CHRISTMAS: IHG Adelaide celebrates the season with a gingerbread house of the hotel

I spent Christmas day in Adelaide at the Intercontinental. We intended just to stay there, you know, rest our tired and inebriated heads and overstuffed tummies there. But, due to circumstances beyond our control and far too complex to explain here, but do involve a casual contact with a positive COVID-19 patient, we spent a lot more time at the hotel than first intended.

In the spirit of the season, I thought I would document some of the seasonal touches deployed by the hotel.

Let’s start with the entrance. We were greeted with a slightly understated tree and a group of reindeer. There is normally a table and a big floral display in this area.

Gingerbread house hotel

The real piece of resistance is the gingerbread house in the shape of the hotel, complete with snow, its own private railway and a pine tree grove. This might be cute if it were a traditional low rise gabled hotel, but it just looks totally weird as a 1980s post brutalist skyscraper. See what I mean. . .

Lets say, that barring climate change and given Adelaide summers, that hotel is never going to see snow on its pre-cast facade, let alone a snowman.

Seasonal lamingtons

Lamingtons are a peculiarly Australian confection consisting of spongecake cubes sandwiched with strawberry jam and cream and coated in chocolate and coconut. They usually look better than they taste in my opinion.

For the season the IHG kitchen had produced green and red flatish lamingtons without chocolate, and of indeterminate taste. I was not brave enough to try these.

And finally, something far more subtle.

In room dining discretion

We ordered room service in the early evening because we did not have our traditional Christmas spread due to COVID-19 caution. A Wagu beef burger and some mushroom risotto were our chosen dishes. Along with the usual napery came this rather lovely napkin folded in the shape of a Christmas tree. During a season not know for its subtlety, this little touch to our dining tray was much appreciated.

2PAXfly Takeout

It’s hard for hotels to provide the homely, family touch during Christmas, but they try. The IHG certainly tried in both big and small ways.

While the gingerbread model of the hotel required mountains of work and dedication from the hotels pastry chefs, it was the small subtle green napkin folded to resemble a Christmas tree that really said ‘Christmas’ to this hotel guest.