Space is a luxury in Manhattan. Numerous are the times I’ve opened the door of a Manhattan hotel room to find a tight, viewless square. It feels hopelessly modern to consider that most of those hotels are apartment conversions, and that what feels tight as a hotel room must have felt stifling as a permanent residence. But Manhattan’s allure draws a steady stream of visitors, and finding space for them all can be a challenge.
For travelers like me, who bring more provincial notions regarding living space along with us to the Big Apple, the Conrad New York Midtown delivers, and it delivers in luxurious style.
The smallest guestroom here is a palatial—not just by NYC standards—425 square feet for shorter stays. Rooms graduate on up through arena-sized apartments (1,425 sq ft) or the bi-level penthouse suite that at 2,700 square feet could most aptly be described as “acreage”. There’s even a 1,200 square foot “atrium” suite that has a greenhouse sitting area with omnidirectional views of Midtown and Central Park.
The hotel describes the rooms as “residential-style,’ and that’s certainly accurate. My Park View One Bedroom Suite had an adorable dining table for two with comfy leather chairs, subdued color tones with curated art (there are also original works by Matisse and Warhol to be found around the hotel), a large woven sofa and a custom dark wood console with drawers for everything from minibars to china for the Nespresso machine. Of course, that’s all more noticeable without the 52nd-floor view of Central Park competing for attention, but all much-appreciated comforts nonetheless.
There aren’t a huge number of Conrads in North America. Most have concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region since the brand’s founding nearly four decades ago. Solidly Hilton in hospitality ethos and execution, Conrad properties focus on making stays memorable with distinctive, bespoke room designs and furnishings, and a blend of technological and personal service delivery.
Perhaps the most distinctive moment during a stay at this Conrad is the arrival experience. Guests enter the lobby to immediately face a disarmingly lifelike sculpture of a woman in a bathing suit and swim cap reclined on a large inflatable pool swan. There’s detail down to the water droplets, and it’s irresistible to reach out and touch the swan to make sure it’s actually a sculpture and not inflated. Local artist Carole Feuerman is behind the conversation piece, which is designed to project impressions of feminist strength.
For travelers whose visitor ethos is to pretend they live there, these apartment-style rooms do the trick so well travelers will feel the urge to game plan their next co-op board meeting while in residence. Not that there’s anything to complain about—plush beds with 300 thread count sheets, blackout curtains, plenty of closet space and bedside outlets, glass-walled showers with meltaway showers adorned with Shanghai Tang bath amenities—there’s little to not love.
When it’s time to dine, the culinary team at the hotel’s restaurant Dabble has guests well set up. There’s food available from 6:30 in the morning through midnight, and there’s a cocktail program that will satisfy even veteran mixologists. I was particularly taken with the French Pear, a concoction of Grey Goose La Poire vodka shaken with lime and topped with an egg white foam infused with New York honey. They’re also pouring from a delightful international wine list.
Breakfasts are as one would expect in quality and selection for a Conrad, although the kitchen’s execution is as flawless as during the dinner hour, which is refreshing. The dinner menu, however, is a star.
A mix of shareable elevated bar snacks (think citrus-marinated olives or habit-forming rosemary roasted Marcona almonds) sit alongside hotel entrée favorites that dispense with fuss and fancy (let’s face it, if you’re eating in the hotel you’re not seeking culinary fireworks). Nevertheless, entrees are home runs for hungry travelers: Vancouver Island Salmon, New York Strip steak or a rich Long Island Duck with plum compote are a couple of the more generous options.
The luxury of space is evident throughout the hotel, but it’s perhaps most notable in the gigantic fitness room, which also has residential touches such as wood-paneled walls with wainscotting and pumped in fragrance. There’s no nook, no alcove where guests feel anything but uncrowded, and for New York City that’s really the true luxury.
The Takeaway
Guests looking for spacious accommodations, solidly luxurious service and amenities and a fantastically convenient Midtown location will find their zen at this lovely Conrad.
The Math
I’ve seen rates from $360 per night plus tax.
The hotel does not charge a destination/resort/amenity fee.
Instagrammable Moment
Park views, and of course, the lobby sculpture, which is titled “Leda and the Swan”.
Loyalty
Hilton Honors
Good to Know
Shanghai Tang bath amenities aren’t generally available for public sale, so if you like them, request a couple extras “for the road”.
Premium suites are outfitted with Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryers.
