Holiday Inn Ulaanbaatar

Rooms and decor

Picture a 9-storey tower of glass and modern stone standing on the corner of Chinggis Avenue and Peace Avenue, the two main roads cutting through central Ulaanbaatar — this is Holiday Inn Ulaanbaatar, part of the IHG family since late 2018, opened as Mongolia's capital was working to look more modern. What surprises plenty of reviewers, in a good way, is how clean and contemporary the inside feels for a still-growing capital. All 192 rooms and suites come in warm browns against cream, with good-looking parquet floors, simple reading lamps, and a desk by the window that works for anyone who needs to get things done. Beds are the soft, thick Holiday Inn standard travelers know worldwide. Large windows pull in light and the city view, and the lucky rooms facing south catch the Bogd Khan mountains stretching off in the distance. Bathrooms use clean-toned tile with a strong shower and hot water that arrives fast, the toiletries simple but enough. There's a small fridge, a coffee maker, and fast Wi-Fi throughout — everything in order, exactly what a business traveler or a couple passing through before the steppe would expect. If you know Holiday Inn anywhere in the world, you'll feel at home the moment you open the door.

Food and amenities

The heart of a stay here is breakfast and the rooftop lounge — the two things reviews bring up most. The ground-floor restaurant serves a breakfast buffet that balances international and Mongolian plates surprisingly well: fresh-baked bread, eggs to order, bacon, sausage, fruit, fresh juice. What makes it special is the buuz corner, traditional steamed Mongolian dumplings served fresh and hot, juicy enough that the broth runs when you bite in — a fuller, more satisfying start than many expect. The other point reviewers agree on is the coffee: good Western-style coffee is still hard to find in Ulaanbaatar, but the machine and beans here pull it off. At the top of the building, the rooftop lounge opens up with glass all around, looking over the city with the shadow of the Bogd Khan mountains to the south. A drink up here in the soft evening light is more romantic than you'd guess. There's also a small spa for massage and treatments, a 24-hour gym, and meeting rooms in several sizes that make business trips easy. The clearest thing setting it apart from other downtown hotels is the free parking on site — in a neighbourhood where every square metre is expensive and parking is scarce, that's worth more than many realize. Staff speak English well enough to get things done, which isn't a given everywhere in Ulaanbaatar.

Location and getting there

Location is another strong card. The hotel sits on the corner of Chinggis Avenue and Peace Avenue, the two main roads linking nearly every key part of Ulaanbaatar — Chinggis Avenue runs straight into the city centre, while Peace Avenue is the east–west line that carries you through both the business and residential districts. It's about 1 km from Sukhbaatar Square, the heart of the city with its parliament and the towering Chinggis Khaan statue, a few minutes by car, and an easy walk in good weather. From here it's a short drive to the State Department Store, the popular shop for souvenirs and local food, about 5–7 minutes by car. Gandantegchinlen Monastery, Mongolia's most important Buddhist temple, is roughly 15 minutes west by car. The new Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN), opened in 2021, sits fairly far out — about 45–55 minutes by car in normal traffic. The hotel runs an airport transfer for a fee, or a taxi works fine. For anyone driving a rental or heading out of the city, that rare free parking makes it easy to come back without circling for a spot.

Things to know before booking

To help you decide, a few honest notes. First, what some reviews flag: not every room gets the mountain view. The hotel is surrounded by the busy buildings and roads of the district, and some rooms face the neighbouring buildings and Chinggis Avenue rather than the Bogd Khan mountains in the promo shots. If the view matters, ask for floor 7 or above on the south side when you book, and confirm again at check-in. Second is price: even though it's the best value among the city's international chains compared with the likes of Shangri-La or Kempinski Khan Palace, it still runs noticeably higher than the local hotels and guesthouses around it. Budget travelers who don't need an international brand may feel they're paying a bit extra for the logo — though at $80–100 for dependable IHG service, that's very little next to the same chain in other cities. Last, prepare for the weather: Ulaanbaatar ranks among the coldest capitals on Earth, and from December to February temperatures can drop below −20°C, with smog from coal burning in the ger districts around the city. Walking to the square in winter means a heavy coat, gloves, and a scarf. And early July brings the Naadam festival, when the whole city is packed — the hotel fills fast and prices climb, so book at least 2–3 months ahead.

Our take

From the real reviews we pulled together, Holiday Inn Ulaanbaatar nails one combination: dependable international IHG standard, a central Chinggis Avenue address, free parking downtown, and the best value in the international-chain group. If you want an IHG brand that feels familiar the moment you walk in, where you can wake up to hot buuz and good coffee, then walk or drive a few minutes to Sukhbaatar Square or head out onto the grasslands without worrying about parking — this is the most balanced answer. But if you're after a true five-star luxury experience like Shangri-La, or the local boutique feel of a ger camp, this may look a little ordinary. Overall we give it 8.6/10 — best for business travelers, couples using Ulaanbaatar as a base before a nature trip, and anyone who values the dependability of a well-known brand plus free parking more than full-on luxury.