A few months ago I needed to travel to New York last minute for some personal business. In scanning hotel fares, I saw that the Conrad Midtown had “standard” awards available. I put standard in quotes because it was an eye-popping 95,000 points. I knew this property’s place on the “kick in the junk” redemption category for Hilton, but it was still more advantageous than booking a paid stay. Anyway, I was excited to check out this new property. Two brands ago it was the legendary Rihga Royale, which coincidentally was the favorite hotel of one of my family members back in the day. The Rihga was an industry hotel that was off the radar except for those “in the know.” Would the Conrad keep the legacy of this amazing hotel alive? Would it live up to the standards of other Conrad hotels across the world? Read on for our NYC Conrad Midtown review and find out what I thought of my 12th Conrad hotel!
As a reminder, for internal “house” reviews, we score on the same 1-3 scale we use elsewhere. A 3 indicates that a given category exceeded reviewer expectations, a 2 indicates it met expectations, and a 1 failed to meet expectations. We evaluate the categories we believe are most relevant to the flight, hotel, or lounge experience.
Details
Dates: 10/29/19 – 10/30/19
Room Type: Standard One Bedroom Suite
Price: 95,000 Hilton Honors Points
Room – 3/3
My first impression of the room was, “Wow, this is huge for a midtown hotel.” I’ve stayed at both the Martinique and Renwick, as well as the NYC Conrad Downtown multiple times. The Martinique and Renwick both are great hotels but have small rooms. The Conrad Downtown has nice-sized rooms but is in the Financial District, where there’s more space, so while the larger room is awesome, it’s less jaw-dropping than when you have this much space in a midtown hotel.
This room was big, and it was brand new and renovated. It was split into a little entry foyer, sitting room, bedroom, closet, and bathroom. The size was similar to the Conrad Downtown. For a midtown hotel, this is downright palatial, and actually helped take the sting off the 95,000 point “standard” award — some hotels give you a crappy room, such as vacation destinations where a standard at a resort has a great view of the parking lot. The décor was also quite nice and modern. And like all Conrad hotels I’ve stayed at, the bed was amazing.
The only critique I would levy is that they didn’t do a great job with the power outlets in the sitting area. There were some up high over the TV, and eventually I found one at ground level hidden behind curtains. That said, most new Hilton renovations do a good job of installing plentiful charging outlets – and they didn’t do that very well, at least in this room. It’s a nitpick, but it’s notable when everything else is so awesome.
Bathroom – 3/3
The bathroom was a great size, featuring a nice rain shower, which was quite similar to the DC Conrad, making me think it’s part of their standard buildout in the US. There was great storage and vanity area. Only one sink, which was a little bit of a bummer, but that’s minor. Everything was in great shape, again speaking to the recent renovation.
Breakfast – 2/3
The breakfast was sort of a down point. The food was good, and the selection was good, but it really wasn’t anything special or interesting or unique. I feel like both the Conrad Downtown and Renwick have more robust and interesting menus. Adding insult to injury (more on this below) – the Diamond credit doesn’t cover the full breakfast in any way, shape or form.
Status Benefits – 1/3
This is one of those hotels that in my mind is kind of stingy with the status. The Diamond credit does not cover much of breakfast, although on the plus side it can be used at any time, including at the bar. You get two small bottles of water in the room, although you can grab more from the gym. And that’s it. Again, the Conrad Downtown has a more robust breakfast offering that’s fully covered by the credit. In the future, I would likely skip the breakfast at the hotel and find breakfast elsewhere, and use my credit on drinks at the lively evening bar scene.
Hotel Facilities – 2/3
The hotel featured a ridiculous gym. While I didn’t use it, I made sure to go through and take pictures. It had a punching bag. A punching bag! The bar scene was quite lively the night I got there, which to me is a plus. There is no lounge or pool.
Service – 2/3
Service was fine. I recall it seeming a bit snooty — perhaps a reflection of its Rihga Royale past, and the fact I’m a nobody? Everyone was polite, but it lacked any sort of charm or friendliness which you find in other Conrads.
Location – 3/3
Without a doubt, the location is the highlight of this NYC Conrad Midtown review. You really can’t beat the location if you’re in midtown, as you’re blocks away from attractions such as Central Park, Radio City Music Hall, and Times Square. This is another area where this hotel absolutely shines.
NYC Conrad Midtown Review Bottom Line – 2.5/3
This hotel has two things that make it stand out: an incredible midtown location and huge rooms for such a location. My comparison point is the Conrad Downtown, which is probably one of my top three hotels on the planet for a number of reasons, both personal and hotel related. The Midtown Conrad has a better NYC tourist location and comparable room size, and that’s hard to beat.
The other aspects I’m less sold on. Because of the location, the hotel’s emphasis is (rightly, I suppose) on extracting the premium price they can command, so there’s less attention paid to status or softer touches. Would I stay here again? That’s the real struggle I face as I write my NYC Conrad Midtown review. If I had repeated business in the area, I probably would. But for overall value, I still think the Conrad Downtown is the one to beat – at least for me.
All photos are author’s unless otherwise noted.