InterContinental Shenzhen

This hotel really exceeded my expectations. I had high expectations because I had spent the big bucks on the family room. To be honest, the pictures on Booking.com don't do it justice. The family room is huge. Yes, I knew it had a big bed and a little kiddie bed, but it also had a sofa bed that my boys chose to sleep in, so I could have the king size bed to myself. It also has a little couch, a big bean bag. The bathroom is humongous. It has a massive shower and a huge tub. Bonus: it came with bubble bath and a bath bomb! The kids were so excited about that. The family room also has a big balcony. I only used it to dry the swimsuits, but it is nice to have that for the view. Our room was located near the lift that goes down to the pool, so super convenient. The breakfast buffet is the best I have seen so far. Best Western selection for sure. The staff is great. Special kudos to Dafne and Jeanee at reception, all the young staff at the Kids Utopia restaurant, and the big guy at the juice station (sorry for missing his name). Of course, we chose this hotel for the pool. Having an artificial beach and huge pool in the middle of the city is absolutely wonderful. Again, blown away. The beach is awesome; the "lazy river" area was my boys' favorite. The mini water park for kids, the fountains and sprays everywhere... So cool! We rented those mini handheld jet boats twice; super fun. I really loved the pond with the koi fish. Dafne gave us fish food, which is a really nice touch for the kids. What else can I say? The location is amazing. 15 mins by Didi from Futian Port. 10mins to Yitian Holiday Plaza and O'Plaza near OCT Harbour. This was perfect for a little bit of shopping and different restaurants.

Like I said, I came with high expectations. I believe that it would be great in 2026 to have USB-C plugs in the bedroom instead of having to bring a socket converter from Hong Kong to plug a proper charger. A table would have been great on the balcony to be able to have a meal there. Of course, for technically-challenged Westerners, ordering food is tricky. The QR code for room service did not work. The a-la-carte dinner at Mercado was a tad disappointing. The Caesar salad had too much lettuce and not enough toppings ;-) My boys said that the only thing they did not enjoy at this hotel was the mascots, as they are a bit scared of big costumes.

Amazing pool with a beach and plenty for kids to do.

Nothing really!

The breakfast was excellent! We particularly liked that fact that we could pick our veg and fruit for a smoothie. Unique! Great variety of food with the usual eggs and noodles to order. A shout out to Daphne who helped us during checkin and checkout since the reception staff didn't understand English. She also gave us advice-so helpful and friendly!

The spa was ridiculously expensive. A shame since I love massages and facials.

I was upgraded to a suite room. However the room was old as compared to the stabdard basic rooms.