IHG Hotel: Yokohama Grand InterContinental Stay

Date: 2018-06-08

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What is IHG?

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), established 2003, operates a wide portfolio of brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton, HUALUXE, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. The InterContinental brand is IHG's flagship luxury tier, with over 70 years of history.

The Yokohama Grand InterContinental

Opened in 1991, the Yokohama Grand InterContinental has one of the most distinctive silhouettes of any hotel in Japan. Seen from a distance, it resembles the sail of a yacht — 31 floors, 140 metres tall, 594 rooms. That image lodged in my memory years ago, and a recent visit to Japan finally gave us the opportunity to stay.

Our party: two adults and our daughter, for two nights (June 6–7, 2018). I had expected the sail shape to be the front face of the building; arriving in person, I found the main entrance presents a different and equally striking profile — the sail shape is seen from the side.

Membership: IHG Platinum and Ambassador

My status is Ambassador Platinum — obtained via the IHG Mastercard (annual fee £75 / approx. ¥10,875), which grants automatic Platinum membership. I also paid an additional £200 to add the Ambassador tier. Whether Ambassador adds meaningful benefits over Platinum alone is debatable — the incremental advantages seem designed more for lower-tier members — but it was worth trying.

Benefits for this stay: free Wi-Fi, one complimentary drink voucher per stay at the café bar on the 2nd floor, and a morning newspaper delivered to the room. Welcome chocolates, water and a fruit plate in the room on arrival — a reliable touch.

Room: 21st Floor

Upgraded to a larger room — comfortable for three. The windows are generous, making the room bright and open. Views from the 21st floor look out over Minato Mirai, the Yokohama waterfront and beyond.

Bathroom: A deep Japanese-style bath (the kind you can fully submerge in), bidet toilet (the Japanese washlet, ubiquitous in quality hotels in Japan), universal power sockets, standard amenities. The Japanese attention to bathroom detail is consistently excellent.

31st Floor Bar Lounge

The bar on the 31st floor commands a 180-degree panorama: Yokohama Port on one side, the city on the other. On a clear day the view extends to the bay and beyond; on our visit there was light rain and cloud, which gave the city an atmospheric glow.

Canal Cruise: Le Grand Bleu

In 2016, the hotel launched its own dedicated cruise boat — the Le Grand Bleu — to mark its 25th anniversary. Departing from the "Pukari-san Bridge" just behind the hotel, it tours the Minato Mirai waterfront canals, passing the giant Ferris wheel, the Nippon Maru sailing ship and the Red Brick Warehouse district.

Guests who are staying in the hotel or dining in the restaurant receive a discount: ¥500 off the regular ¥1,000 fare. A relaxing and unusual way to see the waterfront from the water.

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The Yokohama Grand InterContinental combines an extraordinary building, excellent facilities and a genuinely scenic location. Recommended for anyone visiting Yokohama.

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