In recent months, I’ve been composing a series about various luxury hotel groups across the globe, both large and small. This spans from Airelles to Four Seasons.
In this entry, I aim to provide an overview of Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts. Almost everyone is familiar with Ritz-Carlton, as it ranks among the most recognizable luxury hotel brands worldwide. That said, does it truly live up to its reputation, and how might it change in the future? Let’s begin with some background, followed by my perspective…
Fundamentals & history of the Ritz-Carlton brand
Today, Ritz-Carlton falls under the ownership of Marriott, boasting over 100 properties worldwide, with many more in the pipeline.
The lineage of what would become Ritz-Carlton stretches back more than 125 years to the late 1800s. The brand was founded by Swiss hotelier César Ritz, renowned in hospitality as the “king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings.” He is behind The Ritz Paris and The Carlton London (the former is not connected to today’s Ritz-Carlton, and the latter is now closed).
The Ritz-Carlton name was first adopted in the early 1900s with the opening of Ritz-Carlton restaurants aboard ships, but that only lasted a year due to the outbreak of World War I. Ritz passed away in 1918, yet his wife continued to launch hotels named in his honor.
Now, I don’t want to diverge too much, so let’s jump ahead to 1983, when the contemporary Ritz-Carlton was established, marking the sale of the brand name and the Ritz-Carlton Boston property by its former owners. This was truly the catalyst for the modern iteration of Ritz-Carlton.
Just over ten years later, in 1995, Marriott acquired a 49% interest in Ritz-Carlton to broaden its presence in the luxury market. Then in 1998, Marriott bought out the remaining 50%, achieving 99% ownership. Thus, Ritz-Carlton undoubtedly has a rich legacy, as few hotel groups have such a long history.
Ritz-Carlton maintains a reputation for high-quality hotels
To Ritz-Carlton’s credit, there’s no dispute that the brand ranks among the finest in the Marriott portfolio, offering hotels that typically reflect high standards. The accommodations usually feature good service, and some benefits associated with luxury hotels are consistently available, such as turndown service.
One aspect Ritz-Carlton excels at is providing superior club lounges. No other hotel group matches Ritz-Carlton’s consistency in offering outstanding lounges. It is true that room upgrades to club level are not granted based on Bonvoy elite status, and access comes at a high cost. However, if you’re willing to pay, you can enjoy a truly pleasant experience.
To be frank, I’m not certain I have many other positive remarks regarding the Ritz-Carlton brand as a whole, which leads me to my next observation…
Ritz-Carlton is also impacted by the Marriott effect
Like all hotel groups, there is variability among individual Ritz-Carlton locations. As anticipated, some hotels surpass others in quality, and geographical factors also influence the quality of the hotel experience (this holds true across all hotel groups).
For instance, while the Ritz-Carlton Turks & Caicos offers a lovely location on Grace Beach, I’m still taken aback by the subpar finishes throughout the hotel.
Personally, I don’t hold Ritz-Carlton in particularly high regard among luxury hotel groups. A part of the dilemma is Ritz-Carlton’s affiliation with Marriott, and it has become increasingly evident over the years that Marriott is not fundamentally in the hospitality sector, but rather focused on room quantities and relationships with hotel owners. While this is a reality for all hotel management and franchise businesses, the impact feels more pronounced with Marriott than others.
It seems that Ritz-Carlton primarily relies on the Marriott Bonvoy program as a means to fill rooms and to somewhat excuse a lackluster experience. I can’t fault the hotel group for this, as loyalty programs are effective. However, there is a certain irony here, considering that Ritz-Carlton offers very few elite benefits for Bonvoy members.
It certainly appears as though much of Ritz-Carlton has been “Marriottized” over the years. Personally, I find that service at Ritz-Carlton often feels scripted and formulaic, rather than genuine and anticipatory. The emphasis seems to lean more towards integrating the