The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans

The hotel was nice, but not the upper level experience we were expecting. The property itself has some beautiful aspects, but needs some TLC. • The name on the very front of their marquee entrance is peeling off. • The furniture in the restaurant and bars are very worn, the veneer is coming off in serval places and as they don’t use table cloths during breakfast you can really see the groves, cuts, and marks. • The brass panel in at least one of the elevator doesn’t close properly so hangs open a bit, and the wood in the elevator was worn in several places. Service is a mixed bag. • While checking in the folks next to us got a rundown of all their perks due to the card they were using, but although using the same card we didn’t and had to ask which he apologized for. Obviously not terrible, but not a good start to our stay especially when every other hotel we’ve been to always brings it up. • The lady running the tea service in the Davenport room was great, however, I couldn’t recommend it. The tea was delivered 20 minutes into the 90 minute experience so I assumed it had been seeping and full of flavor but it wasn’t and the guy who delivered it just poured it into our cups and it was absolutely tasteless. It was another 15 minutes before the food arrived and tried the tea and even then it was just OK. Luckily there was champagne! • The Davenport room is also their bar area and the tea service isn’t separated at all so folks are constant walking by on their phones, flipflops, cutoff shorts, baseball hats, and flopping down at any available space. It’s certainly not the image they present on their website as an elegant catered experience. A few panels separating the space and a sign indicating this area is for tea service would have been welcome. • They allow their black SUVs to double park in the lane outside the hotel requiring taxis and car shares to maneuver to the curb. Since the SUVs are stopped in a traffic lane folks driving are understandably upset, horns are constantly blaring, we saw one taxi driver get out and almost get into a fist fight over this and the folks in the SUVs and doormen just ignore it. Not the classy entrance to the Ritz one might expect. • Breakfast was usually very nice and the gentleman making the omelets was great, however, Saturday they seemed very overwhelmed. Eggs took a while to come out the kitchen (should have just stuck with the omelets) and my husband was done with his two plates well before I received mine. I also had to ask for cream twice as the server forgot and had to ask for refills. Other days there were no issues and things ran smoothly. • For the most part enjoyed the food, especially dinner where the gumbo stood out. Our last night we just wanted a little snack so ordered room service but the chicken strips they delivered were some of the worst I’ve tasted. I know we’re talking chicken strips here but this is the Ritz and I would expect better than some cheap mass produced frozen rubbish. I’ve worked in several restaurants and know there are much better products out there, even if they are frozen. We were hoping for more from our first stay at the Ritz, especially given their reputation, but have heard from folks this particular property isn’t indicative of the others.

The employees is what makes this hotel!! Yes the rooms are nice. Yes the decor, lounge, bar, spa is beautiful but service is what keeps repeat customers. After a hectic travel day where they delayed our flight 5x and then eventually cancelled it, we decided to drive from Atlanta to New Orleans. We were exhausted by the time we checked in. Sander was great and gave us a mini tour of the hotel. We then went to the lounge to get something to eat. We were warmly welcomed by Kennedy right away who was such a big help that night. She suggested places to go see and where to go to eat. Even gave us a map of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day parade. Same with the AM staff with Janice & Rochelle. All lovely ladies at the lounge that always made us feel at home everyday of our stay. I met Russel and also Verlinda more towards before we left but they were all great and friendly. Fifa from guest services was messaging me to make sure all is well and gave us a present during our stay for our anniversary. We also had champagne and chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us in our room. Now I can't forget about the Spa. I don't even know where to start. I miss Nelly. She was my massage therapist and she was absolutely fabulous! That's the only word to describe her. My husband & I were planning to do a tour one day and we cancelled it so we can go to the spa again the following day. She's that good!! My husband had Star also both days and she was excellent as well but since I'm writing the review, I have to rave about Nelly. She's one of the best massage therapist that I've been to in my life! And I'm picky. She even beat my top two therapists that I've been to in Paris and Madrid. Andrea was helpful in helping me rebook our spa appt from when our flight was initially delayed. Calling her from Atlanta airport and she made it seamless to change my appt for another day. And she also gave us a gift for our anniversary which was so sweet. Andrea and Angelica inside the spa were also great. Always checking in on me to see if everything was ok and if I needed anything else. They kept the inside spotless. Now I'm not going to forget Hillery at the front desk of the spa! He was so helpful in scheduling our appt again the following day and worked his magic so I can get Nelly and for my husband to get Star again. Exceptional service. His personality is so contagious and he is such an easy person to get along with. We just loved talking to him while at the spa. All these people that I mentioned provided us with the best possible service. They are what will keep us loyal to that hotel when visiting New Orleans again in the future. The location of the hotel is ideal and is close to all.

This was my first stay at a Ritz. My first experience was very impressive. This location is perfect to everything. Its a couple of blocks away from the French Quarters and an easy walk to restaurants and many “tourist” areas. There is a seafood boil behind the Ritz on Dauphin St that was affordable and amazing. Few few doors down is a Michelin restaurant that sells poboys. This was a luxury location that was convenient. Our checkin process was very smooth and fast. The layout of the hotel is slightly confusing but once you learn it, it gets easier. The reception desk is on the second floor and when you enter it, the lobby smells of fresh flowers. The smell is so inviting and lovely. The receptionist was so friendly and she walked us to the elevators. She explained coffee was serviced in the morning (not all day) and a beignet per person were given out for an hour in the evening. Our room was spacious and overall comfortable. Well except for the bed and pillows. I have a chronic back injury and I used 5 pillows but could not find any comfort with them because they were marshmallow soft. I didn’t know I if I could have requested firmer pillows but oh well. The bed was so hard I did not sleep unless I took a sleeping pill. Our room on the fourth floor was near Canal Street so at night we could hear every horn, car, yelling and siren. Do not stay anywhere near 4th floor (or that side); you will not sleep. Besides that, the room was perfect. There was a coffee machine (espresso) and tea pot with bags in the cabinet. Our bathroom was so pretty and came with all the bits and bobs you need. I did not care for the lotion, gel, or shampoo smell. The shower was powerful and hot. The shower wand was very powerful and be careful if you drop it. It will jump around like a cartoon. The slippers are so soft and plush. The robes were not every soft but nice and thick overall. There is turn down service at night was was nice and we used it once. The staff was always friendly in person and over the phone. We were greeted coming and going. Calling for room service was a nice experience and they were very quick with responding with our requests. I food always came with a flower and the food hot and yummy. The pool was nice. There were towels available. The pool room was warm and the jacuzzi was nice. It has a timer for the jets. Very private but we aware there are steps to get to the pool area and if you have a disability with movement, this might prove challenging. The gym had a variety of equipment (I did to use gym but saw the equipment). There were cooled towels, protein snacks, and water available too. In the evenings, there is a jazzy band from 5-8pm at the restaurant. We got a drink and sat on the couches and listen. It was nice. We ordered food in the restaurant and the food was good. The service was very slow though. I loved the atmosphere! So warm and cozy. The outside courtyard was romantic during sundown. Pictures are so pretty out there. My check out process was also smooth and fast. We left out in the middle of the night (well early am) and was able to get a email and printed receipt. The receptionist was very kind. I will definitely come back here or another Ritz for the experience. I love the experience and it was a wonderful luxury hotel for the area.

The room itself was perfectly fine, but the check-in experience was concerning. Maleya confirmed both my current stay and a future reservation, yet I received a cancellation email for the latter shortly after arriving, without having requested any change. A quick call to the front desk led to conflicting information (I was told she was “busy,” then that she had “gone for the day”), which proved inaccurate when I returned moments later and saw her still on site. While the issue was ultimately resolved, the lack of clear communication and accountability left a lot to be desired. Location: close to everything, valet parking available and ample security onsite.

I have stayed at this hotel numerous times but after this most recent stay, I feel compelled to provide a review. Let me just say, I have always loved the Ritz. It is my favorite hotel in New Orleans but this last visit was extremely disappointing. The food and bar staff are severely lacking. Receiving your food and drink orders takes a ridiculous amount of time. Something as simple as coffee refills during breakfast should be expected and not have to be requested. The servers all stand around chatting or on their phones and are not attentive to the customers. The specific issues I experienced were in the Davenport lounge on two separate occasions and at breakfast. It is clearly not the standard of this brand to deliver this type of service. Very disappointing.