bhrubin

I understand that...but our OP is using points for an award stay. Award stays don't qualify for Club rooms...or so I believed.

MSPeconomist

With Starwood, you can book a club room on points for additional points at many hotels. I don't know what Marriott policy is on this.

I was trying more generally to compare my experience with both hotels as a response to the question asked in the thread title. I was trying to post in a way that could be useful to later readers and rather than just addressing the OP's specific situation. In my case, I was glad I tried the RC, but I might have felt differently without club lounge access.

hhoope01

While I will agree that I don't think I've ever seen any club rooms show up using points only when using the online tool, that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't possible to get a club room using points only. It couldn't hurt to call the hotel and see if it is possible.

I do know it is possible to use points for a base room and pay a set fee (i.e. $100-$150/night) to get upgraded to a club room. I almost pulled the plug on doing that at the Cayman RC a few years ago. (The upgrade offered to us not only included club access but also came with a view upgrade as well.)

bhrubin

My understanding is that it often is $150-200 fee per night for the upgrade to Club at the RC--which on an award stay comparison between the RC and W doesn't remotely see, worth it to eat at the RC Club when status might get one free breakfast anyway at the W! For the Dec period during which the OP is considering, a regular entry room at the W is but $300...so paying an extra $150-200 per night upgrade seems silly. For the same period, the RC Club room costs $225 more, which likely is close to the upgrade fee. I'd never think $200 more per day is worth it to simply have a few Club meals. Heck, I'd never think $100 more per day is worth it, to be honest.

I've always been surprised by the number of people who want a Club at a luxury hotel like Ritz-Carlton. Eating meals in a Club to save money on meals while spending more to get a Club room never seems to be a luxury experience to me.

The fact that at some RC properties RC Club rooms can sometimes be nicer than non-Club rooms also means the value-add is lost unless one eats a lot in the Club...which isn't much of a value-add for me at all. This may be the biggest reason why we so rarely stay at RC properties while on holiday.

abk

I just completed a stay at the Berlin Marriott where I booked my daughter and her friend a club level room on line for additional points to assure they had lounge access. So it can be done.

bhrubin

I know it's possible with Marriott...but I don't think it's possible with points for Ritz-Carlton. For the time being, they have slightly different rules.

Dr. HFH

I'm in the same boat. Would I spend $200 more daily to get meals in the Club? Depends. Will I spend $200 daily on meals (including my traveling companion) if I'm not in a Club room? Not likely, especially when the alternative is an SPG hotel where I get free breakfast. And a Club room at a property like RC? Or FS or StR, for that matter? How much nicer can the Club rooms be, even if we ignore the possibility of a PLT suite upgrade at SPG properties?

bhrubin

StR and FS rarely if ever have clubs, FWIW. RC has Clubs as a brand standard. Club rooms can be a bit nicer, according to some; I'm told that's true at least at the RC Boston Common, where I'll be staying in Mar and Sept next year. I'll see for myself I suppose...but I chose non-Club, since I almost always would rather order room service breakfast and eat out for lunch and dinner.

mikeyyz

I'd say go with W HK. It's a very swanky property, awesome pool and spa... much nicer than US Ws. The value of breakfast and an upgrade I think out-weighs the extra luxury of the Ritz.

I had a great stay at the RC Tokyo recently so this can swing the other way too, but chose it mainly (initially) because the Prince didn't allow kids to have their own beds in the rooms (no roll-aways) or access to the pool. I would have valued the breakfast highly at the Prince but the Ritz was indeed exceptional...

hhoope01

I can say that in my one situation at the Cayman RC the club room came with not only club access, but an upgrade to an ocean front room. The base room I had was a lower floor island facing room. If I remember correctly, either upgrade alone would have cost what they were going to charge me. Together, if someone really wanted that oceanfront room, it probably was a nice deal.

The reason I didn't take it was we had a limited budget and preferred to spend that money on island activities instead.

And I agree, while the food offerings in an RC club are nice and plentiful, it isn't worth the up-charge just for the food.

Dr. HFH

I gather that you've never been there. First, it's not really on Boston Common. It's on a dark side street, more of an alley, IMO, which has one end perpendicular to the Common. I'm never comfortable walking down to the Ritz after dark. It's not a pleasant location at all. And although I haven't stayed in every room, I think that rooms with a view of the Common are few.

Change to the old Ritz in Boston, now a Taj. http://www.thetajboston.com/. It's a lovely old world luxurious hotel looking out over the Public Garden, which is directly across the street from the front door. Great hotel at a great location. Much nicer than the Ritz in Boston.

bhrubin

Thanks. But I don't really care much about views in most cities...and certainly not the Boston Common! Seeing a park doesn't quite float my boat. (Same with Hyde Park in London.)

I want to check out some of the better RC properties for future stay purposes, and the easiest way is to stay. Also, the RC isn't too far from the Convention Center where I'll have a conference in Sept. (About same distance as the W, actually.)

VCURamFan

I've decided on the W. Pretty excited, flying direct to MLE from HK for 5 nights at the St. Regis Maldives after NYE at the W.

bhrubin

Nice. Enjoy! We expect TR or expert reviews after all this!

Dr. HFH

That's cool. Do yourself a favor and check out the Taj, too, even if just a walkthrough. Personally, my favorite is the FS. Definitely worth a look-see (and halfway between RC and Taj, -- all three are pretty close together). But IMO, the RC is the worst of the 5* properties in Boston. (W only gets four stars from me.) There are a couple of other really nice hotels in Boston, but they're further away from the convention center, so I gather that you wouldn't be interested.