I am coming to my last hotel on this trip. I will be spending the last 3 nights over here in Conrad Hangzhou. I was considering this or the Canopy but I am glad I chose this instead. It is the best and most luxurious Hilton property in Hangzhou. It is right by the riverfront area. The hotel is super convenient and part of a mixed development with a mall and office building. You also have access to the public transport easily. The Raffles City Mall that is adjacent comes with plenty of restaurants and shops. There is even a nice supermarket here. This makes it very convenient. I am excited to be checking out another Conrad in China. I am very excited about this stay as the property looks amazing from the pictures. Let’s see how this property is.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I booked directly with Hilton and got the premium room. I will be staying here for three nights with one of them on an Impresario rate. The Impresario rate is pegged to the flexible rate and I will enjoy extra benefits on top of my Diamond status. You get a 100 USD credit, an upgrade, breakfast, double Hilton points, early check-in and late checkout. A couple of days out I can see from the app that I have been upgrading to the best available room category over here which is the Executive River View Room. They have also reconfirmed a late checkout at 3pm. This room would have cost around 2300 CNY a night. This will certainly come in handy for my late flight departure at 11pm back home from Hangzhou. I had also pre-arranged a dinner at the hotel. The credit use is extremely restrictive over here. It is only applicable for Laundry service, Lunch and dinner at Blue Willow (not applicable to tea and alcoholic beverages), Lobby Lounge (not applicable to tea and alcoholic beverages), a Spa Neck and Shoulder Massage 40 minutes package per person (only this package can be used for credit) and Hotel limousine (for in-town high-speed rail/train station only). The Conrad Hangzhou comes with 306 guest rooms and suites spread across 8 categories. Their rooms start from 50 Sqm. That is spacious! The categories mainly differ in view. You can check out the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Executive Lounge Access | Room Size |
|---|---|---|
| Deluxe | No | 50 Sqm |
| Premium | No | 50 Sqm |
| River View | No | 50 Sqm |
| Executive | Yes | 50 Sqm |
| Executive River View | Yes | 50 Sqm |
| Deluxe Suite | Yes | 82 Sqm |
| Conrad Suite | Yes | 112 Sqm |
| Presidential Suite | Yes | 282 Sqm |
Checking In
We took the train from Suzhou and got in at around 1.30pm. We then got a Didi ride straight to the hotel. It is a very comfortable journey that takes around 20 minutes or so. I really love the premium didi rides here. They are always so fancy. We got to the hotel at around 2.10pm or so. Upon arrival, the bellboy came over to help me with my bags and unload everything. He also ushered us over to the lobby which is located on the 27th floor. As with most mixed-used buildings, the ground floor is just a reception area with some seating. The main lobby is located on the 27th floor. Conrad Hangzhou is located as part of Raffles City Hangzhou, the mall is directly connected to the hotel. There are plenty of shops and dining outlets including an amazing Hippo Supermarket! Within walking distance are even more malls.
The lobby area is super gorgeous and it comes with a great view of the surrounding area given how high up we are. I was promptly helped by a friendly staff who provided me with all the welcome letters and information. I was also informed of the credit that comes with the impresario rate which was converted to 707 CNY. The room upgrade was reconfirmed. Executive Lounge guests also receive 2 pieces of pressing per stay and a 3pm late checkout. This was further extended till 4pm the day before check out.
I love that the lobby is nicely decked out with all the Christmas decor! How cute is this VOSS Xmas tree?
Executive River View Room
They have a low footprint per floor over here. I was told that the view is better as the number gets greater. I love the common area and the design of the place here. Even the room door looks so classy, you know that you are in for a treat when you have such an entrance.
The room has a very short entranceway, There is some space for you to place your shoes. It will be nice if they can put a stool or a full-length mirror over here. You sort of enter in the middle with the walk-in wardrobe area to the right and the main space of the room to the left.
The room comes with a walk-in wardrobe concept, which also acts as an entrance to the bathroom. The spot comes with plenty of hangers, an ironing kit, luggage rack, bathrobes and bath slippers. This can fit a full-size check-in luggage. I wish that they had some additional portable racks for use as well. They don’t even have this upon request. This seems kind of weird for a five-star luxury hotel.
Moving on to the bathroom which is one of the nicest aspects of the roo. The area is very spacious and gorgeous. It comes with double sinks and a full set of amenities are provided. They are also generous with them. The bathroom comes with a proper bidet toilet, a standing shower and a freestanding bathtub. The bathroom comes with a nice unblocked view of the surroundings given how high up you are.
The standing shower is in a separate room. It comes with both a rainforest shower head and a handheld one. The water pressure can be much better but the temperature control is very good. They even had a ledge here for you to sit down. As per usual, amenities are from Byredo in large pump-size bottles. They are generous too with one set in the bathtub and another in the shower.
Moving back to the main space of the room, I opted for a double queen configuration. I love the curved windows and layout. The room boosts a spectacular view of the river! This is one of the main highlights of this room category. The blinds and sheers work well in blocking out the light. I did wish that the blinds and sheers were electronically controlled over here.
The double queen bed will be so handy for families or groups of friends. This room can fit 4 pax comfortably even without an extra bed. The beds are extremely comfortable with high-quality sheers and you can also customise your sleeping experience with the pillow menu. We got some contour memory foam pillows and slept so well. In the middle, you have a nightstand. Power sockets and controls for the lighting can be easily found. Kudos to them for having USB ports too. They even have an alarm clock with wireless charging capabilities.
Mounted on the wall, you can find a high-quality smart screen television. It comes with a good number of both local and international cable TV channels. They have also loaded some entertainment programs that guests can watch free of charge. The television is slightly on the smaller side and mounted at an angle. You can pivot the TV towards the bed area which makes it quite nice for a movie night. Under the TV is a latch which offers an additional storage area.
Next to it is the minibar counter. It is a cool cabinet with glassware. A proper Nespresso coffee machine is also provided and a kettle. You can find a fully stocked mini-bar with capsules and packaged tea. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic options can be found too.
Along the window is a circular table which as as both the dining table and the working desk. All sorts of plugs and power outlets are available here too. The Wi-Fi connection is very strong and good. Do note that the usual China restriction stands. The staff later came by with some cakes and fruits in the evening.
At the far end is a daybed and side table for you to soak in the views. They even provide some local Longjing tea here.
Turndown service is automatically offered in the evening with the room refreshed.
Fitness Centre
The facility is located on the 8th floor and is open 24 hours. You can simply access it with your key cards. It is a very nice space with a great view of the surrounding area. The facility is clean and well-maintained. It comes with the usual gym equipment. They also have a pilates and yoga room as well. Towels and water are provided for your usage.
Swimming Pool
The swimming pool is similarly located on the 8th floor. The pool is open from 6am to 10pm. You do need to use the elevators that connect the ground floor and the lobby to access the facilities. They have a heated regular-size pool here that allows you to get laps done. The place also comes with a nice view of the surroundings as well as the skyscrapers in the vicinity. There are a couple of chairs and day beds by the side available on a first come first serve basis. The facility is more of one for exercising rather than getting a tan or relaxing. They do have a jacuzzi tub too.
Executive Lounge
This is one of my favourite spots in the hotel. The executive lounge is located on the 37th floor. The entire floor is dedicated to the lounge. It’s such a nice place and comes with spectacular views over the surrounding area. I love the decor of the place and how welcoming it is with tons of natural lights. The lounge kind of snakes around the building. You can find some pictures of the facility here.
I have nothing but good things to share about the executive lounge team over here. They are polished and super welcoming. The service is excellent and they have a great command of English. Check out this when I asked the team for recommendations around West Lake! Wow!
The executive lounge is open from 10am to 10pm on weekdays and from 7am on weekends. They offer 4 service. Afternoon tea is offered from 2.30pm to 5pm and happy hour from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. Sweet traditional desserts are offered from 8pm till 9.30pm. I am pretty impressed by the last service. That is pretty unique. I love the slight local cultural touch and it is so attentive to offer this. It probably cost very little but add so many points! I managed to check out the afternoon tea right after checking in. It is such a classy and polished service. The staff will come by with fruit plate and then they will also come by with a trolley of sweet treats and sandwiches. They will then serve you what you want. You can choose whatever you like and how many portions you like.
Drinks-wise, you can find some soft drinks, water, juices, coffee and tea. They have a proper espresso coffee machine over here and offer artisan drinks. They also have a great selection of TWG teas. Connoisseurs will be glad to hear that they offer artisan VOSS and Evian mineral water.
Evening Cocktails was a pretty lovely spread too. I am surprised that the lounge still stays rather quiet and empty. This is usually a very crowded period for a hotel lounge. Drinks they have some Asahi Beer, Red Wine, White Wine and Sparkling Wine. They also have a cart with some spirits and some house-made cocktails options. The staff are readily on hand to whip up the cocktails. I love the Ward 8, they also do up a rather delicious Gin Tonic!
Food-wise, you can find some sweet treats, fruits, cheese, cold cuts and various hot dishes. It is quite substantial and can be a dinner replacement. The selection also changes from day to day. Here are some pictures of the food.
Interestingly, they do a buffet concept from Friday to Sunday evening. From Monday to Thursday, they do a set menu concept. This is pretty well since the crowd is smaller on the weekdays. You can check out the menu over here.
They had some bread and butter, soup, pasta and a dessert! It was unmemorable but I appreciate the effort. The tiramisu was nice too.
Finally is the Sweet Dreams service. I love this concept so much. It is very handy as guests can come back to the lounge after dinner for some sweet treats and perhaps a cup of tea. I tried some of the White Fungus Soup which was yummy. Why can’t more properties offer this?
Dinner at Blue Willow
During my stay, I also had the chance to have dinner at Blue Willow. One of my nights here was booked under an Impresario rate which comes with 100 USD of credit. This is converted to 707 CNY. I didn’t want to dine here at first but the credit was pretty restrictive. The restaurant was very empty. I kind of regret getting the Impresario rate since it is so restrictive. The service was so bad over here. Furthermore, they had an 8.45pm last order, this feels so early. The waiter was also such a letdown and barely had any knowledge or info on the food that they were serving. This is such a subpar dining experience at a five-star luxury hotel. You can find the menu for dinner Menu. We got the Cod, Scallops, Paella and Prawns.
I can’t say that I really enjoyed the meal given the service. The food was decent at best. One of the most uninspiring dining experiences I ever had in my life.
Breakfast at Blue Willow
Breakfast is served at the hotel’s main restaurant, Blue Willow located on the 27th floor. This is the same floor as the lobby. Breakfast is offered from 6.30am to 10am on weekdays and till 10.30am on weekends. It was rather crowded when I went down to get breakfast at around 9am. I was warmly greeted and shown to a table. Drinks orders were taken and hot drinks were served by the staff. The restaurant comes with a lovely view of the surrounding area and the neighbourhood. The view is pretty good.
They also have a nice collection of juices. I love the freshly squeezed watermelon and orange juice. They also have some pastries, bread, Chinese options, western options, noodle station, congee and fruits. Sadly no VOSS water is served at the restaurant. I really enjoyed my breakfast here. It is not too big of a spread but most of the items tasted delicious and the quality is there. I love the scallion noodles and wontons.
I would love to try out the breakfast at the lounge but they are only available on the weekends. My SOP here is to go for breakfast at the restaurant and then retreat back up to the lounge for coffee since it is a lot better here. The selection changes from day to day.
Conclusion
This is the best Hilton property in Hangzhou. The location is very good too with malls in the vicinity and you are not too far from everywhere. I enjoyed the service and it is one of the better ones that I have experienced in China. The room is gorgeous and super spacious. It will be comfortable up to 4 pax. I did wish that they could have some portable luggage stands. How can this not be available? I also would prefer them to have electronically controlled blinds and sheers. The executive lounge is lovely. Except for the dining experience at Blue Willow, everything is good about the service here. I would not recommend staying here on an Impresario rate given how restrictive they are with the credit. Do check out Conrad Hangzhou if you need accommodations here.
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