Conrad Hotels & Resorts has been recognized as “China’s Leading Hotel Brand” by one of the most distinguished industry award programs, the World Travel Awards (WTA), at the WTA Asia & Australia Gala Ceremony, held in New Delhi on October 10. Conrad, the luxury brand of hotels under the umbrella of Hilton Worldwide, boasts five properties in Greater China, located in Beijing, Dalian, Sanya, Hong Kong and Macao.
Read MoreLocated in the Central Business District of Bangkok, the Conrad Bangkok was voted as the Best Luxury City Hotel in Thailand at the 2013 World Luxury Hotel Awards. With 22 highly versatile meeting rooms, the property was also voted as the Best Convention Hotel in Thailand at the 2013 International Hotel Awards. The level of service at the Conrad Bangkok is top-notch. Every thing here works like clockwork.
Read MoreWhile a cached copy has been circulating the internet over the last couple of days, Hilton has officially released a list of hotels that will not participating in the Triple Your Trip 2014 promotion. This promotion gives you up to triple of the amount you would usually earn on eligible spends.
For information on this promotion and how to sign up please refer to my previous link:
http://www.theshutterwhale.com/blog/2014/7/11/hilton-hhonors-2x3x-points-01-august-to-31-october-2014
Although many American travellers are furious about the exclusion of many properties, it does not actually look half bad if you are traveling in the Asia-Pacific region.
You may access the full list of hotels that chose NOT to participate here:
http://hhonors3.hilton.com/en/promotions/triple-your-trip/non-participating-hotels.html
As usual, the largely popular Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and Conrad Bali are not participating in this promotion. However, I was surprised to see that none of the Australian properties were included here - which means you can earn bonus points from them! In Singapore, both the Hilton Singapore and Conrad Centennial Singapore are also participating in the promotion it looks pretty good for the staycation goers.
You may access my previous reviews on some of the Hilton properties listed here below.
When I traveled from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo back in May, I spent a week at the Hyatt Regency Tokyo (which I really liked!) before moving over to the Hilton Tokyo which is located just across the road. Check out my review of the huge King Tower Suite Executive at the Hilton Tokyo where you will also get to enjoy evening cocktails and a great Japanese breakfast!
I spent two weeks in Florida back in April where I booked myself on a flight from Dubai to New York on Emirates Business Class and then from New York to Tampa on Delta Air Lines First Class. After spending a week at The Westin Tampa Waterside, I drove down to Orlando where I was required to attend a major convention (for work) and stayed at the Hilton Orlando. Since the event was going to be held at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), we opted to stay at the Hilton Orlando this time since there are regular buses that will take us there in the morning. Read my review of a Pool View Room here!
When I visited the Conrad Tokyo back in 2016, I was completely won over by not only the design of the hotel but the quality of food as well. My lunch at the property's award-winning Japanese restaurant, Kazahana, remains to be one of the most memorable dining experiences that I have had in Tokyo. As such, when I revisited Tokyo back in February 2018, I decided to spend a couple of nights here and since I have stayed in an Executive Room with Bay View previously, I opted for the Executive Suite Bay View this time instead.
The Hilton Auckland is one of my most anticipated hotel stays last year after visiting it briefly back in 2015 for a business meeting. I stayed in a Deluxe Harbour View Room at the Hilton Auckland as a Hilton Honors Diamond member and really enjoyed my stay there. Read more now!
The Hilton Garden Inn Singapore Serangoon is Singapore's only focused service hotel that is under the Hilton Worldwide portfolio. Unlike the Conrad Singapore and the Hilton Singapore which are luxury and full service hotels respectively, the Hilton Garden Inn Singapore Serangoon offers affordable accommodation right in the heart of Little India. With a much lower average daily rate, the rooms here at Hilton Garden Inn Singapore Serangoon are extremely value for money (making it perfect for mattress runs with the Hilton Honors loyalty program) and it is definitely one of the better focused service hotels that I have experienced in Singapore.
On my last trip to Tokyo, I checked out the 777-300ER Business Class product on Singapore Airlines when I flew from Singapore to Haneda. Since it was a pretty early flight, I decided to spend the night before at what is perhaps the best transit hotel in Singapore in Terminal One - the Aerotel Singapore. Since Tokyo is notorious for her average room rates (especially when you stay in an internationally-branded hotel chain), I decided to redeem some of my Hilton HHonors Points at the Hilton Tokyo - the rooms are generally 50,000 Hilton HHonors Points a night but you do get the fifth night free so my five-night stay at this centrally-located hotel in Shinjuku costed me only 200,000 Hilton HHonors Points (as opposed to an average room rate of S$650 a night during the month that I visit).
Located along the famous Orchard Road, the Hilton Singapore is one of the first few hotels that I have visited in Singapore when I relocated back in 2013 - I also revisited the property in 2014 as a Hilton HHonors Gold Member. During my latest visit this month in October 2016, I checked into the Hilton Singapore once again as a Hilton HHonors Diamond Member and even though I booked my stay via an OTA, I was given the benefits for being a Diamond Member (something that is no longer required by the program).
When I visited Melbourne In 2014, I stayed two nights in an Executive Room at the Hilton Melbourne South Wharf and seriously fell in love with it - the view was amazing, the rooms were beautiful and modern but more importantly, that lounge was just perfect to take in the sights. I returned this year in 2016 to check out the amazing Relaxation Suite which I dare say is the most beautiful suite in South Wharf, Melbourne!
For this stay, I took advantage of the previous Discover Asia sale (up to 30% off) and saved quite a bit on the Centennial Suite reservation. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the location of the Conrad Centennial Singapore, it is located next to Millenia Walk and if you are coming by MRT, the closest stop would be Promenade on the Circle Line. Check out my review of the Conrad Centennial Singapore's Centennial Suite now!
Update: You may now sign up for up to Triple Points on stays at an eligible property between 01 August to 31 October 2014 now! Click the following link to sign up!
Click HERE to sign up for up to triple points on all eligible stays.
The current Hilton HHonors Promotion valid for stays between 01 May to 31 July is ending soon. In this promotion, you will receive double base points (although the bonus points are non-elite qualifying) or double miles depending on your choice.
If for some reason you have not signed up for this and will be staying at a participating property during this period, please click HERE to sign up for it now! Remember you can only make your selection once so choose wisely (go with the points!).
The Triple Your Trip promotion will run from 01 August to 31 October 2014 after the current promotion ends so there's no gap in bonus earnings. The registration link was initially provided (alongside a list of non-participating properties) but this was taken down by Hilton HHonors and it will be provided as the date draws nearer.
Under the new promotion, you will earn 2x or 3x the usual Hilton HHonors points at a participating property depending on the day of week.
Weekday Nights: Monday to Thursday (20 points per US$1)
Weekend Nights: Friday to Sunday (30 points per US$1)
Remember that if you are going to be staying in a participating Conrad or Waldorf Astoria property, be sure to sign up for this promotion (click HERE to access it) which will give you 2,000 bonus points per eligible night.
Also, sign up HERE to get up to 10,000 bonus points when staying at a Conrad/Waldorf Astoria for the first three times.
1st Stay: 2,000 Bonus Points
2nd Stay: 3,000 Bonus Points
3rd Stay: 5,000 Bonus Points
Save 20% off Easy Cancellation rates when you stay at either the Hilton Singapore or the highly-rated Conrad Centennial Singapore from 01 July 2014 to 31 December 2014. Reservations need to be made between now and 31 August 2014. Summer deal rates are non-refundable and non-cancellable.
For more information pertaining to this promotion, please click HERE.
Since these are non-refundable rates, kindly make sure that your travel plans are firm before booking. You should always select the Summer Deal rate over the Advance Purchase rate since they are 20% off the Easy Cancellation rate instead of 15% for the latter.
Remember that you can sign up for the Double Your HHonors Promotion for stays between now and 31 July 2014 where you will be able to earn double Hilton Honors points at a participating property. Hilton Honors members who are on a Points & Points Earning Style will earn double base points.
For more information on this promotion or to sign-up, please click HERE.
If you are going to be staying in a participating Conrad or Waldorf Astoria property, be sure to sign up for this promotion (click HERE to access it) which will give you 2,000 bonus points per eligible night. Also, sign up HERE if you are going to be staying in a Conrad or Waldorf Astoria to get the following bonus points (in case you haven't already).
1st Stay: 2,000 Bonus Points
2nd Stay: 3,000 Bonus Points
3rd Stay: 5,000 Bonus Points
As far as I know, all the promotions stack so make sure you complete your stays in participating properties before 31 July 2014 to take advantage of all 3 promotions. Otherwise, complete your Conrad and Waldorf Astoria stays before 31 December 2014 to benefit from the bonus points.
Voted as one of the top 10 luxury hotels in Singapore, the Conrad Centennial Singapore is located downtown with just over 500 rooms. I opted for the King Bed Executive room (43 sqm) which came with the following executive benefits on level 31:
In addition to those benefits, executive level guests also receive a fruit plate on arrival, two hours of meeting room usage and a late check-out at 6pm (subjected to availability). Complimentary pressing of up to five items and complimentary local calls where also provided for. When I arrived at the hotel around 12pm, there was a rather long line of people waiting so I approached the concierge who then led me to the executive lounge for a private check-in area.
Similar to the InterContinental Singapore (in terms of overall decor and hotel standing), the Conrad Centennial Singapore also show signs of age throughout the property. With that being said, the room and hotel grounds are extremely clean, showing only little signs of wear and tear.
Unique stuffed toys are provided complimentary to hotel guests at all Conrad hotels around the world - I got a toy monkey previously at Conrad Bali. A fruit platter and a box of pralines were found behind the stuffed animal with various cutlery in the drawer underneath it. The thing about Conrad Centennial Singapore is that there are so many drawers located around the room that it makes me question the necessity of it all.
There were generally two main issues I had with the room. Firstly, electric sockets were not readily available. In fact, I could not find one by the bed at all. I counted a total of three main electric sockets around the whole room. One by the coffee machine, one at the TV console and one near the work desk by the window. Secondly, although the bed provided direct views of the marina and its surrounding area, it was slightly difficult to watch the TV from the bed as you would have to be lying on your side.
Perhaps that's what the small recliner sofa is for besides allowing for some light reading or lounging for those who are particular about the bed being only a sleeping place and nothing else. The work table at the corner of the room overlooks the Pan Pacific Singapore with views of the wider marina area. Internet can be costly at hotels like Conrad but having a Hilton Gold status will automatically give you free internet access. Internet access costs S$29.96 for 24 hours and S$10.70 for an hour of usage. There is however complimentary internet in the executive lounge if you do not wish to pay for internet and still need to get some work done.
The room also came equipped with a minibar and snack counter stocked with various nibbles for both children and adults. There was basic tea making facilities and a Nespresso machine if you are too tired or unmotivated to make the trip up to the executive lounge. For those who are unmotivated, it is worth noting that the executive lounge has an all day open bar.
The bath room was spacious with a separate bath and shower area (no rain shower though). While the tub was generally wider than most hotels, I thought that it wasn't deep enough. Moreover, a tub caddy would have been perfect for those that enjoy using their mobile phones or tablets inside. If you were sharp enough to notice, there's also a rubber duck which is perfect for those with kids (or even adults too).
Bath salts are provided by the hotel but I would highly recommend you getting a proper bubble bath (especially if you're on a staycation) because you deserve that more. I requested for an evening turndown service via the Conrad Concierge iPad application before leaving my room for evening cocktails around 715pm.
The executive lounge is pretty quiet during normal hours and afternoon tea time but it was full during cocktail hour (why of course). One good thing about the hotel is that they are completely prepared for this and have therefore opened up the meeting rooms on the other end of the corridor to accommodate more executive level guests during this crucial time.
Local delights alongside the usual bread, cheese and desserts were served during the cocktail hour. As with the case of Hilton Singapore, this can serve as a light dinner for weary travelers who are simply too fatigued to leave the hotel.
Upon returning to the room after drinking at least half a bottle of Shiraz, the bed was made, towels were replaced with clean ones, toiletries were refilled and laundry bags were brought out for convenience. The default amenity provided comes from the Aromatherapy Associates but do note that you can easily request (via the application or just a simple phone call) for Shanghai Tang (click here to find out more about Shanghai Tang's range of soaps) or Tara Smith (organic) amenities if you do not favour the ones in the room.
Something different then caught my eye as I entered the room. There was a flowering tea that was made available and I was dying to try it (although the smell did not exactly resonate well with me).
Even though the process of blossoming was pretty beautiful, I was definitely not a fan of the tea (taste-wise).
The view from the room was not as amazing as the one from the Harbour Studio in Pan Pacific Singapore which allows for an uninterrupted view of the Marina Bay Sands and the bay area. However, my room did allow for a much wider view of Singapore. It was also strangely therapeutic gazing into the city lights from afar.
I had breakfast at Oscar's the following morning (S$43++ per guest if breakfast is not included in your room rate) which served egg cocottes and frittatas apart from fresh sashimi. More interestingly, there was an ice-cream counter where you could concoct your favourite sundae recipe.
The rates at Conrad Centennial Singapore do not usually come cheap but there's still a week more to go before the current weekend promotion (25% off weekend stays) runs out. Rooms start at S$270++ for double occupancy (classic room with no executive lounge access and no breakfast) or S$360++ for the executive room I stayed in. Advance rates (non-promotional) are usually S$324++ and S$432++ respectively so the current promotional rates are actually pretty decent.
Enjoy up to 30% off hotels and resorts in the Asia-Pacific Region by clicking through the link.
Conrad Centennial Singapore
2 Temasek Blvd, Singapore 038982
Website | Email
Located about two and a half hours from Singapore is a popular getaway beach destination - Bali. I stayed at the Conrad Bali and spent three days at this fantastic property. I contacted the hotel to arrange for transport from the Ngurah Rai (Denpasar) International Airport for US$22 each way (per vehicle). Alternatively, you may choose to flag down one of many taxis for a cheaper rate (approximately US$8 - 10). The hotel is located at Nusa Dua, which is away from the usual Kuta haunts in Bali. As such, the beaches are a lot quieter but that also equates to being further away from the action and having to spend more time commuting to popular destinations.
Read MoreProfit maximising businesses are often interested in one thing. They are often concerned with the optimum level at which the business operates. In many instances, they want to know what is the best price to sell a product or service in order to maximise revenue. As such, they sometimes hire consultancy firms to help them with pricing and strategy (amongst many other things), hoping that it will help them drive profit. In economics, this is known as the efficient frontier. In day-to-day life, I call this is a simple cost benefit analysis. More simply put, what are you willing to pay for an extra unit of enjoyment.
I recently made a reservation for a weekend at the Conrad Bali. The initial motivation was simple - I needed a vacation and the Conrad Bali seemed like a property that I will enjoy. As a Hilton Gold member, I earn 25% bonus on my base points earning (US$1 = 10 Points). Additionally, since I selected Points and Points as my preferred method for point accumulation, I also get a 50% bonus on base points, resulting in a total of 75% bonus on base earnings when combined with the Gold benefit.
I looked around the Conrad Bali website and realised that they were having a special 10th Year Anniversary promotion rate which comes with a range of benefits. This rate is valid for bookings made by 31 March 2014 for stays through 31 December 2014. More details can be found via the website.
The promotion included daily buffet breakfast for two, return airport transfer (US$22 each way usually), 60-minutes body massage for two at the Jiwa Spa, 15% discount on F&B and as a Gold HHonors member, I also received a complimentary upgrade to the next room category as well as 10,000 bonus points.
Since I wanted the Deluxe Ocean King room, I booked the Deluxe Resort King room (one tier below the room I wanted) for the complimentary upgrade. Whilst most Hilton properties do provide a one-tier minimum level of upgrade for Gold HHonors members, this upgrade was always subjected to availability. Since I really wanted the Deluxe Ocean King room, I decided to go for the aforementioned anniversary promotion as the upgrade is guaranteed in this rate. As a rule of thumb, it is also worth calculating what the upcharge of the next room type is, in order to find the optimum room category that you should book given your willingness and capability to pay. To illustrate my point, consider the following example:
The room rates for the Conrad Bali are as follow (excluding tax and service tax):
1. Deluxe Garden King (US$185)
2. Deluxe Resort King (US$205)
3. Deluxe Ocean King (US$245)
If I were to select Option 1 and got upgraded to Option 2, I would effectively benefit from a US$20 upgrade (in terms of monetary value). However, if I were to select Option 2 and got upgraded to Option 3, I would have gotten a US$40 upgrade instead. Of course having said that, calculations like that should only serve as a guide in your decision making process. It is fair to assume that the rooms get better with higher prices (although this may not be the case for all properties) and thus, sometimes spending a little more can get you a lot more benefits.
In conjunction with the Conrad Bali promotion for 10,000 bonus points, there are also two concurrent promotions that are valid with this stay. As the first Conrad/Waldorf Astoria property that I am staying this year, I will gain 2,000 bonus points. Additionally, I also gain 2,000 bonus points for each night in a Conrad/Waldorf Astoria property. Since I am staying for two nights, I will be getting 4,000 bonus points from this targeted promotion. Every US$ spent on the property will also give me a net 17.5 points (10 points from normal earnings, 5 points from the selected point accumulation method and 2.5 points as a Gold HHonors member bonus). Since the total stay is approximately US$500, I will gain roughly 8,750 points from the stay. Additionally, since breakfast is included in my rate, I have opted for the 1,000 bonus points as a My Way bonus for Hilton Gold members. In total, this stay will earn me the following number of points:
Base: 5,000
50% Bonus: 2,500
Gold VIP 25%: 1,250
My Way Bonus: 1,000
Brand 1st Stay Bonus: 2,000
2k Points Offer: 4,000 (two nights)
Anniversary: 10,000
TOTAL: 25,750 Points
Valued at $0.005 per point, these points are worth approximately US$129. To put things into perspective, some properties in countries that I am intending to go have a reward night at only 10,000 points. This means that I have effectively earned myself 2 free stays at a hotel of my choice. It is however important to note that the number of points required for each property may vary greatly. For example, the Conrad Koh Samui (Category 7) requires 95,000 points a night whilst some Category 1 hotels require only 5,000 points for a free night.
In Singapore where we do not have any branded hotel credit card, it is extremely difficult to earn points/status across most hotel chains. With regards to earning Hilton HHonors points with credit card spend, Citibank gives you 2 Hilton HHonors points for 5 Citi$. Since non-promotional spending gains you only 1 Citi$ per SGD 1 spend, you are effectively getting only 0.4 Hilton HHonors points per SGD 1. The credit cards in Singapore pale in comparison when comparing to the Hilton HHonors Surpass Card (AMEX) in the US that earns you 12 base points with each dollar spent on Hilton property.
I charged my Conrad Bali bill to my UOB PRVI Miles Platinum (AMEX) card instead. Although I can not redeem my UNI$ for Hilton HHonors points, I have gotten 812 UNI$ since I was billed in a foreign currency (6.25x multiplier), which is equivalent to approximately 1,600 miles. Additionally, because this transaction was travel related and more than SGD 500, I will be given a free limousine ride (either Mercedes or Chrysler) to the Airport for my Bali trip.
Is this the optimal solution to booking my trip? The answer is no. Everyone of us places different levels of importance on different things. While some of us may value points over cash backs, there are many people out there who are interested in reducing the total amount of expenditure. It is therefore important for you to know what matters to you first, and then find the optimal way of doing things.
The Hilton Singapore Orchard is quite possibly the best Hilton property in Singapore right now with a beautiful Executive Lounge and newly-renovated rooms that have all the necessary essentials.