Hilton Turns Staycation Into Romantic European Honeymoon

Hilton’s Conrad branch in Washington DC went above and beyond to transform newlyweds staycation into a romantic European honeymoon. It’s no secret that plans all around the world have been cancelled due to the pandemic. Weddings, honeymoons, family vacations and anniversary trips have all played victim to the Coronavirus.

Jacob and Abbie Bennett were set to have the honeymoon of their dreams earlier this summer. This summer would’ve actually been their second attempt at a honeymoon. Their first rendezvous were cancelled due to Jacob catching a nasty bout of the flu. After much consideration, they opted to social distance and stay home rather than jet-set across Europe for 30 days as they’d initially planned. They decided they’d make the best and have a staycation by bookin a small getaway in Washington DC’s Conrad Hilton. Once they arrived, though, they realized they were in for much more than a few nights at a local hotel.

It started with a few phone calls

When the front office director, Vera Vandijk got wind of the Bennetts predicament, she had just the right idea. She immediately reached out to luxury hotels in all corners of Europe. Waldorf Astoria in Versailles, Amsterdam and Berlin? Check. Trianon Palaceto? Check. Conrad London? Yep, check. Looking for ways to bring a little bit of European charm to D.C. for the newlyweds, she had them send themed goodies related to their city. Upon arrival, the couple received “passports” stamped to commemorate their stay and the goods from the overseas hotels.

First stop! @ConradWDC where their “passport” was stamped to kick off the global excursion. pic.twitter.com/WgCVGqTs8I

— Conrad Hotels (@ConradHotels) October 8, 2020

They had a warm welcome with classic British cookies courtesy of England’s Conrad London along with an itinerary for their next visit to the U.K. Next up they received greetings with the iconic French drink, Perrier coupled with historical landmarks to add to their must-see list thanks to Waldorf Astoria Versailles. Next up were greetings from Waldorf Astoria Berlin and Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam to seal the deal. Needless to say, Conrad Hilton went to great lengths to make this romantic getaway one to remember.

The new groom, who doubles as a kindergarten teacher, had this to say:

“My wife and I have been strict about social distancing and staying home during this pandemic – it’s been tough,”… “After cancelling our European trip, we decided to book a staycation at Conrad Washington, D.C. I emailed the hotel in advance to ask about safety measures and mentioned our cancelled plans. Let me just say, they went above and beyond.”

The hotel’s gestures were especially meaningful as Vandjik has recently dealt with some nulled plans of her own. Originally from the Netherlands, she had plans this year to visit family that she had to cancel due to the pandemic.

Laura Schofield, the hotel’s General Manager, said “she wanted to bring a special taste of Europe to Jacob and Abbie and show our appreciation for everything Jacob does as an educator, especially with the unique school year approaching,” We think she certainly delivered on her intentions. She absolutely transformed their staycation into a uniquely romantic European honeymoon.

The Conrad has shown that sometimes things don’t go to plan, and that is A-OK. Jacob and Abbie are currently hoping to reschedule their 30-day European honeymoon to 2021.