The Ritz London

We have been loyal patrons of The Ritz for over 15 years. My grandmother and I have celebrated countless special occasions with you, including milestone birthdays, Christmas celebrations, afternoon teas, lunches and dinners. Every visit has been memorable, which is why my grandmother chose The Ritz to celebrate my father’s 60th birthday. He had never visited before, and she was excited to share with him the experience that has meant so much to our family over the years. Unfortunately, this visit fell far below the standard we have always associated with The Ritz, and we have been left deeply disappointed by both the experience itself and the response we subsequently received. Our biggest concern is that we were never informed of the extensive refurbishment works before arriving. Had we been made aware, we would not have chosen to celebrate such an important occasion during this period. The experience was fundamentally different from what had been booked and what we have come to expect over many years. Among the significant changes were: * The iconic main entrance was closed and concealed behind scaffolding, with guests entering via a side entrance. * The main reception, grand staircase and hallways were all inaccessible. * The Rivoli Bar was closed. Whilst drinks were being served elsewhere, this is not the famous Rivoli Bar experience that was advertised or that we intended to book. * The well-known public areas, including the ladies’ powder room and other facilities, were also closed. Instead of the usual atmosphere synonymous with The Ritz, we found ourselves seated in the Garden Bar surrounded by loud drilling and construction noise. It felt little different from any hotel terrace in London, and certainly not the luxurious setting we had expected for such a special family celebration. The service also fell noticeably below previous standards. My grandmother has mobility issues, and because the temporary bar location was much further through the building than usual, it took us considerably longer to reach. We politely asked if our lunch reservation could be delayed by just 15 minutes, yet despite asking the same question three times, we struggled to receive a clear answer. Throughout lunch we felt rushed in a way we have never experienced before at The Ritz. Plates were cleared while we were still eating, requests were forgotten, and the wine service was so inattentive that we ended up pouring our own wine. Whilst the staff were pleasant, the professionalism we have always associated with The Ritz was absent; at one stage members of staff openly spoke about how excited they were to finish work and go home, which felt entirely inappropriate given the setting and occasion. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect has been the response from your Food & Beverage Manager, Emma. My grandmother is currently undergoing chemotherapy and rearranged her treatment appointments so that she could attend this lunch to celebrate her son’s milestone birthday. Given those circumstances, and given our family’s longstanding loyalty to The Ritz, we had hoped for at least some acknowledgement that the experience fell short. Instead, there has been no ownership of either the significant reduction in the guest experience or the failure to communicate the extensive closures before our visit. My grandmother booked drinks in the Rivoli Bar only a couple of weeks before our visit, despite the lunch reservation having been made months earlier. That presented a perfect opportunity to advise her that so many of the hotel’s iconic areas would be unavailable. The lack of transparency is what disappoints us most. It feels as though the decision was made not to inform guests because doing so may have resulted in cancellations. We believe guests should be able to make an informed decision about whether they wish to visit while such extensive refurbishment works are taking place, particularly when those works fundamentally alter the experience for which The Ritz is renowned. It is genuinely upsetting that, after 15 years of wonderful memories, this is the experience that marks the end of what has been a much-loved tradition for our family. We never expected perfection during refurbishment works, but we did expect honesty, transparency and the exceptional standard of hospitality that has always set The Ritz apart. Sadly, on this occasion, we received none of those things.

Awful minimum spend no communication got asked to leave after been to this hotel for over 30 years for rivoli bar, restaurant and many other functions. It was my daughter’s 21st and they wouldn’t serve us unless we spent £150 and when I said why didn’t you tell us this on the way in they said oh it’s rude to guests but you think it’s ok to do this when you are sitting in the bar and get asked to leave. Never been through this experience before and really incredible that they actually think they are correct. The email apology was pathetic and that the general manager only replies to positive reviews. I would look at the recent reviews and you will see exactly what I’m talking about best to find another place. Ritz hotel you have lost our business and most thing at the moment that none of you actually care.

At the bar for a late night drink with several family members. Went to pay the bill and our waiter told us that there is a 75 pound minimum per person. We had a bill equivalent to 150 pounds and wanted to pay and call it a night. The people at the bar insisted that we pay the requirement of 75/per person, which would be 375 pounds. Not realizing the minimum requirement, we informed them that we’d be happy to pay for what we actually had. The Ritz management insisted that we pay all the 375 pounds. No wiggle A rather rude Ritz manager was called to discuss, and he said we had to pay the full amount t without even inquiring (or questioning us as to the circumstances). We told them him to call the police - which they did. The police did indeed come. After an hour the police requested that we pay our bill on what we actually drank, which we happily did. Bottom line - the night manager at the Ritz is not a professional person. It ruined our evening, and our past experiences with the Ritz. We won’t be going back. All of which could have been taking care of with some professional courtesy, acknowledgement of we weren’t attempting to scam anyone, and stop trying to be the winner at all cost. This cost you customer loyalty.

Great hotel. We planned it to see the setting up and decorating the Christmas tree. It was fabulous. While the hotel is old it was clean and everyone was nice. We enjoyed tea in the afternoon and did not need dinner. The location is perfect to set out and see the city. We walked or took the tube most of the time; however, we did do a bus trip to the Harry Potter center. Cabs were readily available. It was pricey, but worth it.

We had afternoon tea and the experience was wonderful from start to finish. Despite the hotel undergoing renovation, you would never know, We were made to feel special from the start We were not able to be in the famous palm court but the area we were in was comfortable and luxurious The atmosphere was perfect made even more special by the pianist Ian playing a wonderful selection of music to enhance the quiet calm ambiance The food and service was top quality as you would expect from this hotel All in all the Ritz did not disappoint and made our special birthday celebration perfect Thank you!