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Editor’s note: TPG was provided a stay at the hotel, along with some on-site meals and experiences. This story was not subject to review or approval by the resort or any other entity. Opinions expressed are the author’s alone.
There’s a beautiful new Conrad beach resort … in Orlando.
After a couple of days of enjoying acres of crystal-blue water, a high-end spa with a water garden (which includes soaking and plunge pools of varying temperatures), luxurious new hotel rooms and a rooftop restaurant with creative cocktails, it was very hard to remember I was even in Orlando.
In fact, with a few strategically framed photos, I even fooled some of my well-versed travel industry friends into thinking I was in the Maldives. But this wasn’t the Maldives or even the Caribbean; it was the brand-new Conrado Orlando at Evermore Orlando Resort. This oasis is less than 3 miles away from Walt Disney World by distance but feels a world away when it comes to everything else.
The all-new, 1,100-acre Evermore Resort is where you’ll find the Conrad Orlando that opened in January 2024 and almost has to be seen to be believed. When I first stepped into the lobby and saw the massive blue lagoon through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I really couldn’t fathom that I was looking at something that exists in Central Florida.
Right away, your eyes are drawn to the picture-perfect “beach,” a feat in and of itself due to its location in the middle of the Sunshine State. The Conrad Orlando is one of TPG’s most anticipated new hotels of 2024, and after being at the property for only a few minutes, it’s easy to see why. The hotel is already living up to the hype.
Here’s what you’ll find if you decide to check it out.
SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
Related: Best Hilton cards
What is Conrad Orlando at Evermore Orlando Resort?
Orlando’s first Conrad hotel is located within the new billion-dollar Evermore Orlando Resort.
This recently opened resort is not only home to the 433-room Conrad Orlando, which sits on one side of the 8-acre lagoon, but it also has a variety of other accommodations available for rent, including 69 houses that range from five- to eleven-bedroom abodes, 206 four-bedroom flats and 41 two- and four-bedroom villas that are priced pretty competitively at just a couple of hundred dollars a night for the smaller units.
This large Evermore Resort also has two golf courses, is home to various restaurants, has a schedule of daily activities and shares its crown jewel, the blue lagoon named Evermore Lagoon, with the Conrad. The way it was explained to me, Conrad has access to all the Evermore amenities, but some Conrad amenities are exclusive to only Conrad guests.
SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUYHow much does it cost to stay at Conrad Orlando?
A luxury beach resort in the middle of Florida doesn’t come cheap, though it may be less expensive than flying farther afield to a real beach resort.
Standard rooms start at $450 per night and rise for peak dates. There is a $50 resort fee, which includes kayak and paddleboard rentals for one hour, daily bottled water, shuttle service to Disney World, $20 off golf club rentals and 20% off spa treatments.
Because Conrad Orlando is part of the Hilton family of hotels, instead of shelling out some cash for a stay, you could redeem 90,000 Hilton Honors points per night for a standard room or use one of the free night award certificates that sometimes come as part of the welcome bonus on certain Hilton credit cards. If you have the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, you can also earn a free night award to use here by spending $15,000 on purchases with the card in a calendar year.
When booking Conrad Orlando, you’ll want to use one of the credit cards that earn the most points for Hilton stays, as well as one that possibly offers automatic Hilton Honors elite status for value-added benefits. These include:
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels, automatic Gold elite status and the ability to upgrade to Diamond status by spending $40,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year.
Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels, automatic Gold elite status and the ability to upgrade to Diamond status by spending $40,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year.
Hilton Honors American Express Card: Earn 7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels, automatic Silver elite status and the ability to upgrade to Gold status by spending $20,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 14 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and automatic Diamond elite status.
The information for the Hilton Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Standout features of Conrado Orlando
I’ve said it more than once, and I’ll say it again: The 8-acre lagoon is, without question, the highlight of Conrad Orlando. The Conrad has its own zero-entry beach area and chairs for relaxing by the lagoon.
It’s not all about the lagoon, though — there’s also a beautiful pool and a splash pad with various cabanas, daybeds and free-to-use lounge chairs.
The Conrad Spa is inspired by Florida’s natural springs and is exceptional. You’ll find outdoor soaking tubs, an array of massages and indoor wellness journeys such as the Flower Essense massage, which starts with a personalized quiz to help you select your preferred flowers to inspire the treatment.
It’s a high-end hotel with modern rooms to match. The family rooms even have built-in bunk beds in the living room, making for a very creative and valuable space.
There are fantastic food and beverage venues on-site that will make you want to spend some meal and snack time at the property. From exceptional cocktails on the roof at Ceiba to afternoon snack platters at Papaya Club and multicourse Italian meals at Sophia’s Trattoria, you’ll want to come hungry to the Conrad.
Last but not least, you can easily enjoy Walt Disney World while staying here thanks to a frequently running luxury shuttle bus that takes guests to each of the four major Disney theme parks. Best of all, the service is complimentary.
The location of Conrad Orlando
Let’s jump right into the location of the Conrad Orlando, as that’s an important factor when booking a stay here.
The resort essentially borders Walt Disney World, sitting in the corner close to the Golden Oak, Four Seasons and Fort Wilderness side of Disney World. While it is very close, it is not technically on Disney property. As a result, it doesn’t offer any of the early entry benefits that other hotels, such as those in Disney Springs and the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, give their guests.
If you want to enjoy a resort-centric vacation and still have easy access to Disney World, this location will work just fine. If you wanted to hit Disney World really hard with an on-property Disney resort that provides all the perks, I could see a stay at Conrad Orlando fitting in nicely after a few days of staying in the Disney bubble.
During my stay, the included luxury bus to Disney left the resort 13 times throughout the day, departing as early as 7 a.m. and as late as 10:50 p.m. The departures occurred approximately every one to two hours. The shuttle is available on a first-come, first-served basis and leaves from the meetings and events side of the hotel’s front entrance. Like most other non-Disney-operated buses, the Conrad’s will make drop-offs at the Transportation and Ticket Center when visiting Epcot or the Magic Kingdom, requiring a transfer by boat or monorail to access those parks.
Related: How you can save hundreds of dollars by renting Disney Vacation Club points
The vibe at Conrad Orlando
I checked into the hotel on a weekday in February during one of the early days of operations when there weren’t a lot of vacationers, so the vibe of the clientele is likely to evolve from what I experienced this close to the property’s opening. That said, I suspect conference attendees who take in rounds of golf and cocktails before and after meetings will continue to have a real presence at the Conrad.
But this hotel won’t only draw those in town for work; even during my visit, there were a few families enjoying the pool or heading off to the theme parks. I’d expect that type of guest to become more prevalent during school breaks.
It’s certainly an upscale vibe, though not a fussy one. I felt much more at ease here than at the nearby Four Seasons (where I felt like my relaxation attire was a notch or two below the normal standard).
The hotel was full of natural light pouring through large windows and featured a watercolor-style design in calming blue hues throughout the common spaces.
Inside the Conrad Orlando rooms
It probably won’t shock you when I say that the rooms at the new Conrad Orlando are quite nice.
Like much of the rest of the resort, they feature earthy, water-inspired tones throughout and are spacious (even in the standard room categories, which measure between 440 and 455 square feet). They’re well appointed with plenty of power outlets, 55-inch TVs, functional work desks, Nespresso machines, bathrobes, in-room safes and roomy closets.
I had a room with a balcony overlooking the lagoon and pool, which was a real treat, as I could see the sun rise and set from there each day. You are also likely to have an orange visitor on your balcony named “Sunny the Bunny,” who is a bit of a hotel mascot.
SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
As for the bed, I found it very comfortable in terms of the mattress and bedding, but sadly, the four large pillows, while initially appearing quite fluffy, would flatten as I slept, resulting in me waking up to re-fluff them a time or two each night.
SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
That issue aside, the room was absolutely lovely, as was the spa-inspired bathroom with a walk-in shower stocked with Byredo Mojave Ghost products and extremely fluffy and delightful towels.
I didn’t personally have any issues with noise from the hallways, though there were fewer people in the halls than perhaps will one day be true due to the low occupancy during my stay. Details such as the thermostat and the internet also worked promptly without issue. However, the minibar was not yet operational.
Family suite
While I stayed in a relatively standard room (albeit one with a fabulous view), I did get to tour a family suite.
These suites ring in at close to 1,000 square feet and have two bathrooms. In addition to the primary bedroom with a king-size bed, there are twin bunk beds cleverly built into the wall in the living room. These bunk beds have their own outlets and little reading lights and can stay open to the room or closed off with a sliding door.
In some spot checks, the cost of these suites seems to start at just shy of double the cost of a standard room.
The pool at Conrad Orlando
The zero-entry, heated Conrad Orlando pool is constructed in a winding shape, creating many nooks and areas to relax and enjoy.
SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
Surrounding the water, you’ll find complimentary lounge chairs and umbrellas, along with cabanas and daybeds available for rent. There is poolside food and beverage service, though there are no lifeguards.