Originally Posted by
jefftiger
I checked in earlier this evening for my first visit here. I'm underwhelmed, but I appreciate that I'll probably come off as an over-entitled tosser.
I booked a deluxe room and got just that. I wasn't offered an upgrade and I don't like to ask. This is almost the first Conrad property where I didn't get some form of upgrade (the Conrad NY also doesn't seem to do upgrades typically). And, there's definitely many rooms available this week, judging from a check on the website. That said, the deluxe room is attractive, substantial, and comfortable. It has a vaguely Asian Conrad feel. The lighting controls are very non-intuitive. After a few hours here, I still don't fully understand them and I consider myself pretty tech-literate. I had to call the services line to figure out how to turn off the lamp over the desk (there's a small button that perhaps I should have felt around for!).
I'm disappointed with the Diamond breakfast benefit. I was told that I'll get $25 per day to use at any of the food establishments. But, I gather that that amount won't actually cover breakfast.
Maybe the hotel will grow on me over the next few days, but I feel like I get more benefits and enjoyment from other Hiltons in the DC area. Given that I cannot find any government rate availability at the Conrad through at least September (except on weekends - not exactly when government employees are working), I don't expect to stay here again. I appreciate that the hotel is going for a very different demographic than government office workers. I feel lucky that I found the government rate when I booked many months back, likely before they worked out their rate structure in much detail.
I had a similar, underwhelmed impression on a recent, admittedly brief (one-night) stay recently. I actually did ask about a Diamond upgrade from the most basic room; was told none were available. I did a quick check when I got to my room and found that the hotel had lots of better rooms of various categories available for that night.
The $25 Diamond meal credit probably covers a basic breakfast like a bowl of granola and fruit. But my eggs came to over $40 after the service and other charges (which weren't mentioned in the menu) figured in.
I'd much rather that, with so many staff in and around the property, a couple more were placed at the front desk, to avoid waits when more than two guests need it.
Beyond that, the place has a cold kind of feel to it in terms of the design.
"Business center" desks' printer was improperly adjusted so that getting a document printed off of it was a hassle.
The very nice lounge area some have mentioned is indeed a substantial upcharge, if it even is available at all if you're in a basic room. (The guest services person I asked about it said there was no lounge, that it was part of a separate "hotel within a hotel" service.) So no lounge access unless you want to pay for it.
Now, the room is certainly nice and roomy, and that counts for a lot, and I didn't have quite the same problems as jefftiger figuring out the lighting. But I don't think I'll be going out of my way to go back there.