Originally Posted by
iAmJacksFlyerTalk
I am genuinely wondering how the Ritz Carlton continues to thrive? Especially when compared to St. Regis.
I am a Marriott Ambassador and am at the new Ritz Dallas location for a conference. I was aware of all of the Ritz Carlton "restrictions" before arrival, but after thinking on it for a few days, I am wondering how this Marriott brand continues to avoid being more integrated with the overall system?
There is no breakfast. They would not honor my suite night awards. They would not honor a late checkout. The only perk I received was 2000 points upon checkin and a meaningingless "thank you".
Compared to my stays at St. Regis properties, where they routinely honor upgrades with or without SNA, take care of $80 worth of breakfast, either in the restaurant or via private dining, and bend over backwards to keep you in your suite until 4PM.
Why does Marriott and Ritz resist being more integrated? How long will this last? Will the brand hype of Ritz die off with the older generation? Would they wake up if other "luxury" brands became more common around the United States? Is it like this abroad, too?
You're asking a question, but your post is about something else. There's a distinction between:
A) How do Ritz hotels survive? -> Because they're desirable properties people pay to stay in
B) Why doesn't Ritz make themselves more appealing to Bonvoy members by giving out more bennies? -> Because they don't have to, they're not their target audience.
But I'll hazard that most people who stay at Ritz-Carlton aren't staying there because they're part of the Marriott portfolio - they're staying there because they're aspirational properties and the best in the location they're in. The higher-up you get in price categories, the less people care about what "brand" a property is in or "elite benefits" they award, because they just pay for those things with cash. And I believe every single Ritz is part of STARS, or at least Luminous, so you can just get nearly all the same benefits as an elite member without paying barely anything extra anyway.