My recent three night award stay at the Ritz-Carlton Charlotte (allowing me to see the Jumpman Invitational UNC basketball victory over Michigan) was pretty impressive — with an upgrade to the incredible 2900 square foot Ritz-Carlton Suite, outstanding service and service recovery, great F&B, and perhaps the best air conditioning I’ve ever had! #ritzcarlton #charlotte #ritzcarltoncharlotte #suiteupgrades #ritzcarltonsuite #presidentialsuite #goheels #earlycheckin #latecheckout #aircon #bltsteakhouse #kingofaircon #hisroyalcoldness (For the record, the going rate for the Ritz-Carlton Suite is $8,500 per night, making the upgrade value for this stay a cool $25,500. Entry level rooms start usually at about $500 per night.) Immediately after checking in via the app two days prior to my Tuesday arrival, I messaged the hotel team the same #prearrivalchecklist as I had sent via the Ambassador team a week or two before. Within an hour or so, I already had been upgraded to a Parlor Suite. Later that day, I was further upgraded to one of the Executive Suites. The day before arrival, I was pretty surprised to notice that I’d been upgraded to the hotel’s top Ritz-Carlton Suite. #AmbassadorStatusMatters The hotel chat also confirmed my checklist would be properly handled, and that I’d been granted #earlycheckin and #latecheckout. I arrived and had a bit of an issue with the air con in the suite bedroom — that was handled after two quick visits by a very friendly and extremely apologetic engineer. After that, the air con dropped quickly to 60 F, and then even to 55-58 F for the remainder of my stay. I don’t think I’ve ever had such tremendous air con anywhere before. The suite was pretty spectacular. The dining and living spaces were spectacularly large and spacious, and the bedroom unto itself was a huge junior suite with an amazing spacious master bathroom. Having a proper kitchen and service entrance was very nice for reheating and storing leftovers (and ultimately for letting room service deliver food ). The second powder bathroom was great, especially when my friends came over. I didn’t even use the workout/Peloton room. This might have been the biggest Bonvoy suite I’ve ever had? The hotel left on the dining room table a very generous welcome amenity of chocolate covered strawberries, chocolates, and wine, not to mention a not insubstantial charcuterie plate. Ironically, they’d forgotten the handwritten note by the Rooms Executive — something I’d never have known had she not told me herself later in the stay lol. They also had left many bottles of room temperature water in the kitchen, and left a fan by the bed with an extension cord. Basically, almost all of my #prearrivalchecklist requests had been honored. (Only true blackout shades weren’t.) The biggest negative of the stay and the suite was that the outer door doorbell didn’t work at all, and the inner door doorbell didn’t ring loudly enough to be heard well in the bedroom or at all in the master bathroom — causing a bit of confusion and lots of frustration when the engineer, room service, or housekeeping came a calling. (We ultimately resolved that the next afternoon by having the hotel call to alert me whenever someone was there or by asking room service to just use the service entry and then call to alert me.) The only other negatives were the subpar WiFi speed (18-20 Mbps up and down is pretty weak for a luxury hotel), subpar lighting in the vast living room and bedroom living room space (the hotel brought up to extra lamps to help), and the bedroom curtains didn’t extend quite enough to provide true blackout. The suite was really nice to have since I hosted several groups of friends over the course of my stay. That being said, it was so huge that it was almost a little ridiculous for just me. Sometimes we’re so excited to get more that we don’t stop to realize that we don’t always need it. Service was great in the end — but started off a bit rough as the originally less experienced staff didn’t quite know how to handle the doorbell issues or how to handle my frustration. I had even suggested I should downgrade to avoid the issues. However, once we got a manager involved the next day, things vastly improved. Rooms Executive Annie really made a huge difference in making sure things were largely perfect from that moment forward. Annie and the rest of the staff then made it a pretty flawless stay and absolutely took care of me in every way possible. They even comp’d the first two days room service orders by way of apology for the delivery mishaps without me knowing — until I saw the final folio. My entire bill was $66 — $16 for my last morning’s coffee and $50 toward housekeeping gratuity that I had asked to add after forgetting to leave the cash gratuity before my departure. Annie also left me a fragrance and pen package as another apology before she left for the holidays. Very classy and most unexpected. As I often say, service isn’t just about getting it right the first time — but also about recovering when things inevitably go awry. Annie and her team ultimately proved that here. The service recovery was fantastic. Otherwise, all of the staff couldn’t have been more friendly and eager to help. Dinner with my friend and her son at the hotel’s BLT restaurant was fantastic — and I’m a tough judge of steakhouses. I’d go back again in a heartbeat. The food and service were both outstanding. Room service was always quite tasty and pretty prompt — especially after the first day when we finally got the doorbell and delivery issues sorted. Coffee was delicious, much better than I’m used to getting at even the nicest hotels. I never even used the automatic coffee maker in the kitchen. The hotel was super conveniently located downtown, adjacent to the Spectrum Center for the UNC-Michigan basketball game, as well as within 10-15 min easy walk of all the restaurants where I met all my UNC alumni friends for lunches, dinners, and brunch. I had great meals at Fin & Fino, Haymaker, La Belle Helene, and the Asbury. It’s also just a 15 minute Uber/Lyft ride to the CLT airport. Did I mention that my Tar Heels beat Michigan 80-76? That certainly made the whole trip even more worth it. I definitely plan to stay at the Ritz-Carlton Charlotte again whenever in town. This was a definite winner for me.…
Great business hotel, walkable to all the downtown areas. This is one of the more spacious rooms I have had at a Ritz property. Excellent breakfast in the morning at STK in the lobby. Front desk staff was super friendly and efficient. I have stayed at many properties in Charlotte and this one is by far the best
We had a great experience at this Ritz. Starting with valet they were very nice and attentive. Checking in with Jerome was smooth and he was very professional . We stayed at the Parlor Suite which was very spacious and clean. We enjoyed breakfast at the BLT and Taylor was very helpful with our order. I would definitely go back❤️
I guess this is the master thread so: Stay Report 11/26 to 11/27 Location: The hotel is located on the corner of Trade and College right downtown. If you're doing any downtown activities the location is perfect and if you need something during your trip there's a Walgreens and a CVS across the street along with a station on the Charlotte Light Rail. It's close to I-77 and I-277 so getting around is easy but be aware there are often delays on those roads. Hotel: The hotel is a little nondescript from the outside and suffers from a tiny driveway. When I went to dinner Saturday night the valet guys were overwhelmed and my Uber had to wait for me on the street. Valet parking is $40 a night incidentally though as long as there are no Panthers games you can find cheaper parking nearby. The hotel has a gorgeous lobby currently decked out for Christmas. In the lobby is a wine bar which has some takeout options, a separate lobby bar, a BLT Steak and a coffee shop. The BLT Steak serves breakfast as well and they have room service available until Midnight. There's also a spa on the 16th floor and a pool, 24 hour fitness center and "Relaxation Room" on the 18th Floor. Check In: Service from everyone at the hotel was great. We were offered welcome glasses of champagne during check in and everything was explained to us. I was also thanked for being Titanium. This was only my third RC stay but the amount of elite recognition here was phenomenal. Room: I had been contacted by the hotel via email earlier in the week and I asked about an upgrade. A member of the hotel also called me to see if they could arrange a welcome amenity for me. I was upgraded the day of to a King Executive Suite from the Deluxe Two Queen I'd booked. The room was absolutely incredible. A huge living room with pullout couch, two wing chairs, and a large InterneTV along with a work space. There was a mini bar along with Nespresso Machine and a separate fridge and a powder room. The bedroom was also large with two chairs along the King bed, another InterneTV and a truly massive bathroom with a separate tub and shower. Wifi worked well and the technology in the room was good too. My only complaint was there was a lack of hot water both the evening and morning of my stay. The shower, sinks and tub all had an issue. Dining: I had a pleasant breakfast at BLT steak which was surprisingly cheap. Two entrees, coffee and juice came to $49. On checkout I mentioned the water issue and my parking was waived which I thought was fair. The stay was a great use of 47,000 points. I hope I can stay again. …
The thing I expect when paying for a Ritz Carlton stay over others, is the little extras and special touches. Especially if there is nothing spectacular about the hard product. This property failed on both. Some of the items I'll detail are relatively small misses, which would be ok if the price point was relatively small. It was not. Pre-arrival: Rita was in touch with me with pre-arrival communication. She was attentive, professional and kind. One of the few aspects of my stay that was on point for the Ritz Carlton brand. I asked about whether the property provides a car service for short trips like most other Ritz Carlton properties and it was confirmed that there was one. I wanted to book in advance but was told this was not possible and that it was necessary to call when I needed one. When I checked out of the far superior JW Marriott Charlotte (a property superior to the Ritz Carlton by a factor of approximately 6000) I tried calling for the car but was told that there weren't any valet staff available to get me at that time. I asked if I could wait for someone to become available and was told no. Arrival: It was true that there were no valet staff when I arrived (weird because the JW Marriott had several who were quick and happy to assist me so why can't the Ritz Carlton have valet staff?) yet there were three smiling women clustered at the door to greet staff. Now, I've never worked for hotel operations so maybe this is a brilliant resource allocation to have three greeters and zero valet staff, but I can say as the guest it did not proportionately address my needs. Check in: Perfunctory, not a warm welcome, no property information provided, just the bare minimum. Basically what you expect at a Residence Inn except that Residence Inn staff are more customer-centric. Ambassador elite recognition: No upgrade, late check out of 4pm offered when I checked. Welcome amenity and nice note from Annie - the only other actual Ritz Carlton feel service of the stay. Room: Dark furniture was a flashback to decades past. Nothing particularly good about the hard product, especially the aesthetic appeal. Not particularly luxurious though the room was of a good size. Finding outlets to charge devices was like getting blood from a stone and the in-room charging station at the desk did not have a working charger for iphone. I did like the soaking tub and standard Diptyque products in the bathroom. Also the generous provisioning of water bottles throughout the room. As others have indicated there was car noise from the street and I was on the highest floor. This did not disturb me too much and I found the mattress overlay to be plush and comfortable. Miscellaneous: I almost never use shoe shine services in hotels but had need on this occasion. Used the app chat to put the request in for pick up when I left the room shortly after 3pm and was told someone would go up to the room then. When I returned at 10pm, the shoes were still there. They were picked up and I was told that they would be returned outside the door. At around 8am the next morning the shoes still weren't there so I called for them and they arrived shortly thereafter. I understand that it's a complimentary service, I did not expect it to be so difficult to avail. As you can see, there was nothing truly dire, it just wasn't an exceptional stay warranting high end reputation and price point. In Charlotte I have stayed at the Grand Bohemian, Marriott City Center and JW Marriott. All were significantly better, especially if you have Bonvoy status than the Ritz Carlton. And whether paying cash or Bonvoy points, each was significantly cheaper. Without the service, delivering on special touches and a nice property, you really have to question the ethics of charging the room rates they do. Wouldn't return and wouldn't recommend to others.…
First time staying in a Ritz. Everything was done so nicely from the time we drove up. Valet attendant was kind, front desk were lovely and the hotel it’s self was gorgeous. We had a complimentary charcuterie board, cupcakes and treats as well as gift bags for our kids upon entering our room. Accommodations were high quality and clean. The lobby bar attendant was courteous and was pouring our drinks (she remembered from the night before) as we approached the bar. The gentleman at the coffee bar was super sweet to us and offered us samplings and even gifted us a few extra items. The kids loved it. Our teenaged son took in some time at the gym and was in heaven. We wished we had more time to stay there so we could use the pool. Next time!
We stayed at the Ritz in October 2022 for a little romantic weekend away. The speak easy bar was closed, the jacuzzi was closed we decided to order room service they were out of steak, breakfast out of smoked salmon. These are pretty basic things to be out of. The bartender in the lobby bar was super cool and made great drinks. But overall I wish I stayed at the Omni or Bohemian. This is definitely not Ritz standards and not worth the price. Super disappointed.
As other reviewers stated, this location is beyond loud with cars revving all night - even weekdays. The staff is exceptionally friendly but the rooms need a good cleaning and renovation. We were in an executive suite. The size was great and bathroom nice. however the carpet was stained in many places, the couch had a tear in the cushion, several buttons were ripped off the chairs, and the furniture just looked very very rough. We have stayed in many Ritz locations and the condition of the room surprised us. Not worth the price in this location.
We love the Ritz. It’s a family treat we do on occasion. Always love it. But just an important heads up if you cherish your sleep. Bring earplugs or noise canceling headphones. Apparently Speed Racer lives in downtown Charlotte and revs his engines ALL NIGHT LONG. Just saying 😉
We enjoyed our stay at the Ritz Carlton Charlotte. We frequent atlanta's location. The staff was polite, the rooms were clean. We were close by everything. Room service was tasty. I loved the indoor pool. It was so relaxing and clean.
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