South Florida’s luxury travel scene has a new contender coming to town, and it’s ready to compete with the best of the best. Opening tomorrow, Oct. 10, 2017, the Conrad Fort Lauderale Beach, a 290 all-suite oceanfront property, is already off to a running start with its first group booking set to arrive on Oct. 11, and its first wedding booked for February 2018. I had the chance to tour the property for a sneak peek of what they have to offer.
“It really is a point of pride to open a luxury hotel and put all the pieces together and welcome your first guests,” says Chintan Dadhich, general manager of the Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Walking into the Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach, you can’t help but look up almost right away. The high-vaulted ceiling leads your eyes in that direction to a view that won’t disappoint. Perched high above the lobby is a unique chandelier made up of strings with various-sized crystals jutting out horizontally from the ends of each one. The chandelier created an effect that looked both like stars in the night sky and bubbles you might see on the sand after a wave has crashed on shore. It was the first hint of the resort’s nautical theme that I found throughout the hotel.
Unlike many oceanfront properties, the Conrad didn’t inundate me with seashells, sailboats and anchors, but instead stuck to its elegant style with more subtle hints that still delivered on the hotel’s nautical theme. From the beige and blue color scheme that mimicked the sand and ocean to the water-themed paintings and sailor-like uniforms of the staff, the Conrad found ways to bring the beach vibes indoors, and every detail played its role.
And the attention to detail didn’t stop there. Across the hotel’s portico we made our first stop on the tour at Terra Mare, the Conrad’s sit down restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus brunch on the weekends, offering views of the beach.The menu highlights locally sourced ingredients prepared with the special flare of executive chef Johan Svensson. To get a taste of what diners could expect for breakfast, we nibbled on samples of fluffy waffles topped with fresh fruit, as well as avocado toast topped with an heirloom tomato and a poached egg. If those flavorful dishes are any indication of the deliciousness of the rest of the menu, your clients are sure to be pleased with a recommendation to eat at Terra Mare.
“I want to leave my stamp on Fort Lauderdale,” says Svensson who hails from Sweden. “I came so far. I’m not going to fail now.”
Moving on to the rest of the property, there were many impressive details and surprises to discover, but a few stood out in particular:
- The use of natural lighting coming in from the floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the suites, meeting spaces, and ballrooms made a noteworthy impression as it gave the rooms a bigger and brighter feel to them, while also allowing for stunning views of the beach and intracoastal waterways. Even the 24-hour fitness center has beautiful natural lighting and waterfront views that could make the most begrudging of exercisers forget that they’re working out while on vacation.
- Each suite comes with either a small galley kitchen or a fully equipped kitchen. For those who want to whip up something other than their usual go-to recipes, the Conrad has a cooking program that will supply guests with the ingredients and step-by-step instructions to cook a scrumptious en-suite meal.
- Suites on the sixth floor have direct access to the 20,000-sq.-ft. pool deck, which also serves as a hub for resort activities.
- The 4,000-sq.-ft., full-service Conrad Spa focuses on aromatherapy, and offers couples’ treatment rooms, as well as and “spa journeys” with services for both the face and body.
- The resort’s 1-3-5 program will give guests access to curated experiences they can enjoy in and around Fort Lauderdale depending on how much time they have: 1, 3 or 5 hours. For example, scuba diving to play underwater poker is just one of the many unique activities that guests would not otherwise be able to access without the 1-3-5 program.
As the second Conrad property to open in Florida, the Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach is ready to break into the South Florida luxury travel scene. Opening rates start at $339 per night, and guests who visit the Conrad now through March 31, 2018 can enjoy one complimentary upgrade to the next suite category, $50 resort credit per day, and 5,000 Hilton Honors points per stay. To book with this special grand opening offer, click here. Standard room rates start at $399.
For more information, visit conradhotels3.hilton.com.
