2014: #10 Top 10 Luxury Hotels in Malta
- Tripadvisor #5 Hotel in Saint Julian’s
Accommodations: Deluxe rooms offer 322 sqft of beautifully decorated in pastel and neutral tones. There is a separate work desk and seating area, along with a balcony. All guests get complimentary tea and coffee provisions.
Location: While the hotel isn’t located right on the beach, it’s just 143 feet from the hotel’s private beach, the Intercontinental Beach Club. Guests can also walk to several of the area’s seaside restaurants or explore the city’s historical sights. Valletta and Mdina, both designated UNESCO World Heritage sites, are both within 8 miles of the resort.
Honorable Mention: N/A
Asia
Intercontinental Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China)
Source: Hotel website
Distinctions: Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence 2013
Accommodations: Standard rooms are beautifully decorated with plush furniture and outfitted with LCD tv’s, Bose sound systems, and marble bath. If you’re particular about your pillows and unhappy with the half dozen tossed on the bed, you can choose a new one from the pillow menu.
Location: The InterContinental Hong Kong is located on the Kowloon waterfront, overlooking Victoria Harbour, adjacent to the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Space Museum. The hotel has a great location, within walking distance of shopping, entertainment, and public transportation if you want to venture out further. The famed Star Ferry (once voted #1 on the Society of American Travel Writers’ Top 10 Most Exciting Ferry Rides) is just a 10-minute walk from the hotel.
Honorable Mention: Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay
Middle East
Intercontinental Dubai Festival City (Dubai, UAE)
Source: Hotel website
Distinctions:
- Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice: #18 Top 25 Luxury Hotels in the UAE
- Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice: #23 Top 25 Hotels in the UAE
Accommodations: For 45,000 points per night you can book a 462 sqft Deluxe Room with modern furniture, plenty of closet space, and a large setee next to a plush bed. In addition, guests get am iPod docking station and complimentary wifi.
Location: The Intercontinental Dubai Festival City is located on Dubai Creek, ideally located for business travelers. However, leisure travelers won’t be too far from the action, as Jumeirah Beach, Dubai Mall, and Burj Khalifa are all within 10 miles of the hotel. The airport is also conveniently located 5.6 miles from the hotel.
Honorable Mention: Intercontinental Jeddah
Nice selection and comments, but,
(1) What about the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile? An amazing property with perfect location in Chicago, and usually pretty expensive.
(2) InterContinental Dusseldorf? Great hotel maybe, but it’s not one of the most expensive IC’s in Europe – much like most IC’s in Germany. So at most days of the year this wouldn’t be a very good redemption option.
Excellent point. IC Chicago MagMile is my favorite IC in the US, hands-down. To top it all off, they give RA bennies on award stays.
Looks like I missed a big one with the IC Chicago. I’ll definitely update the post to include this hotel.
There’s a typo in the body of this post: The title refers to category 8 but just below it refers to cat 9 mistakenly. I’ve enjoyed this series of posts, looking forward to the next one.
Fixed. Thanks for catching that!