My choice of abode in Chongqing will be the newly opened Conrad Chongqing. I am fortunate to come at a time when the hotel just started operation. It only opened for a week or so before my stay. The hotel just had its Grand Opening recently. I am a huge fan of new hotels especially in China. At first, I wanted to stay at the Hilton but switched to the Conrad. The pricing is very reasonable and not too much of a difference. They also offer some points for an opening special. This is the best property for Hilton members in Chongqing. Conrad Chongqing is located in the Nan’an district and takes up the upper few floors of the Jiafakua Trade Centre Fu Building. The hotel takes up the 38th to 51st Floors. The sister hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chongqing – Nan’an is right next to it. It embodies the concept of “The Oriental Floating City” where the rooms and suites tower among the clouds and overlook the surrounding mountains and rivers. You can be sure to get an amazing view if you are staying here. I am excited about the stay as the pictures look amazing.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I got some information from the hotel regarding the transportation and the rooms. I booked directly from Hilton for this stay and will be staying here for 4 nights. I also reached out to say that I will be arriving late after midnight. The Executive Lounge Manager, Fiona also reached out to provide more information on the lounge and hotel. A couple of days out from the stay, I can see that I have been upgraded to a Premium Room. This is the best non-suite category room available. That is an excellent upgrade. You will see why later. While the Executive Rooms are higher, they are more or less the same as the base levels ones. You should not be aiming for that unless you are only a Gold member. The real treats are the premium ones. Fiona also nicely offered me some information on the city which is handy as they are hard to get outside. Conrad Chongqing comes with 275 guest rooms and suites spread across 8 categories. You can check out the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Executive Lounge Access | Bathtub | Room Size | No.of Rooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deluxe City View | No | Yes | 51 Sqm | 140 |
| Deluxe With Floating Bath | No | Yes | 52 Sqm | 40 |
| Premium | No | Yes | 73 Sqm | 44 |
| Executive | Yes | Yes | 50 Sqm | 25 |
| Premium Suite | Yes | Yes | 120 Sqm | 3 |
| One Bedroom Loft Suite | Yes | Yes | 51 Sqm | 18 |
| Deluxe Loft Sky View Suite | Yes | Yes | 73 Sqm | 4 |
| Presidential Suite | Yes | Yes | 226 Sqm | 1 |
Checking In
I only got to the hotel at about 2.40am. The flight timing is pretty bad and I only landed in Chongqing airport at 1 am. We spent some time collecting our bags and got a Didi to our hotel which cost around 20 SGD. They are so well-priced and affordable. I always go for the premium rides. The ground floor is just a reception area with some seating at the side. Given my late arrival, there is no one there to help me with my bags. The security very nicely welcomed us and informed us that the lobby is on the 52nd floor. In proper hours, it is staffed and the bellboys are very helpful.
The actual lobby is located on the 52nd floor. This is one of the higher floors of the hotel with the guests room housed in the levels below. I love the concept. The lobby is gorgeous and boasts amazing views over the entire area. The views are excellent and sometimes it is just among the clouds which adds up another vibe to the place. There are seatings by the side of the lobby. There is one set of elevators that zip you from the ground floor to the lobby. Another set of elevators connects the lobby and the room.
There was no one at this hour and I was immediately helped by the night staff who was warm and welcoming. Checking in took some time as usual at China hotels. I was thanked for being a Diamond member. I was provided with all the information for the stay. She also provided me with a welcome letter that accorded executive-level benefits, and this included two pieces of complimentary pressing service during my stay. She then ushered me over to my room.
King Premium Room
I was assigned a room on the 40th floor. Room 4015 is just a short walk from the elevators. This is a mid-tier room over here and two levels above the base levels. The Premium Room comes with an L-shaped entrance. I love the decor and the overall look of the place. You will be impressed by the 73 Sqm of space here. That is impressive! Some suites are smaller than this! This is one of the largest rooms I ever stayed in. The entranceway offers plenty of additional space for your bags. I love the layout over here. It comes with a long bench on the left which comes in handy for your footwear.
On the right is the semi-open concept walk-in wardrobe. It is spacious and comes with plenty of space for your stay. There an extra pillows, blankets, hangers, an ironing kit, bath robes and bath slippers. There is also a safe. Complimentary shoeshine services are offered. There is plenty of space here for your suitcases. I am quite happy with the setup here except for the lighting. It is way too dim here to pack or grab items.
The spectacular bathroom is right ahead. The little corner by the side with a vase also adds plenty of flair to the place. I love how nice the space is.
The amount of space and set-up is fit for everyone. What else do I need to say about the bathroom? It is an absolute beauty. This is everyone’s bucketlist. The bathroom is more spacious than my room itself. It comes with double sinks with the showers and toilets in separate rooms. All sorts of amenities are provided and they are generous with them. It also comes equipped with a Dyson hairdryer.
Check out this fantastic circular tub! It is the centrepiece of the bathroom and a signature point of this room category. The soaking area boosts a lovely view of the city area too. It is commendable for them to provide a bath pillow and bath salt. All I need now is a bottle of Champagne. Water pressure is amazing and the same goes for temperature control. It would be nice if they provided two bath pillows for a couple of soaking. Some red theme bath bombs would be great to pair up with the Chongqing Spicy Hotpot signature of this city.
The standing shower room comes with plenty of space too. I love that the flooring here is made of a much rougher material to prevent slipping. There is even a latch here for you to sit down while taking a shower. This is very handy and thoughtful of them. It comes with both a rainforest shower head and a handheld one. It feels like rain cascading down on you given how high the ceilings here are. As usual in Conrad hotels, Byredo amenities are provided in large pump-size bottles.
The main space of the room is in a rectangular configuration. The regular size makes it very spacious and huge. This allows for maximum use of space. The view is the first thing you notice. At 40th levels up in the air, the view is spectacular. You can see the surrounding area when the skies are clear. When it is cloudy, it feels like you are sleeping among the clouds. I love that the design of the room allows you to maximise the view. You get a lovely panoramic view. The blinds and sheers here are electronically controlled.
Right in the corner you have a coat hanger which is great for your jacket or some laundry.
The dining table cum working desk comes with two chairs. This will be useful for dining or working. Power outlets and ports are nicely installed within reach. The premium wifi connection is very good and strong. Do take note that the usual great firewall of China exists and you will not be able to connect to your usual websites and apps. The table is also equipped with a desk lamp and stationary. The chair offers great support for short periods of work. Left on the table is a welcome amenity consisting of a personalised note and some lychees. Those were so sweet.
I love how the television is set up in the room. It is set up in a way that the view isn’t blocked. The huge TV is on a stand by itself in the corner. It is so classy. The 65-inch TV comes with a good number of local channels and a limited number of international TV channels. They also had live sports coverage on offer. This is a great setup for a movie night.
The plush king-size bed is one of the nicest that I have ever laid on. This is another reason why I prefer new hotels. The mattress and bedding were high quality and smooth. It offers great back support. You can also customise your sleep experience with the pillow menu. They offer 羽丝绵枕头Spared Synthetic Pillow with Bag, 决明子枕 Cassia Pillow, 泡沫记忆枕 Foam Pillow, 有机荞麦枕Organic Buckwheat Pillow, 乳胶枕Latex Pillow, 薰衣草枕 Lavender Pillow and U型枕U-shaped Pillow. I slept so well with the foam pillow. In front of the bed is an ottoman.
Left on the bed is a signature Conrad soft toy which is a cute bear here.
I love that the nightstand comes with centralised controls for the air conditioning, Power outlets and lighting controls are also within reach. They also had an alarm clock with a wireless charging pad on one side of the bed. Full marks on this aspect.
Right at the end of the room, you can find a little seating corner with a sofa that is good for two. This surrounds a coffee table. It is a very cosy spot and we got some takeout to dine one night to enjoy the view. It is always nice to have an additional seating area in the room.
The minibar is found in the corner. It is well equipped with all sorts of glassware and a coffee machine. Bottled drinking water, capsules and packaged TWG teas are provided. These are replenished during daily housekeeping and turndown service. The fridge below is also fully stocked.
I love this room a lot. It will be very comfortable for both couples and even small families. the amount is space is generous. It is hard to find a room that is 70ish Sqm in size. It does feel a little bare. Perhaps they can put a full-size table instead of just a working desk. If they want to “upgrade” this room, a massage chair or fitness equipment would be great.
Fitness Centre
The fitness centre is located on the highest floor of the hotel on the 55th floor. The fitness centre is open 24 hours. This allows the facility to be used anytime you want. It is a very nice space and new. There is plenty of equipment for you to use and multiple sets of each. Everything is very new and well maintained given the age of the property. Drinking water and towels are provided. The place comes with tons of natural light which makes it very welcoming.
Pool
The indoor pool is similarly located on the 55th floor. This is open from 6am to 10pm. It is an indoor heated pool. This allows the facility to be used throughout the year. The regular size makes it great for getting laps done. You can access the pool via the gym. It is very spacious and built above ground. It looks like a gigantic glass tank. The pool is 1.2m deep and comes with a view of the surrounding area. There are several sunbeds and cabanas by the side as well. There is also a smaller jacuzzi tub at the side.
Executive Lounge
This is one of my favourite aspects of the hotel and a great spot. The Executive Lounge is located on the 50th floor. The facility is open to guests staying in Executive rooms and above. Diamond members are also invited to enter the lounge. The facility is open from 6.30am to 11pm. Service is refreshments are available from 10.30am. They currently offer afternoon tea and evening cocktails. Guests with access are invited to enjoy breakfast at The Peak restaurant from 6.30am to 10am. This is extended till 11am on the weekend. The lounge is very comfortable and gorgeous. I love the marble and white finishes which paired so well with the large window panels that boost an amazing view of the surrounding area. The vibes are amazing be it on a clear, cloudy or even rainy day.
This is a great spot if you want a change of scenery. It can fit around 40 people or so. I love the residential layout of the place. There are also meeting rooms and a TV corner for your use. Service is excellent and personalised over here. Beryl and Fiona were a gem! All-day refreshments are offered from 10.30am to 11pm. There is a choice of soft drinks, water, coffee, tea, fruits and snacks. I appreciate the artisan sparkling and natural mineral water provided.
Afternoon Tea is offered daily from 3pm to 5pm. I did not get a chance to check it out since I am out most of the time. I did manage to check out evening cocktails on a couple of days. It is offered from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. This is the most packed time of the lounge. I was pleasantly surprised by the food and drinks on offer. The staff are also very polished and readily available to provide drinks and to assist with cocktails. The drinks consist of a good number of beers, spirits and wines. We also tried some cocktails that were made by the staff.
The cold counter consists of some lovely pastries, fruits and sweets. The cakes and desserts were really good. They also switch things up between days and even throughout the evening.
You can then find a small salad station, cold cuts and cheese.
The hot food aspects are mighty impressive. This can easily be a dinner replacement. It is as good as a mini buffet outside. There are numerous hot dishes from double-boiled chicken soup to back pepper pork chop and Chongqing Spicy Chicken. The items rotate around and the quality is very good. Here are some pictures of the food across the course of my stay.
This is not everything on offer. There is even a live station where a chef is on hand to offer wontons and noodles. You can adjust the spice level to your liking. This is impressive. Don’t miss out on this.
Breakfast at The Peak
This is the hotel’s signature restaurant. It is located on the 52nd floor, just towards the side of the lobby. Breakfast is offered from 6.30am to 10am daily. This is extended till 11am on weekends. I feel that this is a little too early for weekdays. Breakfast is included for executive-level guests, and gold and diamond members. If it is not included in your rate, breakfast costs 228 CNY per person. The name of the restaurant is so applicable. The place comes with a spectacular view of the surrounding area. When it is cloudy, it feels like you are dining among the clouds. I love the high ceilings and marble tables. The ambience is very nice. I was welcomed in after providing my room number. We were shown to a table and drinks orders were taken.
Breakfast is served buffet style and in addition, they also had an ala carte menu on offer. This is one of the better breakfasts that I had.
The buffet breakfast is extensive. I love that the dishes were prepared in small portions and replenished. Some of the more memorable items are the carving station, lychees, pan-fried chicken and cruffle. There are some local dishes from the region. I love the fresh fruits, those lychees were amazing. I will let the pictures do the rest of the speaking.
There is also a couple of live stations. I love the congee one and the noodle station. You have options for spicy or clear soup. This is a nice touch.
Throughout my stay, I tried numerous items from the a la carte menu.
You know that you are in for a treat when there is ice cream for breakfast.
Prices seem very good, especially for the amount of the food you’re getting and the quality of the items here. It might be worth considering paying for breakfast if it is not included. I do wish that they could adjust the timing. They could also offer barista-made coffee. It seems quite weird not to have Jasmine tea available.
Conclusion
I love this hotel! This is the best Premium Room I have ever stayed in. Calling it a premium room is an understatement. It can be a junior suite or suite. My only complaint is the wardrobe area which could be brighter. This is the choice to go for in Chongqing if you are a Hilton member. It is always nice to be saying somewhere so new where everything is so clean and fancy. Everything is in top condition. The lounge and staff were excellent. I also enjoyed the breakfast and look forward to it every day. The location is central and with affordable didi, you will not face any issue on this aspect. The departure procedure was top-notch notch too. After checking out at the front desk, the staff escorted me to the elevators and bid farewell. I will be back in Chongqing again.
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