IHG offers an executive club lounge at many of its luxury InterContinental hotels worldwide and in Australia. While not every property has a club lounge, let’s look at how you can gain access and which properties have the best lounges here in Australia.
IHG club lounges offer a sanctuary for guests looking to relax and enjoy the amenities on offer. You might be wondering if it’s worth it and what’s on offer; let’s take a look!
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IHG Executive Club Lounges
The IHG Executive Club lounges are reserved for the brand’s top-tier properties around the world; more often than not, these are the highly regarded InterContinental hotels. At the InterContinental properties, the lounge is called “Club InterContinental”, but it’s not available everywhere.
IHG Executive Club Lounge Benefits
Club lounge access is available to all guests who pay for the benefit. Not only will you have access to a dedicated space throughout your stay, but the IHG Club Lounges also come with many more benefits that extend beyond the club.
- A complimentary welcome drink at check-in.
- Complimentary breakfast for two
- Afternoon tea, plus sweet and savoury snacks.
- Evening drinks (your choice of wines, spirits and champagne) and light canapés.
- Complimentary Wi-Fi.
- Complimentary local calls.
- Pressing service.
- Late checkout.
On a room level, Club rooms tend to be on the higher levels of the hotel and tend to have a superior location and views compared to standard rooms.
How to gain access to IHG’s Executive Club?
Unfortunately, IHG status doesn’t mean you can get complimentary Club access. While you can book Club rates directly, it’s sometimes more beneficial to book it via a luxury travel agent like Virtuoso, who can also include additional benefits.
While regular IHG loyalty tiers won’t get you access, you can gain access if you’re part of the exclusive invite-only IHG Royal Ambassador members club. This tier is only achieved after you join the paid InterContinental Ambassador program and spend many nights at InterContinental hotels.
IHG Royal Ambassador benefits include:
- Guaranteed two-category room upgrade.
- A free night certificate.
- A complimentary weekend night certificate on two-night minimum stays.
- Extended 4 p.m. checkout and early 10 a.m. check-in.
- Club InterContinental lounge access for up to two people.
Australia’s Best IHG Club Lounges
3) Intercontinental Melbourne Rialto
Conveniently located in the heart of Melbourne, the InterContinental Melbourne Rialto offers guests an excellent club lounge experience. The well-appointed lounge offers a private space for guests and even has its own balcony. The lounge also offers canapés and drinks daily from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with refreshments throughout the day.
2) InterContiental Sydney
The highlight of the InterContinental Sydney is, without a doubt, the club lounge, which boasts some of the best views you can get in Sydney. From the roof terrace, Club guests will enjoy stunning views over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House while enjoying complimentary drinks and canapés in this private sanctuary.
1) Intercontinental Perth
One of the best-hidden secrets at the InterContinental Perth is, in our opinion, the luxurious and rather beautiful Club lounge on the top floor. Not only is the lounge spacious with plenty of seating and lounging options, their happy hour is not to be missed and well worth the upgrade!
Summing Up
If you’re looking to enhance the experience of your stay, adding Club lounge access is an excellent idea! The added perks you receive are almost always worth it, and the Club lounge acts as the perfect spot to enjoy a drink before exploring the dinner options at your destination.
Full Disclosure: This article was sponsored by IHG Australia.
Thank you for you full disclosure Immanuel, many folk in the same space as you don’t do that. Well done.
Thanks Stephen! While only a small fraction of our content is sponsored, even then the article content and topics are produced by us. However, I believe it’s important for readers to know this.
You can now gain access to lounges from your regular IHG rewards membership at 40 days stayed for a year.
I believe most IHG lounges have changed their Cocktail hours to 1700 – 1900, half an hour earlier. Most premium hotels in Australia seem to be doing this, presuming that businesspeople won’t have finished working by 5pm thus reducing the amount of time and drinks each guest will use.