Mrs. PTI and I had the pleasure of attending the Hilton Concert Series Fitz and the Tantrums concert at the Conrad Washington, D.C. Although we’re locals, we thought it might be fun to stay the night, so I grabbed a rewards night redemption and we made it happen. We had stayed at the Conrad DC in summer 2019, with access to the Sakura Club, for our anniversary not too long after the hotel opened. We had a good, if somewhat unremarkable stay that time, so we were interested to see what, if anything, had changed. As we are Conrad snobs (D.C. was the 11th Conrad we’ve stayed at), our standards were, of course, quite high. Read on for our Washington City Center Conrad review to see how this Hilton property in the U.S. capital city stacks up.
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
Stay: 11/8/19 – 11/9/19
Room Type: Corner King
Price: 80,000 Hilton HHonors points per night
Room – 3/3
The room was quite large and featured floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows. Although not laid out like a suite, it had a foyer, a dedicated sitting area, a sleeping area, and a bathroom. Power outlets were plentiful, and there was lots of room to spread out. Two giant flat screen TVs – why on earth you need two this big in a single room is beyond me – adorn the walls. The bed here – like all Conrad hotels I’ve stayed at – was incredibly comfortable.
Bathroom – 3/3
The bathroom was excellent. It was a good size, and featured the same semi-rain shower as the NYC Conrad Midtown, where we also recently stayed (review coming soon). I’m assuming the standardized amenities are part of any new Conrad buildout in the U.S. It featured a separate commode as well as a double vanity. Everything was in good shape and well maintained.
Breakfast – 2/3
We stayed over a weekend, and were surprised when we discovered there was no buffet in the hotel breakfast – just an a la carte menu. Somewhat strangely, we were asked to wait about 15 minutes for a table, and then found the restaurant only half full – I assume it was a staffing issue, but it still was odd. The Diamond credit did not cover the full breakfast. The offerings were reasonably diverse and interesting, and the food quality was great. The coffee was also superb, another thing that many Conrad Hotels seem to excel at.
As a quick update, we stayed here again over new years, and there was both a buffet, and an expanded brunch menu with numerous items under $25. So to be fair, it does seem like the hotel is improving this aspect.
Status Benefits – 2/3
Pretty straightforward status benefits. A credit which did not fully cover the cost of breakfast, but it was applied as a straight-up credit to all food/drink in the hotel restaurant and bar. Water bottles were provided, with additional bottles provided by housekeeping on demand. Overall pretty typical for a U.S.-based hotel.
Hotel Facilities – NR
I don’t feel like I can assign a full rating to this category because the only facility we took advantage of was the bar, which was awesome and hopping. We had a nice pre-show snack and drinks, and the food quality and service were great.
Service – 3/3
Another high point of this Washington City CenterConrad review was the service. All throughout the hotel, the service was incredibly professional and warm. After check-in, the front desk staff walks you to the elevator. Housekeeping was very friendly and polite, offering coffee and water refills proactively during turndown. The restaurant staff – both at the bar and the restaurant at breakfast – were all very polite.
Location – 3/3
D.C. isn’t a big city, but the Washington D.C. Conrad is located in a central location… in the aptly named City Center. It is near several metro stops, the D.C. Convention Center and Capital One Arena (where the Capitals, Wizards and Mystics play), as well as some museums, and it’s probably a 20-minute walk from the National Mall. It doesn’t get much more convenient than that.
Washington City Center Conrad Review – 2.5/3
One of the newer additions to the Conrad portfolio, the D.C. property does a good job representing the portfolio. A great location, nice rooms, and a large property all come together in a great way. Topping it all off for this stay was the Fitz and the Tantrum Hilton Concert experience – which I highly recommend – and made for a very nice evening. Although I’m local to the D.C. area, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend or stay here based on my Washington City Center Conrad review.
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