Review: Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) – Conrad Las Vegas At Resorts World (Nevada)

Editor’s Note: The following is a review of American Express’s Fine Hotels & Resorts program as utilized at the Conrad Las Vegas At Resorts World. This post is NOT a complete review of the Conrad Las Vegas At Resorts World.

There was a time where I would road trip out to Las Vegas once or twice a month from Southern California. I must have stayed at every hotel on the Las Vegas Strip at least once (if not 10 times).

With the recently added  $200 Fine Hotels & Resorts credit from the personal Platinum Card, I really had no excuse for not making the trek out to Vegas to check out Conrad Las Vegas At Resorts World, part of the newest mega-resort in Las Vegas.

Was the Conrad Las Vegas At Resorts World a good place to use the FHR credit? Read on to find out.

Image: rwlasvegas.com

Review: Fine Hotels & Resorts – Conrad Las Vegas At Resorts World

Click here to read about the American Express Platinum card adding a new $200 FHR annual perk

About The Fine Hotels & Resorts Program

First, a quick refresher on the Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program.

Click here to read more on Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts Program

Click here for reviews on Chase’s Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection

How To Use FHR

You’ll need a premium American Express Platinum credit card to gain access to the FHR program.

Both the American Express Platinum card and the American Express Business Platinum card will grant access to FHR .

The Benefits Of The Fine Hotels & Resorts Program

American Express’s FHR program is an under-utilized benefit for many Platinum users, but it provides tremendous value when used at the right hotels at the right time.

The standard perks of the FHR program include the following 6 benefits:

The Benefits Vary By Property

The “unique amenity” at the Conrad Las Vegas At Resorts World is a $125 Food & Beverage credit.

Additionally, the “daily breakfast for two people” benefit is a $30 credit per person at The Kitchen.

Stack FHR With Hilton Honors Gold Or Diamond Status

In addition to the free breakfast and the $125 Food & Beverage Credit, Hilton Honors elite members (Gold or Diamond) can stack their respective food and beverage credits.

As Diamond members, we were able to get an additional $25 per person per day Food & Beverage Credit.

That means Diamond Elites can get up to $235 in Food & Beverage credits using FHR!

Location & Parking

Resorts World Las Vegas has several parking lots; one is attached, and one is in an adjacent parking structure across from the main building.

Strangely, we found both parking structures to be semi-equidistant to our room.

FHOP Tip: Currently, parking is free at Resorts World. However, I don’t expect that to last very much longer as both parking structures are already equipped with automated gates and pay kiosks (although they are not currently in use).

Booking Through FHR

I booked a “Premium Room, 1 King Bed” for $373.02 (+$51.02 in fees) for one night.

With the $200 Platinum benefit, the cost came down to $224.04 total.

That was before the $235 in breakfast and property credits (which I’ll get to below).

Lobby

Lobby Bar. Image: rwlasvegas.com

Lobby Artwork

Front Desk & Check-In: The Invited Guest Line

There was a dedicated Invited Guest/Hilton Honors line at the front desk, which was handy because there were only about three people in front of me, as opposed to the regular line which had about 20 people in it.

I was warmly welcomed, recognized for my Hilton Honors Diamond status, and thanked for booking through the Fine Hotels & Resorts program.

Check-In: FHR Room Upgrade

I was informed on the spot that I’d been upgraded to a “One Bedroom Suite”.

I semi-officially valued the FHR One Bedroom Suite upgrade at about $100, but in reality, the huge suite made a huge difference.

FHR Welcome Letter

I was handed the FHR welcome letter (below) and my room keys.

One important thing to note were the many (8) dining exclusions printed in the fine print at the bottom of the letter.

These exclusions include popular options like room service, Carversteak, Caviar Bar, and Tacos El Carbon (among others).

Room Key

Elevator Area & Artwork

Hallway

One Bedroom Suite Entrance (FHR Room Upgrade)

The suite was huge and clean (this is an almost brand-new hotel so it would be news if it wasn’t).

One of the things we liked most about our stay at the Conrad Las Vegas At Resorts World was the selection of toiletries they went with – Mojave Ghost by BYREDO – it’s a strong contender for the best-smelling resort scent of all time.

Suite Bathroom

Living Area

Bedroom

Room Amenities

The room amenities included a newer-model Nespresso machine (and pods), assorted teas, and a pair of Nestle Pure Life water bottles.

Vanity & Closet

Bathroom

View From The Room

Using The $125 FHR Food & Credit (and the $50 Diamond credit): Wally’s Las Vegas

We opted to use a portion of the $125 FHR property credit at Wally’s for a pre-dinner appetizer and drinks session.

Do yourself a favor and order the Wood Oven Baked Brie and a stiff dark drink.

Using The $60 FHR Breakfast Credit At The Kitchen

We used our $60 FHR breakfast credit at The Kitchen (the only option).

The food was buffet style, although guests also have the option of “ordering off the menu”.

We went with the buffet, and it was “just OK”. The food was hit-or-miss, with the eggs being good, the bacon being over-cooked, and the red-velvet pancakes being super-dry.

The couple next to us actually complained about the food to the manager and decided to leave without finishing.

We stayed, and it was fine. Just don’t expect too much out of a breakfast buffet and you won’t be let down.

Image: rwlasvegas.com

Image: rwlasvegas.com

Using The Balance Of Our $125 FHR Food & Credit (and the $50 Diamond credit): Wally’s Las Vegas (Again)

We enjoyed our “pre-game” at Wally’s so much the night before, that we returned for a late lunch.

Again, Wally’s was excellent. I can highly recommend the Wally’s Burger.

The Property Interior

The Shops

Casino Floor

Casino Floor

Famous Foods Street Eats (Food Market)

Genting Palace

Image: rwlasvegas.com

Alle Lounge 66

Image: rwlasvegas.com

Crystal Bar

Crystal Bar

Kusa Nori

Image: rwlasvegas.com

Resorts World

Casino Artwork

Legacy

Liberace’s Piano

The Property Exterior

Swimming Pool(s)

Image: rwlasvegas.com

Fitness Center

Image: rwlasvegas.com

Guaranteed 4:00 pm Check-Out

We were offered a 4:00 PM checkout, which we most definitely took advantage of, because – Vegas.

The Check-Out: The Final Invoice

I asked to see a copy of the final folio (as one should always do when using FHR).

To my surprise, everything was 100% correct the first time. All the credits were applied.

The Bottom-Line Review: Fine Hotels & Resorts – Conrad Las Vegas At Resorts World

I know some other points-bloggers have sort of dissed Conrad (and Resorts World) overall as being stale, oversized, and uninspiring.

I’m here to say I couldn’t disagree more. I found the Conrad to be a great place to use FHR.

Conrad staff members actually know how to use it (and bill you correctly), the high-dollar amount of the credits give you a wide variety of great restaurants to choose from (especially if you like Asian Food and/or Steak and “alcohol-forward” drinks), even if you are somewhat limited to where you can use the credits.

We received everything as advertised – the [huge] room upgrade, the credits, the late check-out, the Invited Guest lines, the breakfast.

When all the costs and credits were factored in, Conrad actually paid us $10.96 to stay there through FHR. How can you beat that? In Vegas, I’d say you really can’t.

Final FHR Rating: 8 out of 10.