Introduction

The Conrad Los Angeles aims for the highest pinnacle of hotel establishments in LA - built in the Grand LA, this multi-billion dollar mixed-used development was designed by Frank Gehry and features over 175,000+ square foot of retail and dining spaces, along a series of public plaza open-layout terraces. When it was brought to my attention that it was opening during at at a time when I was heading down to LA for my sister’s wedding, I couldn’t help but check it out.

If you’re a Hilton fan, you know that Los Angeles has two dominant properties in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, with the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and The Oceana Santa Monica, a LXR property footing the luxury hotels in the area. IT’s nice to see more and more luxury hotels coming into the west coast. Some folks might overlook the Conrad Los Angeles for the other two, but I can clearly assure you that this Conrad is on the same footing as the others.

BOOKING

I had booked each night with 95,000 Hilton Honors Points as an average rate was around $750 during booking. However, we were then upgraded to the Studio One King, which at time of check-in, was a whopping $1,077 a night! So now, the 95,000 points sure look like a steal for this.

Booking Tip: You can also use a a free Award Night certificate from the Hilton Credit Card lineup from Amex like the Aspire to help compensate or stack.

Check-In

Upon arrival at the valet, we were quickly greeted and ushered by the courteous bellman, who sought to help with our luggage onto the bell cart. We were then told to go to the 10th floor for the lobby, where we could check in.

Hard Tip: It’s valet only. $55.

When we arrived at the lobby, we were greeted to this beautiful view of the Walt Disney concert hall and a wide atrium of communal spaces. It was incredibly warm and inviting - later on in the week, I ended up doing a couple of work down there. We were then directed to check-in, where the front desk team greeted us by name - another 5 star perk and service that highlights the awesome property. The front desk manager actually checked us in while going over the list of things to do in the hotel, and then gave us room 1427, which was an upgrade from our King Deluxe Room. We were given a studio suite, which as you can see later on, was a massive win as a Hilton Diamond member.

Because the hotel had just opened three weeks ago, there were a few kinks that were easily rectified and dismissed - such as a slight delay in their system or the adjustments of rooms - nevertheless, these were incredibly minute in reasoning.

A quick trip to another set of elevators brought us to floor 14, where we were invited to Room 1427…

Studio One King Bedroom (Room 1427)

Measured across 463 square foot, this lovely studio suite contained a section as a living room while the bathroom layout allowed for collapsable walls, allowing for more open space and air to flow through the room. We were greeted a lovely view of the interior courtyard and the lovely Agua Viva, while seeing the pool as well.

Everything feels expensive. The King-sized bed felt incredibly comfortable and I had absolutely no problem getting my ZZZs in at night. A wall of white oak acts as the backdrop from the bed, and an L-shaped sofa and coffee table greets you at the living room. There is a small table that has outlets at the bottom of the floor, allowing for easy access to power for your laptops and working stations. Great thought there.

Everything feels just right. Modern elements of technology is incorporated into the room with its vast touch HVAC and room controls, along with an UI in the LG TV that allows for remote access from your phone. USB and charging outlets are everywhere, so that’s another great win there. There’s still a sense of home though with the layout and the furniture choice - not too modern, yet tasteful enough to drive intrigue across visitors.

Bathroom was a great wow factor. Pity that they resorted to Target Sized bottles of toiletries, which was a slight disappointment. However, we’re big fans of Byredo and their scent. The bathroom featured a separation of toilet and shower with privacy doors. The shower was incredibly cool, as there was a legit power button and a selection of ways to shower yourself. I recommend the rainfall if you have a chance.

Overall, the studio suite was a welcome blessing and we were incredibly thrilled to have a fruit medley welcome gift as part of our arrival. Again, it’s these small touches that just make the experience all the more special. The only minor infraction was the lack of water bottles during our 1st stay, as we were promised water but then found none (save the mini bar, which we definitely avoided as it was an absurd $12 per bottle). Luckily our next stay saw two Fiji water bottles in our room.

DINING

The dining spectrum here at Conrad Los Angeles is frankly amazing. The restaurants on the property are all in partnership with Chef José Andrés and include these a few favorites:

San Laurel is a Spanish tapas styled establishment that has a series of amazing dishes and an environment similar to Spain. Their ingredients are sourced directly from the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market and are actively supporting the local suppliers, which is always a plus.
Agua Viva is a a rooftop establishment that focuses on Latin and Asian flavors that also has a great view of the Los Angeles establishment (we had lunch here)
The Beaudry Room is a bar and small bites section of the hotel that has an amazing view of the surrounding Downtown LA scene. Cocktails there are amazing and plentiful!

As a Hilton Diamond, were given given $25 per guest ($50 in my book), though we saved that for breakfast, as we would rather pay out of pocket for lunch. Breakfast was amazing at San Laurel and the servers were incredibly attentive and affable, making the whole experience so worthwhile and relaxing in the morning. It also helped that the weather was absolutely on point the days we were there. Complementary coffee and tea is provided every morning near the San Laurel bar area, and offers great choices of teas and milk.

The pool area included a series of cabanas and lounge chairs, and a few folks during the stay had a great time. Based on the rooftop on floor 10, it’s open daily and is quite a good size. The views are just as good across the spectrum of windows and patios scattered across the hotel.

The Conrad Los Angeles also has a dedicated SPA on the 9th floor, and a rather interesting gym on the 8th floor. I absolutely loved the design that flows through the building. The gym had an abundance of cardio equipment, and space for free weights. What intrigued me though was the vast empty space - i’m wondering if they’re still waiting on inventory for the gym, or if that’s a place for fitness classes? Either way, it struck me a bit confused as it definitely feels a bit…weird.

Back to the lobby on the 10th floor. It’s an incredibly inviting and warm place to be, and they have tables that have built in outlets for people to work at, which again - nice touch. There are spacious pockets of seatings spread across the floor, both indoors and outdoors. The views outdoors are stunning, with the Broad Museum and the Walt Disney Concert Hall right behind it. Night time is very memorable.

Summary

I am utterly delighted by the Conrad Los Angeles. This has got to be one of my new favorite Los Angeles hotels and and a top 3 in the Conrad’s that I’ve visited so far. Of course, being relatively new still, there are a few more kinks to work out across the hotel, but ultimately, we had a blast here and felt incredibly well received and treated during our stay.

A huge thank you to all the staff working during our stay, from the front desk to lovely hosts from San Laurel and Agua Viva for making our meals so fun and relaxing, and to the management team for allowing us glimpse of what Conrad Los Angeles has to offer!