Conrad Orlando Review: Room Upgrade & Amex FHR Benefits

If you want a luxury resort feel that is still close to the Orlando theme parks, the Conrad Orlando is worth serious consideration. Opened in January 2024, it sits right on the edge of the Evermore Orlando Resort lagoon: a perfectly manicured white sand beach wrapped around a massive, crystal-clear blue body of water. It looks like a movie set and it is only 20 minutes from Disney World and about 30 from Universal Studios.

We booked a King Bed Lagoon View room for $691 through Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR). Between our FHR perks and Vincent's Hilton Diamond status, we stacked a significant amount of on-property credits and came away with more than we expected. Here is the full breakdown.

---

Booking and Check-In

We booked a standard King Bed Lagoon View room through Amex FHR. At check-in, we were upgraded to a Lagoon View room with a private balcony at no extra cost. The balcony overlooking the lagoon is exactly as good as it sounds.

---

Room Tour: King Bed Lagoon View with Balcony

The aesthetic: The room has a very calm, blue-toned design that matches the resort feel perfectly. It is spacious, with a lounging sofa and a small dining table inside. Nothing feels cramped.

Tech: 55-inch smart TV. Plenty of USB-A and USB-C outlets by the bed. One note: the window blinds are manual, not automated. A small thing, but noticeable after staying at hotels where everything is controlled from a panel.

Minibar: Fully stocked and well-presented. A Coke here is $7, which is actually a dollar cheaper than what we paid at the Conrad Las Vegas. They also provide an espresso machine and reusable water bottles, with filtered water stations placed around the property to refill them.

Bathroom: Dual vanity, a walk-in shower, and a floating toilet in its own separate water closet. The toiletries are Byredo Mojave Ghost, which smell excellent. One oddity: there was no standard bar soap for handwashing at the sink. We had to ask for one.

---

Stacking the Credits: Amex FHR + Hilton Diamond

This stay is a good example of how much value you can pull from stacking hotel booking programs.

We combined the $100 Amex property credit with the $50 Diamond credit for $150 total toward dining, which covered our dinner at Ceiba and lunch by the pool. The 4 PM checkout let us spend the entire morning and early afternoon at the property on departure day, which made a real difference.

For the full breakdown on where we ate and what we ordered, see the Conrad Orlando Dining Guide.

---

The Evermore Lagoon

The lagoon is the reason to stay here. Evermore Bay looks genuinely surreal: a white sand beach running around perfectly clear water with the whole resort built around it. It does not look like it belongs in Florida, which is exactly the point.

Water activities: Swimming, paddleboard rentals, kayaking, and a water slide. We highly recommend booking a ride on the Duffy electric boat to cruise the full perimeter of the lagoon. It was complimentary during our visit, but check current pricing as it may now have a fee (around $25).

The one regret from our trip is that the weather was a bit too cool to get fully into the water. We will be coming back, and next time we are going when it is actually warm enough to use the lagoon properly.

---

Other Property Amenities

Gym: Spacious fitness center with a Peloton bike, water and towel station, and a solid weightlifting section with dumbbells up to 75 lbs.

Arrival and departure lounge: If you arrive before your room is ready or have a late departure, there is a dedicated lounge where you can wait, relax, and take a shower. Very useful for a long travel day.

---

Dining

The Conrad property has three main restaurants, a lobby bar called Apéro, and a bakery called Little Spoon. There is also an Evermore food hall nearby if you want more options. We ate at every restaurant during our stay.

For the full review of each spot including what to order, what to skip, and how to use your credits most effectively, read the Conrad Orlando Dining Guide.

---

Final Verdict

The Conrad Orlando is a beautiful property that works as a standalone resort destination or as a comfortable home base between theme park days. The lagoon is genuinely impressive, the rooms are spacious and well-designed, and the credit stacking through Amex FHR and Hilton Diamond made it exceptional value for what we got.

A few things to know before you go:

• Use the Amex FHR breakfast credit at Sophia's but plan to arrive before 11 AM
• Stack your Diamond F&B credit with the Amex property credit for dinner at Ceiba
• Book the Duffy boat and verify whether it is still complimentary
• Ask the front desk about the stuffed mascot bunny. The design changes every year and they will sometimes let you take one home

We are already planning a return trip when the weather cooperates.