Review Conrad Downtown Manhattan, sleeping "latchkey" in one of New York's best hotels
Sleeping in a 5stars in New York City without spending a euro is possible. Here is the Conrad Downtown Manhattan
JFK
This facility is fantastic; I fell in love with it the moment I stepped onto the steps leading up to the reception area.
In this article:
For those who have never visited New York City, Conrad Downtown may seem "out of the way." away from Central Park and the lights of Times Square. It is located between Tribeca and Battery Park, walking distance to the entire lower Manhattan area including the Hudson embarkations and boats to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
The best bonuses
Conrad is part of the Hilton family and is one of the chain's luxury brands, a five-star hotel where the rooms are suites only. It is perfect for those who want to stay in a unique facility with a priceless view one side on the New Jersey skyline and the other on the Freedom Tower, or One World Trade Center.
Initially the hotel opened under a different sign, it became Conrad after a complete makeover in 2012.
Reservation
We chose this facility for the first two nights of our stay in New York, the room cost at the time of booking was approximately 550$ per night, but thanks to my Hilton Honors account we were able to stay two nights without spending a single dollar.
If you have a American Express Platinum, you can enjoy many benefits, one of which is being a holder of the Hilton Gold level. With this status you can get category upgrades, late check-out and free breakfast.
As mentioned, the cost at the time of booking was over 550$, now in Covid-19 time it has reduced by one-third with rooms starting at 175$, even the cost in Hilton Honors points reflects this drop. Our reservation had cost 80 thousand points per night, today only 39 thousand are required (At this time it is highly inadvisable to use points to stay in any hotel, as the price of rooms has also plummeted).
When booking a hotel in New York always remember that taxes are excluded from the initial cost you are quoted, in this case the 175$ per night becomes a final cost of 206.5$. In detail, we need to add 14.5% in state taxes, 4$ in city tax and 1.5$ for the "Javits Center fee," which is the fee that supports the development of the convention center of the same name.
Check-in
From the outside the facility looks like a classic "concrete cube," but once you pass the front door you are left speechless. Doormen immediately take care of luggage and point the way to the lobby. The "wow" effect grows more and more, and when you step out into the lobby, you can't tell if you are in a futuristic art gallery, a spaceship or anything else, certainly not in a hotel.
The structure is bisected by a line of light for all 15 floors, artwork hangs from the ceiling, and the lighting is also designer. The huge wall above the check-in desks is iridescent depending on the light and time of day.
The procedure is carried out by the attendant very quickly and, since I am an elite user, I am offered a small upgrade (the hotel has only suites): I am asked whether I prefer a window on the Hudson or toward the Freedom Tower and I choose the latter.
The room
We are assigned a room on the 15th floor (the top one) with an incredible view toward the skyscraper symbolic of New York's rebirth post Twin Towers collapse. Sure, the view of the New Jersey Skyline was just as beautiful, but do you want to put sleeping while admiring the tallest skyscraper in North America?
The view from the Chamber
As mentioned, the rooms are suites only and very generous in size. We had a bathroom with walk-in shower and tub, a sitting area that could accommodate 4 more people, and a bedroom with a king-size mattress.
Two big screens, one in the sitting room and one in the bedroom, and more apartment than bedroom equipment, but this is New York City, there is no middle ground, and this is, not surprisingly, in the top 30 best hotels in the city that never sleeps.
Services
In our stay we took advantage of the beautiful rooftop that the hotel makes available to all, not just of the clients. From the terrace there is an incredible view of the other side of the Hudson, perhaps the less noble but certainly no less beautiful.
Enjoying a sunset while enjoying a drink at this small but vibrant terrace surrounded by Manhattan's skyscrapers is priceless.
Although of course, as with room service, costs are parameterized to where we are. If you look closely at the photo below, you cannot fail to notice how clearly the Statue of Liberty can be seen.
Obviously available to guests are a super-equipped gym, spaces to relax after a busy day in the city, and plenty of artwork to admire, scattered throughout the lobby.
Breakfast
One of the advantages in holding Hilton's Gold status. is to enjoy free breakfast when staying on a rate that does not include breakfast. To get this benefit, it is enough to be a holder of the American Express Platinum and automatically you will be able to apply for Gold status which is maintained as long as you remain a cardholder, even without ever staying.
There is no buffet in this facility, only table service. Guests are presented with a menu of the various dishes offered, prepared in the open kitchen. The food is delicious.
The waiters explained to us that being an elite customer we were entitled to a voucher worth 20$ to use in the selection in the menu. Our breakfast should have cost almost 60$, but we were not asked for anything at the end of our stay, so the benefit was well over 20$ per person.
In conclusion
A beautiful hotel, huge rooms in a lovely location. Out the door you can enjoy a variety of cuisines; we aimed for a burger at Shake Shack, which is located less than 50 meters from the hotel. And a lunch at Le District, a kind of eataly dedicated to French products.
At today's cost I would book on a pay-as-you-go basis, while when it returns to normal rates the option of using points and sleeping without paying in such a facility is definitely an option to consider. In any case. Absolutely to visit again.
Pro
- Suite only
- Artwork furniture
- Incredible location
Against
- I didn't find any