Review: InterContinental Yokohama Grand

Yokohama is home to two InterContinental hotels – the InterContinental Yokohama Grand which opened in 1991 and the newer InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 which first welcomed guests in 2019.

With the two hotels being within ten minutes apart on foot, the older of the two is generally considerably cheaper than the newer one. That said, with its iconic design and high-floor rooms offering great views, the InterContinental Yokohama Grand is not necessarily worse.

Back in November 2022, my wife and I took a short trip to Yokohama and stayed at the InterContinental Yokohama Grand for a couple of nights. Continue reading this review to see what the hotel was like.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand
InterContinental Yokohama Grand.

Getting to the Hotel

If you are traveling to the hotel by train, you will need to get off at Minatomirai station. With direct trains from Shibuya and other parts of Tokyo, the station is easily accessible.

From the station, you need to follow signs toward Pacifico Yokohama – one of the largest convention centers in Japan within which the hotel is located. The walk from the station to the hotel takes about five to ten minutes.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Access
From Minatomirai station, follow signs for Pacifico Yokohama.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand
Walking to the hotel.

The hotel is also a short walking distance from most of the sightseeing spots in Yokohama including Yamashita Park, Cup Noodle Museum, and China Town. As mentioned in the introduction, it’s also just a short walk away from the other InterContinental hotel in the city.

Regardless of where you are walking to the hotel from, it’s easy not to get lost thanks to the hotel being 460 feet (140 meters) tall and having a unique sail-like shape that is instantly recognizable among the other buildings in the Minatomirai skyline.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand
The InterContinental Yokohama Grand is easy to recognize.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand
The hotel is just a short walk from some of the tourist attractions.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand
InterContinental Yokohama Grand at night.

Check-in and Lobby

The reception was on the hotel’s second floor. This was also the floor that the walkway from Minatomirai station led to.

In addition to the reception desk, there was also a concierge desk. Additionally, there was some seating and the floor was also home to some of the hotel’s restaurants and other facilities. More about those later, though.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Check-in
Reception counter.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Lobby
Lobby.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Lobby
Seating in the lobby.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Lobby
Lobby decoration.

Check-in was smooth. That said since I was joining the InterContinental Ambassador program to extend my IHG status, it took a while. The front desk staff was kind and, noticing my wife was pregnant, mentioned that it might be better if she sits down and relaxes a bit while waiting.

Once everything was processed, I got many different vouchers (some related to Japan’s government travel subsidy and others being Ambassador benefits – in total almost 200 USD worth) as well as the room key cards. With the Ambassador program guaranteeing an upgrade, we were assigned room 2730 – a Premium Club Access King Room with Shower two ranks above the originally booked Premium King Room with City View.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Vouchers
Vouchers.

In addition to the second floor, the first floor was also part of the hotel’s lobby.

There were a street-level entrance, some of the facilities described later in this review, and plenty of seating.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Stairs
Stairs leading to the second floor.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Lobby
Seating on the first floor.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Lobby
First floor.

Premium Club Access King Room with Shower

Our room was on the 27th floor and, normally would offer access to the Club InterContinental Lounge on the 28th floor. In our case, we did not have access to the lounge, though, as InterContinental doesn’t offer access to those upgraded into a room on the club floor.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Club Lounge
Lounge.

As for the room itself, the hotel’s floor is V-shaped and our room was on its left side. While the right side offers views of a bay, the left side offers excellent views of the city.

Room 2730 was at the very end of the hallway which offered some nice views of Yokohama as well.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Floor Map
Floor map.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Hallway
Hallway.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Hallway
View from the hallway window.

Entering the room, there was a closet and a counter with drinks on the right side. Under the counter were a well-stocked minibar and a safe.

On top of the counter were two complimentary bottles of water, a kettle, an espresso machine, and a selection of coffee (including decaf) and tea. There was also a notepad with a pen.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Minibar
Drinks corner.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Minibar
Minibar.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Room Tea
Tea.

On the right side just after the entrance was a large bathroom.

On the bathroom’s left side was a large bathtub and on its right side was a standalone shower with both handheld and fixed shower heads and a toilet. In the middle was a large sink.

The presence of both a bathtub and a standalone shower was the one difference between the room we originally booked and the room we were upgraded to. The room we originally booked only had a bathtub.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Bathroom
Bathroom.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Room Toilet and Shower
Toilet and shower room.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Room Shower
Shower.

While the basic amenities like shampoo and soap came in large containers, there were also some single-use amenities. Those included dental kits and a skincare set among other things.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Room Amenities
Amenities.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Room Amenities
Skin care kit.

A large part of the main part of the room was taken up by a comfortable king-size bed.

The headboard featured a reading light on each side. Additionally, on each side of the bed was a nightstand equipped with a power outlet allowing for easy phone charging at night. Above the bed was a small artwork.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Room Overview
Room overview.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Bed
Bed.

Across from the bed was a TV stand combined with a work desk. The desk featured a pair of universal power outlets. Above the desk was a mirror.

Behind the bed, next to the window, was a coffee table with a pair of chairs.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Room
TV, work desk, and seating area.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Room Power Outlet
Power outlets.

Lastly, the window sill was turned into a bench. This was perhaps my favorite part of the room as sitting there provided some amazing views of Yokohama – particularly at sunset and night.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Room Seating
Seating by the window.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand
Room with a view.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Room City View
View of Yokohama.

Breakfast

Breakfast was served from 6:30AM until 10:00AM at Ocean Terrace, the hotel’s buffet restaurant. While normally it costs 4,200 yen (~32 USD) per person, being an IHG Diamond Elite member, I was able to get it for free by choosing it as a welcome amenity.

When we got to the restaurant on our first morning at the hotel, there was quite a long line of people waiting to get inside. That said, it moved quite quickly and in no time we were seated at our table.

InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace
Breakfast queue.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace
Ocean Terrace.

For drinks, there was a counter with pink grapefruit, orange, apple, and vegetable juice dispensers. There were also pitchers with milk (including regular, skim, and soy), water, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Additionally, coffee and tea were served by the restaurant staff.

InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Drinks
Juices and milk.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Drinks
Freshly squeezed orange juice.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Coffee and Tea
Coffee.

As for things to eat, there was a nice selection of freshly baked bread and pastries. There were butter and a couple of different types of jam to go with the bread.

My wife really liked one of the more unique pastries on offer, a mugwort danish. Personally, I enjoyed an apple danish.

There were also three different types of cereal – corn flakes, all bran, and fruits granola. There were milk and stewed apricots to go with those.

InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Bread
Bread.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Pastries
Pastries.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Cereals
Cereals.

The salad area had a good choice of vegetables and a potato salad. A couple of different types of dressing and toppings like raisins and sesame were available too.

Fruits included melon, pineapple, orange, and grapefruit cuts, and grapes.

There were also some yogurts.

InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Salad
Salad.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Fruits
Fruits.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Yogurts
Yogurts.

Other cold breakfast items included a selection of cheese, crackers, some cold cuts, and smoked salmon.

InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Cold Cuts
Cold cuts.

Hot items included boiled eggs, sausages, bacon, ham, and baked vegetables – potatoes, brocolli, and beans.

For those with sweet tooth, there were French toasts and pancakes with honey and maple syrup.

InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Eggs and Bacon
Eggs and bacon.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Vegetables
Baked vegetables.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast French Toasts
French toasts.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Pancakes
Pancakes.

Another item on the continental breakfast “menu” was creamy corn soup.

InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Soup
Creamy corn soup.

Lastly, there was a live cooking station where omelets (plain, cheese, or mixed with ham, mushrooms, and onion) and sunny-side ups were prepared.

We had the mixed omelet with cheese both days which was great.

InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Omelet
Omelet.

Separately from the continental breakfast items, there was also a decent selection of Japanese breakfast items.

There were some pickles, spicy cod roe, tofu, Japanese omelets, and grilled fish (salmon and mackerel).

Additionally, there were rice, natto (fermented soybeans), and miso soup.

InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Japanese Pickles
Japanese pickles.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Japanese Sides
Japanese side dishes.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Tofu
Tofu and natto.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Grilled Fish
Grilled fish.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Miso Soup
Miso soup and rice.

Finally, there were Chinese congee and shu-mai steamed dumplings.

InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Congee
Congee.
InterContinental Yokohama Breakfast Dumplings
Steamed dumplings.

Overall, the breakfast buffet had a good selection of good quality food.

Dining

There were seven bars and dining establishments at the InterContinental Yokohama Grand:

  • 31st: A lounge with a view of Yokohama on, as its name suggests, the hotel’s 31st floor
  • Azur: A French restaurant on the 2nd floor
  • Karyu: A Chinese restaurant on the 31st floor
  • Marine Blue: A lounge on the 2nd floor
  • Nadaman: A Japanese restaurant on the 4th floor
  • Ocean Terrace: A buffet restaurant on the 2nd floor
  • Pier 21: A “floating” restaurant” in a separate building
  • Starboard: A music lounge on the second floor

Pier 21 and 31st were closed during our stay and some of the other establishments had limited opening hours. With that, and some being fully booked, we ended up trying three: Marine Blue, Ocean Terrace (for lunch in addition to the breakfast described earlier), and Starboard.

You can find the latest menus for all of the establishments here.

InterContinental Yokohama Chinese Restaurant Karyu
Karyu.
InterContinental Yokohama Japanese Restaurant Nadaman
Nadaman.

Marine Blue

For dinner on our first night at the hotel, we went to the Marine Blue lobby lounge. I reserved a table earlier in the day and when we arrived we were offered one of the window-side tables overlooking the bay. With there being quite a few people in the lounge – it looked like a group of conference or similar event participants – the atmosphere was nice.

In addition to drinks, a decent variety of food including snacks, mains, and desserts was offered.

InterContinental Yokohama Marine Blue Lounge
Marine Blue.
InterContinental Yokohama Marine Blue Lounge
Bar counter.

We started our meal with a Ceasar salad which was nice. I especially appreciated the prosciutto on top of the salad. Then we had seafood spaghetti with tomato sauce and assorted finger sandwiches which came with potato chips and some pickles.

While the pasta was 2,660 yen (approx. 20 USD), the salad and sandwiches were 1,400 yen each (approx. 11 USD).

InterContinental Yokohama Marine Blue Salad
Ceasar salad.
InterContinental Yokohama Marine Blue Pasta
Seafood spaghetti.
InterContinental Yokohama Marine Blue Sandwiches
Sandwiches.

Finally, we had what was the highlight of the entire meal – crepe with caramel and orange. The crepe, ice cream, and fruits were a perfect combination and made for a great way to end the meal. The dessert cost 1,600 yen (approx. 13 USD).

To go with the dessert, we each had tea.

InterContinental Yokohama Marine Blue Dessert
Crepe.
InterContinental Yokohama Marine Blue Tea
TWG tea.

Ocean Terrace

While we wanted to try the French restaurant on our second day, since it was closed, we decided to try the lunch buffet at Ocean Terrace instead. The lunch buffet was 4,700 yen (approx. 36 USD) per person and – just like the breakfast buffet – did not disappoint.

Starting with drinks, there was an Oranka juice dispenser, a pitcher with organic mango black tea, and dispensers with ice coffee/tea. Hot tea and coffee could be requested from the staff.

InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Drinks
Soft drinks.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Drinks
Alcoholic drinks were available at extra charge.

As for things to eat, there was a selection of vegetables, fruits, cheese, and bread similar to the selection offered for breakfast. For most of the other items, the theme changes regularly. During our visit, the theme was Kyushu.

There was a selection of about half a dozen different appetizers including marinated eggplants, spicy cod roe with baguette, godofu, and marinated horse mackerel.

Creamy vegetable soup was offered too.

InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Eggplant
Eggplant appetizer and cold cuts.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Appetizers
More appetizers.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Appetizers
Marinated horse mackerel.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Soup
Soup.

Hot dishes included tonkatsu (Japanese-style fried pork cutlet), pasta, beef and potato gratin, and chicken hot pot.

InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Hot Dishes
Hot dishes.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Hot Pot
Chicken hot pot.

Then there were also hashed beef with rice, curry rice, and aqua pazza.

InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Hashed Beef
Hashed beef.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Curry
Curry.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Aqua Pazza
Aqua pazza.

Lastly, there were staffed cooking stations offering roast beef (my favorite item on the menu other than the desserts), Hakata tonkotsu ramen noodles, and tofu hot pot with chicken shabu shabu.

InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Roast Beef
Roast beef.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Ramen
Tonkotsu ramen.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Shabu Shabu
Chicken shabu shabu.

By far my favorite part of the selection were the desserts.

There were small strawberry parfaits, cups of grape jelly and panna cotta, and orange/blackcurrant mousse. A selection of cakes including pistachio, chocolate, kabosu citrus, and fig was available too. Lastly, there were far Breton and tea cookies.

My wife later told me there was ice cream too – something that I didn’t notice myself.

InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Desserts
Parfaits, jelly, etc.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Desserts
Cakes.
InterContinental Yokohama Ocean Terrace Lunch Desserts
More desserts.

Overall, the buffet offered a great selection of appetizers, mains, and desserts. That said, for those preferring Western cuisine, the selection might have felt a bit too limited.

Starboard

Lastly, on our second evening at the hotel, we visited the Starboard music lounge. At the time of our visit, the opening hours were Tuesday – Saturday and national holidays from 5PM to 12AM. Live music was played for 15 to 25 minutes once an hour with the first performance starting at 5PM and the last one at 10PM. There was a 1,100 yen (approx. 9 USD) cover charge which was well-worth it.

Whether it was because we visited fairly early on a weekday or for some other reason, we ended up being the only guests in the fairly large lounge. As such, we were able to enjoy what essentially was a private 25-minute concert – both cool and a bit awkward at the same time.

InterContinental Yokohama Starboard
Music Lounge Starboard.
InterContinental Yokohama Starboard
Piano.
InterContinental Yokohama Starboard
Seating.

After being seated, we were offered warm wet towels and then served a welcome snack – some pretzels.

For drink, I had Cinderella – a mocktail mainly consisting of citrus juices; my wife had a non-alcoholic Saratoga Cooler. Both of the drinks were tasty and cost approx. 8 USD.

InterContinental Yokohama Starboard
Warm towel.
InterContinental Yokohama Starboard
Drinks and pretzels.

Room Service

In addition to the lounges and restaurants, there was of course room service too. While the menu was extensive, we didn’t have a chance to try it. That said, my wife did order peppermint tea one evening.

InterContinental Yokohama Room Service
Room service.

Shops

In addition to the restaurants mentioned above, there were also a couple of different shops at the hotel.

The most noteworthy of those was Marina – a “souvenir and gourmet shop” which could be found on the second floor. As its name suggests, they had a selection of Yokohama- and InterContinental Yokohama Grand-themed goods as well as some food and drinks. That said, the selection of food and drinks was quite limited.

There was an eat-in space in the shop too.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Marina
Marina.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Marina
Drinks and food available in Marina.
InterContinental Yokohama Grand Marina
Overview of the store.

On the first floor, there was an art shop.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Art Shop
Art shop.

There also appeared to be some shops selling clothes/shoes but I didn’t check those out.

Gym, Spa, and Pool

While I didn’t go inside and so cannot comment on the equipment, there were also a gym, spa, and pool at the hotel. The “Harbor View Fitness Club” was located on the 4th floor.

Access to the gym was free, that said, there were additional charges to use sauna (3,300 yen; approx. 25 USD) and pool (4,400 yen; approx. 34 USD). A combined package of the two was 6,600 yen (approx. 50 USD). Spa treatments were available for a charge too.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Gym
Gym.

InterContinental Yokohama Grand Summary

All in all, we had a very enjoyable stay at the InterContinental Yokohama Grand hotel. The staff was professional but kind, the room was comfortable, and the food was good – especially the lunch buffet desserts.

While the newer InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 is presumably more modern and nicer in terms of interior design, the excellent view of Yokohama from our room more than compensated for that. Not to mention the fact that the Grand tends to be considerably cheaper than the Pier 8 property.

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