Conrad Washington DC {US-DC}
May 6, 2019, 2:08 pm
#136
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
Took a lot of photos which I'll post once I get a chance to go through them, but some initial thoughts.
- The Sakura Club is absolutely worth the upgrade price. Food there is high end and I liked the chef's station presenting cooked-to-order items. I favor the current system in which Diamonds are not upgraded into the Sakura Club because it preserves the exclusivity and elaborate meal presentations.
- Staff were excellent.
- No issues with the water pressure or tv or electronic curtains. I thought the room was very well designed.
May 7, 2019, 2:13 pm
#138
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
Sakura Club
Sakura Club fridge
Sakura Club room
Sakura Club dinner
Sakura Club dinner chef's station
Sakura Club breakfast
Reservation/Elite perks: I'm a Hilton Gold, booked a Sakura Club 2-Queen room. Did not receive a room upgrade, but I received $25 of food & beverage credit/person, up to $50, for redemption at Estuary, the hotel restaurant. Estuary was very reasonably priced given its chef pedigree, and I was able to order 2 appetizers, 1 entree, and a dessert for just $20 out of pocket. I thought the $50 FB credit was generous, although I understand this is a recent change. I believe the amount of credit is the same whether you are Gold or Diamond.
Room: While I didn't like the hotel lobby due to its emphasis on modern minimalism, I very much liked my Sakura Club room. The carpeting felt luxuriously thick. I appreciated the high ceilings and abundance of light fixtures (too many of my recent hotel stays have been in dimly lit rooms). No issues with water pressure out of the sink or shower. Amenities were Shanghai Tang brand- great choice! Beds were extremely comfortable. USB/power hubs on either side of the bed.
Sakura Club: worth the upgrade price. I was offered champagne at check-in. Staff were excellent. There are 5 meal presentations, with dinner and breakfast being the main affairs. I suspect lunch is considerable as well, but did not have a chance to experience. There is a lounge refrigerator that is stocked with various drinks, Haagen Dazs mini ice cream cups, fresh fruit, and sandwiches/salads. All of the prepared food is made from scratch and tasted very high quality.
Afternoon tea: small finger sandwiches, gourmet cookies, small chocolates. The lounge is also equipped with a Nespresso-type machine now. We had our whisky tasting during tea time.
Dinner: the highlight of the SC experience with an elaborate spread. Various artisanal salads, 3 types of dessert (which were all excellent), and several substantial proteins, including rib eye, a roast chicken dish, and a chef station preparing skirt steak to order. The theme of the night was South American cuisine.
After-Dinner: slightly disappointing after the production that was dinner, this was mainly limited to sandwiches and salads in the refrigerator.
Breakfast: less extravagant than dinner, featured a chef preparing omelettes to order
Conclusion: I would stay again. I hope they can maintain the quality of the Sakura Club.
May 7, 2019, 6:56 pm
#140
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
Sample plate from evening Sakura Club dinner presentation
Another shot of breakfast (minus a few items)
Automatic coffee machine, plus tea
A few more photos! The dinner presentation is very substantial. Could easily pass for a full meal at a nearby restaurant.
Last edited by iluvdoco; May 7, 2019 at 7:47 pm
May 7, 2019, 6:59 pm
#141
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
You're welcome! I'm not sure how often they rotate the theme for the meal presentations at the Sakura Club, but I suspect it's everyday. If so, the BlueZebras are in for a treat!
Last edited by iluvdoco; May 7, 2019 at 7:32 pm
May 12, 2019, 6:21 pm
#142
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 82
Sakura Club
Sakura Club fridge
Sakura Club room
Sakura Club dinner
Sakura Club dinner chef's station
Sakura Club breakfast
Reservation/Elite perks: I'm a Hilton Gold, booked a Sakura Club 2-Queen room. Did not receive a room upgrade, but I received $25 of food & beverage credit/person, up to $50, for redemption at Estuary, the hotel restaurant. Estuary was very reasonably priced given its chef pedigree, and I was able to order 2 appetizers, 1 entree, and a dessert for just $20 out of pocket. I thought the $50 FB credit was generous, although I understand this is a recent change. I believe the amount of credit is the same whether you are Gold or Diamond.
Room: While I didn't like the hotel lobby due to its emphasis on modern minimalism, I very much liked my Sakura Club room. The carpeting felt luxuriously thick. I appreciated the high ceilings and abundance of light fixtures (too many of my recent hotel stays have been in dimly lit rooms). No issues with water pressure out of the sink or shower. Amenities were Shanghai Tang brand- great choice! Beds were extremely comfortable. USB/power hubs on either side of the bed.
Sakura Club: worth the upgrade price. I was offered champagne at check-in. Staff were excellent. There are 5 meal presentations, with dinner and breakfast being the main affairs. I suspect lunch is considerable as well, but did not have a chance to experience. There is a lounge refrigerator that is stocked with various drinks, Haagen Dazs mini ice cream cups, fresh fruit, and sandwiches/salads. All of the prepared food is made from scratch and tasted very high quality.
Afternoon tea: small finger sandwiches, gourmet cookies, small chocolates. The lounge is also equipped with a Nespresso-type machine now. We had our whisky tasting during tea time.
Dinner: the highlight of the SC experience with an elaborate spread. Various artisanal salads, 3 types of dessert (which were all excellent), and several substantial proteins, including rib eye, a roast chicken dish, and a chef station preparing skirt steak to order. The theme of the night was South American cuisine.
After-Dinner: slightly disappointing after the production that was dinner, this was mainly limited to sandwiches and salads in the refrigerator.
Breakfast: less extravagant than dinner, featured a chef preparing omelettes to order
Conclusion: I would stay again. I hope they can maintain the quality of the Sakura Club.
My biggest issue with this Sakura Club is, its devaluing the whole Diamond Status. With a lot of Hilton's starting to put these in their hotels, you are losing the Exec. lounge benefit which basically means the only difference between Gold and Diamond is 48 Hr Route Guarantee and Status Gifting. Also I'm amazed you only spent $70 at the Estuary. I went for breakfast and 2 meals, plus 1 juice and the bill was almost $75 after tip.
May 13, 2019, 12:41 pm
#143
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
My biggest issue with this Sakura Club is, its devaluing the whole Diamond Status. With a lot of Hilton's starting to put these in their hotels, you are losing the Exec. lounge benefit which basically means the only difference between Gold and Diamond is 48 Hr Route Guarantee and Status Gifting. Also I'm amazed you only spent $70 at the Estuary. I went for breakfast and 2 meals, plus 1 juice and the bill was almost $75 after tip.
However, the F&B credit at the Conrad should be raised so that Diamonds at least get a larger allowance.
May 13, 2019, 12:58 pm
#144
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Lifetime Titanium, Delta Plat, Hilton Diamond , Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,615
We are arriving here in a few days- booked Sakura studio suite. Will update with review and photos upon our return.
We were originally booked at the St Regis but got cold feet after reading reviews about the tired rooms and decor. A friend also had a disappointing stay there.
I think we were lucky to snag the Conrad on short notice (DC is packed with both Georgetown & George Washington graduations). The only reason they had availability is that people don’t know about this hotel yet. It looks wonderful.
We were originally booked at the St Regis but got cold feet after reading reviews about the tired rooms and decor. A friend also had a disappointing stay there.
I think we were lucky to snag the Conrad on short notice (DC is packed with both Georgetown & George Washington graduations). The only reason they had availability is that people don’t know about this hotel yet. It looks wonderful.
May 13, 2019, 1:24 pm
#145
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
Agree 100%. This is a new concept to Hilton loyalists for sure. Don't get me wrong, I do love me some U.S. Hilton Exec lounge cheese and crackers, but this isn't comparable by any means. The correct analogy, as we agree, is to RC clubs.
May 13, 2019, 4:19 pm
#146
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
While the RC clubs might have a more lavish spread, I don't think they have the high quality farm-to-table fresh foods that the Sakura Club has. Also the RC club rooms are generally more expensive.
May 22, 2019, 10:54 am
#149
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Lifetime Titanium, Delta Plat, Hilton Diamond , Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,615
Just checked out after a 6 night stay in a Sakura Studio Suite. We were very impressed with the high level of service and the comfortable contemporary rooms. We felt the club was totally worth it for us although we never ate a single meal there. Before choosing the Conrad we had already booked all of our dinners at special restaurants—reservations we were looking forward to. And we used the Diamond allowance of $50 per day for room service breakfasts. So we only used the lounge to relax and take champagne breaks and nightcaps. But the food looked great and one could totally have all meals there if desired.
We didn’t take a ton of photos but I’ll post a few.
Bottom line- we can totally recommend the Sakura Club. Special shout out to the amazing staff- Zineb, Autumn, Yohanna, Patrick & Chriselle who really made us feel welcome during our stay.
There is a photo of our bedroom and one of our living room area & a very nice welcome amenity from the manager. The rest were some quick photos I took of the lounge one afternoon.
We didn’t take a ton of photos but I’ll post a few.
Bottom line- we can totally recommend the Sakura Club. Special shout out to the amazing staff- Zineb, Autumn, Yohanna, Patrick & Chriselle who really made us feel welcome during our stay.
There is a photo of our bedroom and one of our living room area & a very nice welcome amenity from the manager. The rest were some quick photos I took of the lounge one afternoon.
May 22, 2019, 5:12 pm
#150
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
Just checked out after a 6 night stay in a Sakura Studio Suite. We were very impressed with the high level of service and the comfortable contemporary rooms. We felt the club was totally worth it for us although we never ate a single meal there. Before choosing the Conrad we had already booked all of our dinners at special restaurants—reservations we were looking forward to. And we used the Diamond allowance of $50 per day for room service breakfasts. So we only used the lounge to relax and take champagne breaks and nightcaps. But the food looked great and one could totally have all meals there if desired.
Great to hear you enjoyed your stay! Your chef's station selection looked better than mine. A couple questions- do you recall how extensive the Sakura Club lunch presentation was and how often they rotated the evening menu themes?