Introduction have almost all fantastic things to report on this brand-spanking-new conrad in DTLA. i'm in l.a. on a pretty constant basis for work, and this was only my second time staying downtown. so i can't compare it to IC, RC, some of the other upscale offerings there, but it's hard for me to imagine a better - or more 'luxury' option than this conrad.and while it's not cheap, it's location in DTLA is surely the only thing keeping it from charing twice or thrice it's current rates. having stayed twice at sister property WA in beverly hills, i'd say everything about this product (other than location, for most) is just flat-out better. this is simply a gorgeous hotel. from the outside and (especially) the inside. it's not the wildest or greatest gehry building ever, but interesting enough. and every last aspect of tara bernerd's interior design is stunning, a masterclass in sleekness, beauty and functionality. can't say enough about how warm everything feels, and my first stay was during l.a.'s most severe rain/wind event in years (mid feb 2023). from the multiple bars (classy beauts, all three) to the pool to the spa. every last hallway and piece of furniture chosen and placed with an extremely tasteful eye, and the result is pure contemporary luxe. it feels just stuffy/classy enough for older travelers, and just hip/happening enough for the rad-ish, younger crowd. Check In front desk staff were professional and cordial. both bookings done through amex FHR, both times upgrade granted. first stay, upgraded to corner suite. second stay upgraded to premium view king. all amex FHR laid out by desk agent.i've read other complaints of too many elevators, and of the property being too spread out. i never felt a bit confused. FTR: there are no more than two elevator systems you will use. one runs between the main hotel lobby and street/valet parking area, another bank of elevators that services the rest of the hotel from the lobby. is that too many elevators? Room as with the rest of the hotel, the rooms are brand new and superbly finished. from the soft, fabric'd walls to the handsome hardwood flooring (not laminate) to the furniture and bed. all pretty spectacular and on point.i was on floor19 first stay, a corner suite, and to say the room gets lots of light is laughably insufficient..... unless you have the blackout shades down, you will be flooded with light. all floors/rooms offers commanding views of DTLA, not tons of 10+ storey buildings directly around the conrad. if you book a suite and you're concerned about all the 'suites' these days that are simply larger rooms with a desk and/or sofa, fear not: this entry-level conrad LA suite is large. extra roomy. excellent layout. and it was an actual suite: two fully separate rooms.(though 'only' one bathroom).second stay i was on floor 21, premium view king. as a single room, just as roomy, with just as much light.walls, doors, windows all super thick and quiet. i was concerned as i approached my first-stay room door for first time, as there were clearly a couple of party-down ladies staying in the room across the hall; once my door closed, though, it was immediately silent within my room.---bathrooms are huge and luxe as heck. they feel felt spa-like. (though the website describes the corner suite's bathrooms as 'sun soaked"....um, there's no window in there? no sunlight at all, but it's still a fantastic bathroom)---clearly the open closet concept will annoy some. i'm not one of those who hates it to begin with, and particularly in hotel rooms this large.--pictures here of second stay, premium room (not full suite, didn't take pics on first stay). it does a good job of showing room finishes. my only knocks on rooms:---no welcome information or information about the hotel printed and in room, or even available with a qcode. was given my FHR letter from front desk and that was it. very unusual.---room service menu only on q-code. i'm not sure who is actually convenienced by this new-fangled way of doing things. just seems to add extra-steps for the guest - pull out your phone, get the picture, put on your readers, scroll around. i have bad eyes. i wish hotels would just print out the darn menu and put it in the room.---conrad has employed a fancy electronic panel to control just about everything in the room, and surely at tremendous expense. i continue to be unsure about the true benefits of these types of systems. i know they seem space-age and blinding-edge current to some. i've found most all of them to be confusing and unintuitive. either it's unclear what the group settings actually control, or the panel itself is wonky and hard to know how to 'touch' just right. this system suffered from both: it didn't seem to respond easily or even consistently to my touch, generally felt wonky. and the settings, without further written or posted information/explanation, took a lot of trial and error to (not fully) figure out. i wish hotels - unless they're positive they have a foolproof system (i've yet to experience one), would simply default to a set of clearly marked analog switches/dials. rather than try to 'wow' the guest with confusing and inconsistent technology. Service not quite the service levels you'll find at WA in bev hills, but for my needs the conrad's is more my style. less intrusive, more out of the way. i did have a couple of needs (printing docs, dry cleaning) and they were attended to with efficiency and graciousness.one real service problem for those with cars: valets were all extremely friendly, but the valet setup is not at all efficient. on first stay, got my car twice in 24 hours, called in advance both times, and still waited 10+ mins outside each time. second stay i asked for my rented EV to be charged overnight, they said no prob, not done next morning when i picked it up. none of this is good. particularly in light of the absolutely face-melting $65 per night valet charge. SIXTY FIVE DOLLARS per night. are we in DTLA? or are we in monte carlo? cmon hilton. anyway, yeah. not the best valet. Dining the beaudry bar is a truly excellent setting for cocktails and small bites. great drinks.did not eat at san laurel, but room service was delicious.all of the f&b options are overseen by jose andres, as with the rest of the hotel, all of them are just stunning. the deck restaurant, agua viva, is especially gorgeous. Location if you want or need to stay in DTLA, then you know what and where it is. the point of downtown (besides being 'historic') is that it's the most urban-feeling part of LA and the easiest to negotiate on foot. so it's downtown. walkable or short uber to virtually everything you'd want to do downtown. disney hall, museums, shows (la live), sports (sofi), USC, etc etc while downtown is never my first choice in LA, this is likely your best 'luxury' option in the 'hood. Overall special mention on the pool.it's not true 'rooftop' - that'd be up 30 floors, and would truly have been spectular - it is on the 10th floor (lobby level) and still offers great views. there is drinks/bite service around the pool, and for once at this type of la hotel, the service will actually come around and check on you with some regularity.it's not the sexiest, most cosmopolitan l.a. hotel pool hang of all time, but that's what i apprecaited about it: it's NOT. looks like it should be, but it's really chill and quiet and classy.finally, this outdoor pool is HEATED. yay, conrad. year round outdoor l.a. swimming. love that.