Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya Review

Our Verdict

Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya

Located among the mangroves of the magical Riviera Maya about an hour and 45 minutes from Cancun International Airport and 25 minutes from Tulum, ancient roots and a future-focused commitment to sustainability blend in a mesmerizing dance at this new resort. 

Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya opened earlier this year and has 349 guest rooms and suites. The room and suites are housed in 6 houses (or buildings) that create an arc around a cove and beach area. This new luxury resort truly has something for everyone.

Seek serenity in the luxury spa, savor sea-to-table cuisine at the resort's 11 restaurants, or discover your sense of wonder relaxing in the sun. And the Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya features an expansive fitness center, cycling studio and yoga room to work off those extra calories. 

If you’re traveling with kiddos, the Conrad Tulum has a kids club and teens club along with babysitting services available for an additional fee. 

This review is based on our personal stay in September of 2022. And don’t forget, if you are planning to stay at Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya book through Live Luxe Travel Co. to take advantage of exclusive Hilton Impresario benefits such as hotel/resort credits, daily breakfast, room upgrades and more.

Our Room

During our stay we occupied the 1 Bedroom Governors Suite. Take in sweeping beach and ocean views from the top floor of the hotel. This 1,565 sq. ft. suite features floor-to-ceiling windows and a spacious living room with comfortable sectional and armchairs. Enjoy a meal at the dining table for 8 and prepare drinks at the adjacent kitchenette and bar. The large bedroom offers a seating area and sumptuous king-sized bed.

Enjoy a spa-like master bathroom with double sink, separate vanity, and wet room with free standing soaking tub and rainfall shower. A WC area is located on the living room near to the main entrance. Enjoy the ocean air from the balcony relaxation tub for two. The suite can connect to the adjacent two double bed guest room to make a two-bedroom suite. Other amenities include a Nespresso machine, 65-inch HDTV, ample closet, and safe.

Amenities

The resort features a MASSIVE fitness center. In addition to the fitness room, there are glass sectioned-off rooms are available privately for yoga and spin classes. And the property features walking miles of walking trails in case you want to get some cardio in outdoors. 

The spa at the Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya is just gorgeous. And it's the perfect place to spend a day treating yourself, taking care of yourself and forgetting about the rest of the world. The spa is constructed from natural rock and timbers from the region. The central lounge is designed like a cenote, with sunlight flooding in through a huge opening in the dome, which hits different sun-beds throughout the day. The treatment rooms are casitas and are extremely well designed and relaxing, setting the tone for your treatment. 

During our stay, the hardest decision we had to make was which of the 5 pools or the beach were we going to post up at for the day. 

Dining

And when it comes to the restaurants, there are plenty of options for your every craving. The open kitchen breakfast at Arbolea was one of our favorite hotel breakfasts. Evening cocktails at Ultramar had an immense energy with the live DJ. Dinner at Maratea transported us to Greece. And grabbing an afternoon coffee or post-workout smoothie at Cafétal offered the fuel we needed. 

Breakfast at Arbolea was incredible. If you’re looking for a breakfast spread, they have you covered. There was a French Toast/Pancake station, an Oatmeal station, eggs made to order, Avocado Toast station, Chilaquiles station, Tamales and Quesadilla station, and more. Plus there is a whole spread of cold cuts, cheeses, yogurt, cereal, pastries and fruit. 

Service

We will be honest and upfront that we were a bit apprehensive about the service we’d experience at the Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya. Why?

We’ve stayed at a couple of underwhelming Conrad Hotels and Resorts. But our concerns were nothing more than that. The service at the Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya is some of the best we’ve had in Mexico. The staff to guest ratio is extremely high and every staff member we interacted with was friendly, helpful and went above and beyond to ensure we had an enjoyable stay. 

Overall Impression

The Conrad Tulum is your sanctuary of wonders on the Riviera Maya coast. And you might ask what makes the Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya different from the hundreds of other resorts in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya and Tulum?

This newcomer has enough going for it to keep you easily entertained for a week but it has a refined and boutique feel. You'll never feel like you are at a massive resort factory. Plus it draws regional influence to give you a sense of place and make you feel like you're in Mexico. 

This five-star luxury resort is the perfect destination for a family getaway, couples getaway, honeymoon, or a friends trip.

The entire experience from beginning to end was nothing short of perfect.

Extra Perks

And don’t forget, when you book Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya with Live Luxe Travel Co., through Hilton Impresario, you’ll receive value added benefits such as hotel/resort credits, daily breakfast, room upgrades and more.

Conrad Indianapolis Review

Our Verdict

So to be 150% honest, we stayed at the Conrad Indianapolis in November of 2018. And we had an awful experience. But, we felt it was a series of unfortunate events. And we decided to give the only true luxury property in Indianapolis (at least in our opinion) another shot.

The Conrad Indianapolis

So this year when we visited Indianapolis again for Thanksgiving, we decided to give the Conrad Indianapolis a second shot. And we couldn’t have been happier.

The Conrad Indianapolis opened in 2006 with 247 rooms and suites. And it was the first five star hotel to open in Indy. The Conrad is located at the corner of Meridian and Washington streets right in the heart of the Circle City.

The Room

While all of the rooms and suites at the Conrad Indianapolis are great, the Conrad Indianapolis has four suites that are quite special. These four suites are part of the “Collection” and are located on their own private floor. They are essentially a hotel within a hotel. Staying in one of the collection suites provides an intimate, relaxing escape and makes you forget you’re in the middle of the city.

The Collection Suites all feature unique art. Here’s how the Conrad describes the four collection suites:

Experience The Collection, an inspiring group of luxury suites featuring world-renowned art, each devoted to the exploration of a particular art genre. The Collection at the Conrad Indianapolis hotel boasts its own private lobby area and carefully curated furnishing, rich wood and marble details. Hand-signed pieces by Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and many others adorn the walls and set the tone for each suite in The Collection.

This year we were fortunate enough to spend Thanksgiving in the Contemporary Collection Suite. The suite is 730 square feet with a separate bedroom with ensuite bathroom, living room and a second half bath off of the living area.

The master bathroom is definitely a spa-inspired bathroom with large vanity and a perfectly lit mirror. The floors are also heated in the bathroom which makes it nice for those chilly mornings. The large walk in shower with rain shower head will make you want to stay in the shower longer.

The Amenities

Located on the 6th floor of the hotel, The Conrad Indianapolis has a full service spa and salon, The Evan Todd Spa & Salon. In addition to the spa, the sixth floor features other amenities like an indoor pool and hot tub, fitness center and men and women’s locker rooms with saunas and steam rooms.

We took advantage of The Evan Todd Spa & Salon and had wonderful treatments. And of course we took advantage of the fitness center to workout those Thanksgiving calories. The Conrad Indianapolis fitness center features plenty of equipment and weights, definitely enough to get a good workout on. And we love the fact that all guests of the hotel can use the locker rooms and enjoy the sauna and steam rooms.

And the hotel’s pool and hot tub make a great urban oasis to relax and unwind after a long day.

Dining

The Conrad Indianapolis has two attached restaurants located on property. The first is a wine bar, Tastings, which is incredible. Tastings offers Wine on Tap and a limited but delicious food menu. And the second is the Capital Grille which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. We’ve had breakfast and dinner at the Capital Grille and you simply can’t go wrong.

And while we typically don’t indulge in room service, the Conrad Indianapolis has some of THE BEST room service of any luxury hotel we’ve stayed at. We ordered room service breakfast two different mornings and each day, it was fantastic. And on Thanksgiving Night, since there aren’t many options in Downtown Indianapolis for dining, we ordered salads for dinner, which were delicious.

Needless to say, you can’t go wrong with any of the dining options or room service at The Conrad Indianapolis.

Parking

The Conrad Indianapolis only offers Valet Parking, however there are numerous parking garages located near the Conrad Indianapolis for self-parking. Valet Parking is $49 per day, which is a bit steep. However the valet service was quite efficient and our car was always waiting on us.

Pet Friendly

The Conrad Indianapolis is pet friendly. The hotel does charge a one-time $75 pet fee, per stay. And the area around the Conrad Indianapolis has numerous areas to walk your four legged friends.

Conclusion

We are definitely happy we decided to give the Conrad Indianapolis a second chance. Despite some uncertainties, the stay was perfect. And again, while all of the rooms are great, the Collection Suites offer an intimate hotel within a hotel experience.

Extra Perks

And don’t forget, when you book the Conrad Indianapolis with Live Luxe Travel Co., through our Hilton Impresario partnership, you’ll receive a $100 hotel credit to use on dining or at the spa, daily breakfast for two, a room upgrade (if available at check-in) and double Hilton Honors perks.

Weekend Wanderings: New York City Guide

The Big Apple - New York City Guide

New York City, the big apple or the city that never sleeps. New York City is a great place to spend a weekend eating great food, drinking delicious coffee, seeing incredible Broadway Shows and of course emptying your wallet or purse on some unique shopping. To give you some tips on where to stay, what to do and where to eat we put together a New York City Guide.

Where To Stay

We love spending a weekend in New York City, but the city is spread out. So if you are only going to be in the big apple for a weekend, picking a hotel with a central location to your planned activities is very important. Keep reading our New York City Guide to see our favorite things to do in NYC.

Renwick Hotel: For a quick weekend trip, our pick would be The Renwick Hotel, part of Hilton's Curio Collection.

The Renwick

The Renwick is in a great location, just two blocks from Grand Central Station and a short walk to the United Nations, 5th Avenue and Central Park.

Hilton Honors Gold & Diamond Members get complimentary breakfast. The Gold & Diamond Member breakfast benefit is a special menu which features pastries, oatmeal, Greek yogurt or a homemade waffle. You’ll get to select three of the four items and breakfast includes juice or coffee. You'll need that breakfast before a full day of exploring the city.

If you don't mind being slightly displaced from a lot of the tourist attractions, the Conrad New York is another great option.

Where To Eat

New York City is full of amazing culinary adventures and is foodie haven. No matter what type of food you are looking for, you'll find it in the Big Apple. It was hard to narrow down our favorites places to eat in this New York City Guide.

Chobani Cafe: A few of our places include the Chobani Cafe . We are Greek Yogurt snobs and we are big fans of Chobani.

Whether you like sweet, savory or a little of both, the Chobani Cafe has a number of offerings that are sure to get you hooked! Their main feature is greek yogurt creations made from hand-selected artisanal ingredients. They have three types of yogurt creations; sweet, fruit and savory. Besides the yogurt creations they have Smit (Turkish Bread Ring) Sandwiches, salads, breakfast bowls and yogurt drinks. You can see their full menu here.

Eataly: Eataly is not only a place to eat, but it's a destination in itself. Eataly is the largest Italian marketplace in the world, comprising of a variety of restaurants, food and beverage counters, a bakery, retail store and even a cooking school. Every time we are in New York City, we make a point of indulging in at least one meal at Eataly.

Cookshop Chelsea: The Cookshop Chelsea is located near the High Line (another spot you must check out - see below). The Cookshop serves up farm-to-table” American fare that’s “creatively prepared” using seasonal, sustainable, and local ingredients. And the Cookshop has an incredible wine menu! If you are looking for cozy, romantic dinner, the Cookshop should definitely be added to your list.

Coffee

New York City is full of great coffee roasters and coffee shops. You'll never run out of options for caffeine in NYC. We would love to spend a weekend in the big apple just to have more coffee shops to feature in this New York City Guide.

La Colombe: We've wrote about La Colombe before, but La Colombe is probably one of our favorite coffee shops and coffee roasters. La Colombe, which started in Philadelphia, has not only landed all over New York City with numerous coffee shops, but also has changed the ready-to-drink coffee category with it's canned Draft Lattes found in most grocery stores and in most retailers. La Colombe's coffee and their lattes are some of our favorites, so make sure you add the coffee roaster to your New York City itinerary.

Irving Farm Coffee Roasters: With hip cafes popping up all over New York City, Irving Farm Coffee Roasters not only pours a delicious latte, but has a cool atmosphere where you can catch up on the news or just take a few minutes to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Where to have Dessert

Cookie DŌ: While there are dozens of great options in New York City, one of the most unique places you need to visit is Cookie DŌ! Cookie DŌ serves you guessed it cookie dough. Some of you are probably thinking it isn’t safe to consume raw cookie dough. Don’t worry this DŌ is safe to eat! Just a warning…once you try this you will be obsessed.

Cookie DŌ

What To Do

It's hard to fit everything there is to do in New York City in a weekend trip. But thanks to our New York City Guide here are a few of our recommendations to make the most of your weekend in the Big Apple.

Central Park: It's hard to believe that in the middle of New York City, there is a 843 acre park with over 20,000 trees! Central Park is an incredible place to take an early morning run, romantic stroll or afternoon bike ride. You won't even feel like you are in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world. Central Park is a majestic place that has to be on your itinerary for a trip to New York City.

Top of the Rock: Yes, we know, everyone likes the Empire State Building for the picturesque view of New York City. But we actually prefer the Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Building. Not only do we think the view is better, but you can see the gorgeous Empire State Building plus the rest of the New York City skyline, making your picture opportunities even better. The Top of the Rock has two observation decks, 70 floors high with unobstructed 360° city views.

High Line: The High Line is an incredible experience that runs right through New York's Chelsea neighborhood. The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail. It was created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan in New York City.

American Museum of Natural History: Not only are the Night at the Museum movies based off of the American Museum of Natural History, but the American Museum of Natural History is also one of the largest museums in the world. The entire museum spans 4 city blocks and consists of some 25 interconnected buildings which house 45 permanent exhibition halls, in addition to a planetarium and a library. A visit to the American Museum of Natural History is a must for your New York City trip but be sure to give yourself several hours to explore the dozens of exhibits.

Shopping on 5th Avenue: You won't find a better shopping corridor than New York's 5th Avenue. But if it's your first time shopping on 5th Avenue, it can be a bit overwhelming. Take your time and do a little research ahead of time to pick out a few stores you want to stop in. And do yourself a favor. Stop in Bergdorf Goodman, a New York City Institution. With that old-school luxury and service yet without that stuffy feeling, plus Bergdorf Goodman also recently renovated their main floor, the first redesign for the store in more than 30 years.

Catch a Broadway Show: There's no place better in the world for theater than Broadway. Do yourself a favor and book tickets to see a show on Broadway. We saw Wicked the Musical. Despite the fact that we've seen Wicked before, seeing Wicked on Broadway as truly an incredible experience.

Murray's Cheese:Murray's Cheese is an experience of itself. Murray's Cheese is essentially a foodie mecca offering an array of fine cheeses plus breads, cured meats, olives & other deli items. And Murray's Cheese sells Megpies.

We hope you put our New York City Guide to good use, you won't be disappointed.