By the end of the calendar year, I am likely to have visited each and every Ritz Carlton property (doesn't my work suck?
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Truth is, they are spotty. I've had some great experiences and some terrible experiences with Ritz.
(I had a disastrous stay at the Naples property.. every room is supposed to have a view of the Gulf of Mexico from the balcony. My balcony smelled of gas.. half the outlets didn't work.. the valet lost my car for over an hour..)
The reason I've stayed at so many is because I've attended conferences hosted there.
Wherever I go, I try to stay as close to the action as possible.. whether it's a conference (I'll always stay at the conference hotel b/c most business is done in the hallways and bars) or I'm visiting with clients. In the latter case, I'll stay as close to my meetings as possible.
When distance from where I'm going is roughly equal, I decide based on price.
When price is equal, I decide based on points.
Of course, I'm really new to focusing on hotel points and that may change.
For all my airline reward fascination, I've basically blown off the hotel end.. until NOW.
Thanks, FlyerTalk!