Conrad New York Midtown hotel reportedly leaving Hilton after just five years

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

• Paul says:

  19 Apr19 April 07:23

  Stayed here in 2022 for three nights. Tiny reception, decent enough breakfast, friendly helpful staff. I used points and did get a suite which was vast. At the time rates were an eye watering $1000 + a night. The location was great for walking around and getting to shows. I had driven up from DC and then had to return the car. Driving in Manhattan was interesting, thank god for Waze!
  Haven’t been back to USA since and no plans to do so. Prices then were scary and it just got worse!

  • Alex G says:

    19 Apr19 April 08:09

    Prices aside, I used to love NYC. My favourite city on earth. But my last visit was my last visit. The city has declined rapidly. Crime, homelessness, closed shops and businesses, litter, drug use, and far too many tourists. We passed a doorway and saw an empty champagne bottle and a pile of human excrement. I thought it symbolised the city perfectly.

    Up in the Catskills, I was talking to a local about how the City had declined since Covid. She said ‘if you think NYC is bad, you should see San Francisco”. She too had stopped visiting the City.

    There are still places worth visiting Upstate, and we love Vermont and Maine, but I don’t think I will ever again set foot in Manhattan, which saddens me.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      19 Apr19 April 09:10

      Sort of makes me glad I went in 2019 but also a shame that far too many stories like this mean I probably won’t return either.

    • CarpalTravel says:

      19 Apr19 April 13:43

      Whilst what you say is all inarguably true, as a frequent Manhattan visitor since the early 90’s it is still a world apart from how it was back then and is perhaps now improving.

      I went in 2022 for my first visit since Covid and experienced (+ felt) everything you said, the stench of marijuana seemingly everywhere and even people shooting up on the staircase into a subway. I also found the costs + tipping out of control, particularly where some stores varied the auto tip prompt values to be higher, when they notice you are a tourist. Yes, I am looking at you, Magnolia Bakery.

      I came home feeling so very saddened by it all.

      Then last year I felt the urge to go again and so did, and had a blast. I loved it so much and it felt less smelly, cleaner, safer, and just generally better. That said, the prices are still mental!

      When did you last go, @AlexG? For me, it is still very much my favourite place to go. I would go again tomorrow, if I could persuade P2…

      • Rob says:

        19 Apr19 April 14:12

        When I went in October 2022 – first trip post covid – I thought it was a mess. I was there twice last year, once with the family in May and then last October, and it seemed back to its old pre-covid self, albeit ludicrously expensive. I’ve got another couple of days booked in for October.

        To be honest, if you get your hotel on points then the cost element is pretty immaterial anyway. So Pret’s £5 for a coffee? So what? You’re not moving there, you’ve gone for a weekend.

        • CJD says:

          19 Apr19 April 14:56

          I think it’s just the shock – the US was always fairly cheap to visit because the exchange rate worked in our favour. That’s no longer the case.

        • t0m says:

          19 Apr19 April 23:37

          Am going in October and pretty happy to have a 90k points redemption in the Conrad Downtown for our family of 4..cash rates are $1000+ per night. A couple of nights in the Intercontinental Barclay with an Ambassador weekend voucher and the IC Boston on points too. Winning !

      • Alex G says:

        19 Apr19 April 18:57

        We were there in June 23, which was my first visit since 2019. I do love the architecture, which will always be a reason to visit for those who have never been.

        We went to DC, Philly, and Boston in 2022, and felt NYC was far worse than any of them, although the homeless encampments in the centre of DC were a bit of a shock.

        One of our bases upstate last year was Ithaca. Stayed 5 nights at the HGI on points. Really liked the town, and loved Cornell. Great base for the Finger Lakes, Thousand Islands, and some of the State Parks. We went self catering for about half the trip (in VT and the Adirondacks) which helped the budget.

  • Chrisasaurus says:

    19 Apr19 April 20:45

    Driving in Manhattan is not exactly enhanced by Waze -waving aside the GPS inaccuracy from the tall buildings it’s a grid with increasing numbers are you travel east or south – if you can get lost in Manhattan then stop driving altogether!

• Chris says:

  19 Apr19 April 10:05

  I’m a regular at this hotel (and it’s predecessor The London). Disappointed to hear this.

  Don’t think there are better rooms (I mean the suites) in Midtown for the money. Getting the Hilton points and status benefits has been a bonus but I’ll probably continue to stay here as long as it stays on our preferred hotels list after transfer to new management.

• Russell G says:

  19 Apr19 April 10:51

  Conrads have always been good experiences for us and we absolutely love NYC (mostly for the bars and restaurants). We always book through FHR and the Conrad midtown always comes up as reasonably priced. However, we’ve never stayed here as the reviews for years have said the same thing – beautiful property and location but crappy management and staffing. So I suspect after years of being on probation, the team running this hotel has lost the Conrad brand due to not being able to staff up to the expected level of a Conrad hotel. Well done Conrad for protecting your brand! Hopefully this is the impetus for this property to get new management and be turned around, so much potential.

  As to NYC in general, much like most US cities, the experience can be amazing if you put the effort in to create a great trip. The resources are all out there (and on this site too thx!). If you just rock up and expect NYC to serve you everything without putting in the time and effort to find the best places to stay, eat, drink and be entertained (and also the places to avoid!) you are going to get chewed up and spat out like Alex G above. I’ve said a similar thing about LA for years. For my wife and I though, NYC is still one of the best cities in the world and somewhere we will keep returning to again and again!

  • Alex G says:

    19 Apr19 April 12:42

    I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve visited NYC over the last 40 years. My dad lived there. I have friends there. I have certainly never “rocked up” and expected to be served everything without putting time and effort into planning my trips. But for me, NYC is finished. I’m glad you and your wife still get enjoyment from it.

• Thegasman says:

  19 Apr19 April 11:45

  Stayed there in 2012 when it was The London & it was very memorable as One Direction were also staying there so literally thousands of screaming teenage girls stood outside all day. Ended up in the lift with them a couple of times & they were really pleasant/normal letting my then girlfriend now wife get pictures & signing our keycard!

• Sam says:

  19 Apr19 April 15:30

  We’re actually visiting NY in July.
  I’m a little tentative as it been nearly 15 yrs since I was last there.
  Hilton Diamond but I’m not getting too excited considering they barley recognise it over there due the Hilton credit card freebie holders.

  Staying at the Hampton by Hilton on 35th St/Empire State Bldg.
  The other Hilton properties put me off as the free breakfast is replaced with that measly dining credit but presumably with the Hampton’s, breakfast is still free as it is over here?

• Qrfan says:

  19 Apr19 April 16:25

  Gutted. Stayed 3 times in the past 18 months. Beat the Peninsula hands down in my view. I’d be tempted to stay again with another brand but will miss the outrageous number of points this place generated with the right offer (120k being the best from a 5 night stay).

• Mutley says:

  19 Apr19 April 19:30

  Stayed in this hotel in September 2019, tiny reception area, nice big rooms, strange swan sculpture in the lobby. Good location though.

• Fraser says:

  20 Apr20 April 18:56

  I only stayed there when it was the London, tiny public area, long queue for breakfast, miserly reception staff (no concierge tips, go to business centre and pay with credit card if you want to print one sheet of paper).

  But the room was a good size and the location was excellent. Sadly I think the penny pinching in the US (tips, destination fees, charging for drinks in the lounge) puts so many people off going.

  That said, off to SF next week and will see if it has really got worse, Union Sq/Tenderloin has always had it’s unique charms so curious to see it after a few years.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.