The audacity of Ritz Carlton
 

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?

Ritz was taken over by Marriott that didn’t seem to require the same consistency across brands that Starwood did. That being said, RC will start accepting NUAs. I thought there was something else too but I can’t remember what it is.

That being said, one of the most amazing stays I’ve ever had was at the Ritz Carlton Millenia in Singapore. They don’t even participate in the Marriott program other than to accept bookings. No points, no stay credits. The only reason I stayed there was because I had a $24 error rate instead of the usual $400/night.

I wrote it up here starting with post #25.

If I could book a hotel room for $24 a night, I would think it was an amazing stay too (no matter what happened).

The late checkout is a legitimate grievance... what was their reason?

As for the rest, the "younger" EDITION brand is also exempt and seems to be thriving.

I avoid RCs like the plague for many reasons you mention

Used to have the RC Visa, it was a waste of money

STR is my favorite brand as well

The only way I would stay at a RC is if my company paid for it

Well, given that Marriott purchased ~49% of Ritz-Carlton in 1995 and then a further 50% in 1998 and somehow they have continued to put heads in beds during that time, even with the stiplulations you have mentioned, my guess would be that it can continue to go on for a good long time... :idea:

Regards

I feel like (just like any other Marriott hotel), it varies so much from hotel and brand. Some of my favorite stays have been at Ritz Carlton's. Nightly Upgrade Awards are now accepted at Ritz Carlton as of this year. I've received late checkout on numerous occasions. Yes I understand breakfast isn't included, I usually book the Club rate or with STARS to get breakfast included.

At least at RC's in APAC, I was treated very well.
For the few times I could remember when breakfast was not included in the reservation, breakfast was offered generously. (Sanya, Nanjing)
Received villa upgrade at Bali and suite upgrade at Shenzhen, Sanya, Shanghai Portman
RC Shenzhen even offered us to dine at the club lounge free of charge.

Ritz in Asia is where it's at. Ritz Bali, got upgraded to a better room, late checkout was also given. And I am just Platinum.

And there is Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore that not even participate in Bonvoy.

Your correct in Ritz and status is meaningless. I regularly stay at South Beach and even If I was silver I'd get the same upgrades because of my spend/loyalty to that hotel nothing else. Occasionally at a Ritz property I'll see a one tier room jump and that's about it.

I will take StR over RC any day unless there is a major discrepancy on price or quality

Got a suite with a telescope looking over Victoria Harbour at RC Hong Kong as a Titanium.

Yeah, I didn't get free breakfast or a lounge but I can get very good street food all over HK for a pretty good price, so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

FWIW, I wouldn't have gotten breakfast at EDITION or a Design Hotel either, are people going to put Marriott execs in guillotines about that too?

Will never choose RC even if STR more expensive. I earned my benefits and will only stay at properties that give them - to me it's a point.

I don't care about money but I care about benefits

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.