The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles — Hotel in Los Angeles

I rarely take the time to comment on my experience, but when I meet a special group of people that leave a lasting impression, it's the least I can do to recognize their excellence. My colleague and I from OC were in downtown LA for a conference; we stumbled upon Sendero at the Ritz Carlton in the JW Marriott downtown Los Angeles. I mention them both as I want leadership from both to recognize them. The first night we encountered Maddox and Manny. Both of them were very professional and engaging. They reviewed the cocktail menu and provided a brief layout of the property. Once they knew we were there for drinks, they quickly anticipated our needs and explained their specialty cocktails. We enjoyed the great presentation on the Palo Santo cocktail. The presentation of the beverage and the attitude of the people is what make the experience. I have personally been in the hospitality industry and have worked at some of the best hotels in the US, ranging from the Montage Beverly Hills, Encore, Aria Sky Suites, and the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. These properties are all known for their Forbes services which I am accustomed to. We had such a great time the first night with Maddox and Manny that we returned the next night. The next night we met Desiree, Alonzo, and the manager, Dan. It was with the utmost pleasure that they exuded the service level from the night before. We came to find out that Maddox was on break the second night but was delighted to see her come by while we were there. This group of staff members created a memorable experience that I will never forget. They made me feel special and ran the bar seamlessly. All the patrons were happy, as were we, and I will be sure to tell anyone traveling to downtown LA to go by and experience the fantastic staff. This experience again proves that it's about the people, not the place. The team of Maddox, Manny, Desiree, Alonzo, and Dan has left an impression on me that I will never forget. I will always be sure to stop by the bar and grab a drink with the hopes I get to see them again. Thank you for the unforgettable experience, and keep on elevating the guest experience.

Best...

We had a great stay even though we were only there for one night. We had flown into town in the afternoon from Dallas to watch the Rangers play the Angels in Anaheim, so we left pretty much right after we checked in. The Guest Relations Coordinator, Nathan, e-mailed us in advance to find out when we were arriving, if we were celebrating any special occasions, and if we needed anything special. We did let him know we'd probably be arriving a tad before check-in and would leave our bags and that we were celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary. When we got to the hotel, we were greeted right away and by a very polite gentleman at the front desk (I wish I could remember his name). They actually did have our room ready early, which was a great treat as we could get ready in our room to head to the ballgame. We were also delighted to find out that we'd been upgraded, which from what I understand, is a rare occurrence at this hotel. I am a platinum member and lifetime silver, but I was still surprised. The room was on one of the top floors, accessible only by a separate elevator, and it had an extra office area which came in very handy the next morning when my husband had some zoom calls to make. When we got back from the game, we saw that the 24th floor lounge was open when we got off of the elevator and went to have a drink. The lounge had incredible views and the drinks were tasty. We were surprised there weren't more people in there, but it was around 9:30 at that time. When we went back to the room, we found that Nathan had delivered a bottle of champagne and strawberries, not to mention a very sweet hand-written card congratulating us. It was a fine touch and again, unexpected. The extra touches at the hotel, such as slippers, two robes, straightening iron, TV in the bathroom mirror, turndown service, etc - all very much appreciated and will likely encourage us to stay at finer hotels such as this one in the future. All-in-all, it was a great stay, and we very much appreciated the personal care shown to us while...

My husband and I got married at the Ritz in SF and have stayed at many international locations for our mini moon and honeymoon (Caymans and Singapore) and this location is by far the worst. The only people who made use feel welcome or at home was Noni and Chris (valet).

We arrived at 1 AM from a long drive from San Francisco and Noni welcomed us with enthusiasm and a smile. She checked us in promptly and tried to get us in a suite since I had suite night awards and am a platinum elite member. However, there was a block on all the suites which is bizarre because they’re available on the website. She said she would take care of valet parking for us instead. When I went back outside to let Arthur from valet know that we were going to valet, he asked “Do you know how much it cost?” I didn’t address the rude comment because it was almost 1:30am and my newborn was crying. I simply told him yes and walked away. Chris was so kind at valet and really made us feel welcomed unlike Arthur.

We get to the room and we only had 1 set of everything (towels, shampoo, shower gel, etc) even though it’s clear that the reservation is for 4 guests (1 of which is a newborn). We called Noni who took care of sending up more amenities.

Upon checkout, Freddy made a mistake and forgot to apply our $50 credit per night to our stay and assured me he would fix it and send me an updated portfolio. Not only did I not receive that updated summary but the charge on my Ritz Carlton card is even more than the erroneous summary he handed me. It was also very casual where he just gave me a piece of paper. Usually the summary is placed in an envelope and handed to their guests. I don’t work in hospitality but I’ve stayed at enough hotels to know the difference between a standard versus luxury stay and what is expected at a Category 8.

Overall, I’m only giving a fair rating because Noni and Chris were incredible. Otherwise, I would have selected poor because it is the worst Ritz location I have...