InterContinental Dublin by IHG in Dublin

We visited the InterContinental this afternoon to celebrate my mum’s birthday. Our party consisted of 10 people (8 adults and 2 children), and unfortunately, the experience did not meet expectations for a 5-star hotel.

Around half of our group ordered steak, with some upgrading from striploin to fillet. When placing our order, we were informed that all steaks had to be cooked the same way. We were told this was hotel policy. In a 5-star establishment charging premium prices, being told we could not choose how our steak was cooked was extremely disappointing. After raising the issue, we were eventually told they could accommodate individual cooking preferences, but only as a one-time exception. This should not be considered an exception, but standard service.

Service throughout the afternoon was also very slow. I mentioned twice that we were there to celebrate my mum’s birthday, yet this was overlooked when her dessert was brought out, which was very disappointing.

Overall, the experience did not reflect the level of service or flexibility one would expect from a hotel of this calibre.

The location is great and very safe. It's not in the city center but it's not far away. There's a train to the city center that's a five-minute walk away, just one stop away.