I had the pleasure of trying out two Ritz Carltons in the last couple months. My first two Ritz Carltons ever. And I am left a tad 'confused', if not flat out disappointed at the brand. Sure, I have only had two stays, but I would argue you can observe a lot in two stays, especially if you are an keen observer of hotels like me.
I always held Ritz Carlton and its brand name on par with the likes of St Regis and Park Hyatt - i.e. top luxury hotels within a chain brand that is, in a way, a trophy brand of the chain altogether. Whilst I see that the RC hotels are definitely upscale, the two RCs came across to me like glorified Sheratons with no distinctive character or 'color'.
There are distinctive features that define the top hotels within their respective chains. I'll take St Regis as an example as it is the one luxury brand I now well. This brand with its butler service and evening champagne sabering, association with Bentley and the Red Snapper etc. If I were to wake up unknowingly in a St. Regis hotel lobby one day, I would be able to make a reasonable guess that it would be a St Regis simply by observing. There are distinctive styles and features that define the St Regis brand and there is a thread of consistency across its global footprint.
Not so with RC. The two hotels were widely different. The check-in area was the stand-up counter type and was clogged in both hotels (more so in Dubai). Rooms were great, but did not exude the bespoke luxury as you would at Park Hyatt or Waldorf. Phone operators were standard if not a bit terse. As a platinum welcome amenity I was offered a choice between a bottle of sparkling water, or a "fruit shake". A fruit basket and a half bottle of Shiraz in Singapore. Turn-down service had to be requested in Dubai to be done. I can go on.
Don't get me wrong - I am not saying that the hotels were bad pre se, but as the 'trophy' brand of the Marriott family I expected more character - something distinctive that can capture the brand. I did not get it. They felt like two good hotels unrelated to one another with efficient service and friendly staff. For those who have stayed in RCs over the years - particularly those who prefer it to other luxury hotel names - what is it about the brand you find about RCs that you like? How does a RC differ from, say, Raffles or Park Hyatt or St Regis?