I’ve been going to New York City every year for vacation for the last seven years.  And each time, I will make it a point to try one or two new hotels. In estimation, I must have stayed in no fewer than 10 different hotels. Most of them were mediocre, some were bad, and a couple was one-hit wonders (inconsistent service when I returned for a second stay).  Last year, I stayed at the Conrad New York.  Then, the hotel was having a promotion because they had just opened. It was unfortunate that my stay at Conrad New York last year was for one night only.  But that stay was memorable.  So this time round, I booked myself in Conrad for 5 nights. 

Impressive Lobby

The hotel lobby has a certain grandeur about it. A huge atrium and high ceilings can make a hotel look cold. But Corad’s hotel lobby has so many impressive modern art pieces that it looks very contemporary. It is edgy, yet very comforting and relaxing.

Swift Check in and Spacious Room

My friend and I are both Hilton HHonors members. Upon check in, we were upgraded to a Premier Suite. Daily breakfast was included in our room rate. Last year, I went “wow” when I saw the Deluxe Suite.  This time, I was dumbfounded when I saw my room. The Premier Suite (also a corner room) is nearly double the size of its Deluxe Suite. The Premier Suite has a huge living room, a separate WC from the bathroom, a bathtub, and a walk-in closet! The spacious room is great for us because we had so many bags.  The living room has a Nespresso coffee machine.

Luxurious Toiletries

One thing we love about the Conrad is that they use Aromatherapy Associates products. But in this Conrad, we were given three different brands of toiletries to choose from – Aromatherapy Associates (the default brand of toiletries when you check in), Shanghai Tang, and another brand which I cannot remember now. Aromatherapy Associates products are very good but sometimes, you just want to try a different brand – and I love having that option.

Yummy Breakfast

We were given breakfast vouchers to ATRIO restaurant.  Each breakfast voucher would get you a glass of juice, a cup of coffee or pot of tea, and a light dish/ meal from a list of pre-determined dishes.  The set is good to fill your stomach but the light meal is not as sumptuous as those listed in the main menu.  However, the breakfast voucher is worth US$20 and you can use it to offset the bill should you decide to order something else from the main breakfast menu.

Although the food’s good, it’s rather pricey.  A latte costs about US$8! And frankly, the service was questionable at times.  One of the waiters did not smile at his guests and seemed as if everyone owed him a living.

Gym

There’s so much to do in New York City that I didn’t have the time to use the gym (even though I brought my running shoes and attire).  I did peek into the gym though.  The gym is huge and well equipped.

The surrounding

It is good that there are many amenities around the hotel.  Shake Shack is just round the corner, Century 21 is just a couple of blocks away, and Barnes & Nobles is just 5 minutes away.  And the metro (1, 2,3, 4, 5,6, J, M lines) is about 10 minutes away.  The hotel is conveniently located and it’s situated in a quiet and nice area.

I think I have found my favourite hotel in Big Apple.  Hopefully, when I return next year, the hotel remains just as attractive as they did this year.

Conrad New York
102 North End Avenue
New York, New York, 10282, USA