A month or so ago, Visa Signature Luxury Hotel ran a promotion, where you could get the 2nd night free at selected Conrad, Curio, and Waldorf Astoria hotels. That in itself was amazing, but a concurrent promotion made it even better. Visa was throwing in a $75 Visa gift card on top of the “BOGO,” which made this almost a no-brainer. In fact, many even questioned whether it was too good to be true. Well, I just checked out of my room at the Conrad New York. I booked my stay under the promotion, and am happy to report that I got my second night free.
Location
The Conrad New York is located in the Financial District in New York, right by the Goldman Sachs building. There are a few entrances to the hotel, and I entered through the “back door” by the movie theater.
Regardless of the entrance, you have get one up floor to the atrium level. The front (North End Avenue) entrance is open 24/7, while the back entrance is locked at 1:30 am.
The atrium lobby was really grand, which I feel is pretty rare for New York. I also admired the modern design, and the abundance of seating in the lobby.
The check-in desks were located at the back wall of the lobby, which is also where the bell desk and concierge desk were.
Check-In and Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Benefits
I arrived at the hotel at around 1 pm, and the friendly associate informed me that they “don’t have any rooms at all.” She acknowledged my Hilton HHonors Gold status, which I don’t always experience at Hilton properties. In addition, she also confirmed my room rate, with the 2nd night free, and the following benefits:
- Automatic room upgrade upon arrival, when available
- Complimentary in-room Wi-Fi, when available
- Complimentary continental breakfast daily
- VIP Guest status
- $25 Food & Beverage Credit
- 3PM check-out upon request, when available
She took town my phone number, and told me that they would give me a call when my room is ready. Sadly, I never got a call from them. I returned to the hotel at around 5 pm, when my room was finally ready.
A lot of the benefits from Visa Signature Luxury Hotels had the dreaded “where available,” and for the most part they were not available during my stay. I did not receive an upgrade, and the “VIP Guest Status” didn’t really mean anything. They were also adamant about me having to check out at noon, which is the standard time. To be fair, they did say that these benefits are based on availability, but still…
Deluxe Suite
This property used to be an Embassy Suite, so the (now) Conrad New York is an all-suite hotel. As a result, even though I was given a “Deluxe Suite,” it is actually their most basic accommodation.
The elevator took me up to my floor, and I walked across a bridge to get to the side of the building where the rooms are located.
The hallways are open to the atrium, which I actually liked.
Living Room
The front door of my Deluxe Suite opens right to the living room, which featured a large couch across from the TV and work desk.
The work desk was generously sized, though I wish they offered a real work chair.
Under the TV was a media hub, where you could plug in your devices to the TV.
There were also two power outlets in a pretty accessible location.
Shortly after I arrived, an associated came up to deliver a fruit basket and two bottle of mineral waters.
Minibar
There was a short hallway connecting the living room and the bedroom. It featured the minibar, as well as the bathroom. The set up definitely screamed Embassy Suite, but I appreciated how efficiently the spaces were used.
The minibar had its own sink, and a fully stocked fridge. Interestingly, they charge a $25 restocking fee if you use the fridge to store personal items, though it appeared you could ask housekeeping for a separate fridge.
There was also a Nespresso machine, with three different kinds of capsules.
The cupboard contained the glassware. This is definitely me being super nitpicky, but I was surprised that the hotel didn’t supply brown sugar for coffee. They also didn’t supply saucers or teaspoons for any of the mugs, which is totally a first world problem. But I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing…
Bathroom
The bathroom was divided into two separate rooms within the “hallway.” On one side, directly opposite the minibar, was the toilet and vanity. Thankfully, there was a frosted glass door for the toilet.
The vanity was fairly basic, though was stocked with a number of amenities, including mouthwash, cotton buds, and body lotion.
The Deluxe Suite doesn’t come with a bathtub, but did have a spacious shower.
The rain shower was nice, though the water pressure was a bit underwhelming. Conrad New York uses the brand-standard Aromatherapy Associates bath products.
Across from the shower were two towel hooks.
Bedroom
The bedroom was located at the end of the hallway, and consisted of one king bed.
I should note that there are frosted glass sliding doors on both sides of the hallway. As a result, the shower, toilet/vanity, and minibar could be contained as an individual “room” if privacy is a concern. Of course, this would mean that your companion won’t be able to pass from the bedroom to the living room.
The bed was comfortable, and came with four equally comfortable king size pillows.
Each night stand featured a lamp and a reading light, as well as lighting controls. One also had a phone, while the other had an alarm clock. There were no outlets by the night stand, though the alarm clock did have two USB outlets.
The bed faced a second flat screen TV, which was flanked by two closets.
There was plenty of storage space under the television set.
One closet contained the usual amenities, like a luggage rack, slippers, laundry bags, and shopping bags.
The slippers were super soft and comfortable, and might have the thickest, most substantial plastic soles I’ve ever seen in disposable slippers. It wasn’t cardboard, but rather a real piece of rubber with non-slip markings.
The other closet had two bathrobes, in two different sizes. I really liked these bathrobes, which were microfiber with a terry cotton lining.
The view was okay, as in at least I wasn’t only overlooking rooftop AC units, but it wasn’t anything spectacular either. Some of the Deluxe Suites at the Conrad New York have a Hudson River view, though I was not assigned one of those.
Room Service
Because my Visa Signature Luxury Hotel rate came with a $25 dining credit, I decided to put it to good use. At the Conrad New York, it could be used at the restaurant, wine bar, or in-room dining. I could not, however, use it for minibar items.
On the second night of my stay, I decided to get a little late night snack. The buffalo wings were $16 from the room service menu, which after taxes, gratuities, and a $5 service charge, came to exactly $26. Some hotels don’t allow you to use F&B credits on service charges, gratuities, and taxes, though the Conrad New York had no problem applying all $25 towards my $26 bill at check-out.
The buffalo wings were delivered in 30 minutes. It was a more generous portion than I had expected, but didn’t really taste very good. It looks like microwaved wings, and the breading came right off, exposing the rather disgusting looking wings.
Since it was essentially free (or…$1), I was fine with it. I know room service is sometimes more about convenience than quality, but I don’t think I’d pay $26 for these wings.
Breakfast
I received free breakfast both for being a Hitlton HHonors Gold member and for booking through Visa Signature Luxury Hotel. Breakfast is served at Atrio Restaurant on the 2nd floor, from 6:30 am to 11 am daily.
The hostess gave me a special menu with a Hilton HHonors section, which I could order from for free. It was pretty underwhelming, since it’s just juice, coffee, and a meat-less item. Alternatively, I was told I have a $20 credit to spend on the regular menu, which doesn’t cover a whole lot.
I ordered the Bruchetta Scrambled eggs one morning, and it was pretty delicious.
The HHonors set also came with fresh juice and a French press coffee.
I appreciated that I didn’t have to sign a check or anything. When I asked for it, the waitress simply told me that “it’s covered.”
Overall Impression of Conrad New York
Financial District is not the most exciting neighborhood in New York, and I just happened to be at the Conrad because of a promotion. Other than the World Trade Center and the new Westfield mall, there isn’t a whole lot to do around the hotel, especially if you frequently visit New York.
I did like the fact that it’s an all-suite hotel, and even the basic room was very well appointed. This is definitely a rarity in New York City, and the spacious room and shower made me a happy camper. But at the same time, perhaps because I’m used to expecting “when available” items being delivered (totally my fault, I know), the fact that some Visa Signature Luxury Hotel amenities weren’t delivered left me feeling a little meh.
The bottom line is, this is a perfectly fine hotel in a perfectly fine location. If there is a great deal (like I got), or if you love the Conrad brand and the amenities that come with it, this is a nice place to stay. However, there are tons of options in New York, and I don’t think I’d return unless there’s a huge promotion, or if for whatever reason, I need to be right next to Goldman Sachs.
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7 comments
Was there a plush? Think it’s supposed to be a bull.
Hudson the Bull! I asked the front desk but they “ran out.”
Thanks for the review. I’ll be doing the same thing 2 nights at end of month as Diamond. Did you take Uber from airport?
Hi Joe! I actually got in through train, so I can’t speak to Ubering from the airport. However, I took Uber a few times, and every time the driver dropped me off at the side of the building instead of the front entrance—might be the way the address is coded in Google Maps.
so your hotel bill when checking out was just 1 full night?
Or did they charge you 2 full nights then you will get the 2nd night refund back to your card?
Thank you
Hi George! When checking out I was only charged one full night—this promotion is executed by the hotel, not the credit card company, so you should see it reflected on your bill at check-out.
Thanks for the answer 🙂