Hotel Stay - The Conrad, Tianjin
I had the pleasure of recently staying at The Conrad, Tianjin. Thanks to excellent online customer service in the lead up to my stay, I arrived with a good impression of the hotel. I wish more hotel staff would realise the power they have through email in making or breaking a guest's early experience of a hotel. My check-in was handled smoothly and I was shown to my room on the 9th floor, the Executive floor.
My Room
It is hard not to love the rooms. Soft tones with a lot of variations of white greet the eye with generously sized windows allowing a lot of natural light. The seating area makes it possible for a couple of people to enjoy a drink together - a nice touch owing to its spaciousness. However, the best part for me is the bathroom with its super smart design. Sliding doors allow privacy but if you don't need it, you have a real open feel and the room feels larger than its 45SQM. Throughout my stay, the bathroom was open, making a huge spatial difference to my room. There are also smaller but wonderful points worth mentioning. Firstly, the welcome amenity really said, "Welcome!" Secondly, the Japanese smart toilet takes smart to another level as far as hotel toilets are concerned and Shanghai Tang toiletries left me wanting to take a few baths. Finally, the mini bar is really well stocked, with proper sized glassware!
Dining
The hotel graciously allowed a 12 noon check-in as I was arriving from a neighbouring province. Feeling peckish, I had lunch at the hotel's Asian restaurant, Bam Bou. Because it was still cold, the terrace had not opened yet, But I imagine in the more temperate months that the outdoor area is an excellent choice to have meal or drink. The restaurant has a really interesting menu, with a south east Asian slant and oddly some Indian dishes too. While the Thai green curry was disappointing - literally a very green curry - the papadums and samosa went down really well with my beer. Oddly, there are no south or south east Asian beers on the menu. Overall, not an authentic experience but for Tianjin, a place worth visiting. Excellent service, by the way.
For evening canapes and drinks, we were hosted in the restaurant's all-day dining restaurant where a set menu was made available to us. A really varied section of wines from the Australian DB Collection, featured a couple reds, two whites, a rose and sparkling. Nice. Breakfast too, was served here.
During my stay, the club lounge was closed but kudos to the hotel for accommodating club guests in other ways. While I was disappointed that there was no all-day coffee option, the Afternoon tea offered to club guests in the Lobby Lounge proved to be really lovely indeed. The lounge has what I want in a lounge - glorious chandeliers, very high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows. The Afternoon tea spread consisted of finger sandwiches, fresh fruit and some pastry items. However, the highlight was the impeccably trained attendants who served TWG tea in magnificent Wedgwood fine bone china. TWG is, in my mind, the best tea and I was not disappointed. Incidentally, this is also the tea in club rooms (I am not sure of it is standard in all rooms).
Recreation
I love the swimming pool. There are no swimming lane dividers. Although I understand why hotels use them, they kill the aesthetic element in a pool. A fantastic sculpture of what appears to be a whale tail is one many sculptures throughout the hotel that adds so much beauty. On the morning I was there, the pool area was empty so it made for a relaxing morning. On another note, the gym affords views of the pool through large windows, contributing to the open-space-feeling that compensated for the lack of natural light as blinds were drawn.
Verdict
I never stay at Hilton properties. I fact, this was only my second Hilton experience, having previously stayed at The Conrad, Dubai. However, this may not be my last. Despite a few issues I had with the lack of attention paid to, for example, the turn down service, it is a hotel I would like to visit again. There were a lot of small touches that served as highlights during my stay and coupled with very good service that started during the booking stages, I have many good things to say about my experience at The Conrad. I would like to visit it again when the Club Lounge has opened so I can get a fuller view of the hotel. Looking forward to this.
Essentials
The Conrad,
46 Tianta Rd,
Nankai District,
Tianjin,
China.
+86 22 5888 6666
Closest Subway: From Tianjin Railway station, Line 3, Tianta station. 5 minute walk
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