My wife and I got to experience this beautiful property courtesy of our AMEX free weekend night certificates.  Unfortunately, the American Express Hilton Honors Ascend Card no longer has this benefit on the cardmember anniversary. You have to spend $15,000 in a given year to get the free night, and I don’t think it’s worth forgoing points with Chase or AMEX Platinum/Gold to pursue a free night with Hilton in most instances. Since my wife and I have the AMEX Hilton Honors Ascend Card, we combined our free nights into a weekend stay. The nightly rate for our room was $450, so we got $900 worth of value plus $50 credit toward dining for the annual fee we paid for both cards ($95 per card).

Check-In

Walking into the hotel, take the elevator to the third floor. There is no second floor; the third floor is where the check-in desk, lounge, restaurant, and lobby are located. Upon checking in, the receptionist verified our Hilton Gold status, courtesy of the AMEX card, and upgraded us to a room on the 9th floor. We could choose 1,000 Hilton points or a $50 dining credit as Hilton Gold members. We took the dining credit (I don’t recommend taking the points in this scenario). The receptionist was kind enough to give us a mini-tour of the hotel, Estuary restaurant, and some of the amenities this hotel offers.

My first impression when walking in was that this hotel did not have many 90-degree angles. The architect made a concerted effort to make the interior as curvy as possible. The lobby was beautiful, and since the hotel was only 45 days old when we stayed, it still had that brand-new scent.

Room

Our room was on the 9th floor, with a nice view of New York Street below. Keeping up with the theme, the room was curvy but spacious and very comfortable.

As an avid coffee drinker, I always appreciate it when a hotel provides a Keurig-type machine with pods. The coffee was complimentary, per usual, but the snacks were completely overpriced. If you need snacks, there is a CVS across the street where you can get the same offerings for 1/4 of the price.

The bathroom provided two sinks and a separate blurred door to the toilet so two people could use the bathroom simultaneously while still having some privacy.

The toiletries were Shanghai Tang, and the scent was very nice—not too overpowering but not too light either. The room also provided slippers, a safe, laundry bag, iron, and bathrobes.

Estuary and Estuary Bar

Estuary is the restaurant on the premises on the 3rd floor. We went there for breakfast on Saturday morning and ordered a custom-made omelet and buttermilk pancakes. Both were delicious, albeit smaller in portion than your typical brunch diner.

The Estuary Bar area was spacious, and seating was plentiful during the day. If an event is going on at the hotel, it’ll likely get packed in the evening and into the late night.

Third Floor Terrace and Rooftop Bar

Since the hotel was only 45 days old during our stay, the Rooftop Bar was not officially open to guests, so I could only take pictures from behind the glass door. The 3rd-floor terrace was open for use.

Fitness Center

The fitness center was one of the better ones I had seen at a hotel. Upon entering, guests are greeted with towels, earphones, and apples.

Concluding Thoughts

Although I forgot to measure the internet speed, I had no speed or Wi-Fi connectivity issues. If you plan to park your car at the Conrad, parking in their garage is $36 a day. I used the ParkWhiz app and found a garage two blocks away, allowing me to park for $14. There is also metered parking on the street, but it has a three-hour time limit during business hours and is free overnight. One of the most appealing aspects of staying at Conrad DC is that the National Mall, White House, Capitol building, Smithsonian, and many other points of interest are only 10-15 minutes away by walking. I also want to acknowledge the receptionists on the 3rd floor who always gave us complimentary bottles of water whenever we walked by. The staff made an excellent stay that much better.