The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta

Lobby and bar area is nice and room was nice but nothing extraordinary. Service at the bar lounge was very good until a manager and three servers began congregating and talking while on their phones at the end of the bar. Completely unacceptable in front of guests. When we checked out, after we pulled out of the dark, covered valet area and into the street we noticed that the car must have been parked under a drainage area in the parking garage. It stormed overnight and the roof and right side of our car was covered in dirt and hard water stains. Valet refused to do anything because we left the property! We didn't notice it when we were on property. Completely unacceptable service for a Ritz Carlton. As a result we won't return.

We found a robe in our room with a reddish-brown stain that appeared to be blood. I brought it directly to the front desk, but wasn’t even asked for my name or room number. I then had to follow up myself through the Marriott app and wait several hours before anyone from management contacted me, which was only after we had checked out. Turndown housekeeping was missed both nights, and our room service order was delivered incorrectly. What was most disappointing was the lack of ownership and service recovery. We had to spend far too much time following up on problems that should have been handled by the hotel and fixed when they were first brought up. I’m a longtime Marriott Platinum/Titanium member that has spent hundreds of nights with Marriott across a variety of their brands and have generally had very good experiences, which made this stay particularly disappointing. The level of service and attention to detail was well below expectations, and this experience has genuinely made me reconsider where I spend my hotel nights for both work and leisure.

I called the Ritz trying to ask a few questions before we booked with them. I’ve never called a Ritz and not had them answer the phone within the first couple of rings. It’s literally rang 20 times! We won’t be staying to this Ritz just based off of this experience. Terrible!

We stayed at The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta for two nights in early April while we were in town to attend a Celtics game against the Hawks. As Titanium members, we were expecting a polished luxury experience, but unfortunately, several aspects of our stay fell short. We arrived around 6 p.m., and the valet parking situation was chaotic and appeared understaffed. Check-in was also disappointing. Despite arriving well after the standard check-in time, we were told that our assigned room was not ready. We were eventually given another room that was available, although I’m not sure what we would have received had our original room been ready. The room itself was acceptable, but it felt tired and worn. For a hotel positioned as a luxury property, the bathroom was underwhelming, with only one vanity and no separate water closet. When traveling as a couple, especially at a higher-end hotel, you generally expect at least two vanities and a separate toilet area. We did have access to the club lounge, which was one of the better aspects of our stay. The food selections were good, and the staff were attentive, polite, and professional. Unfortunately, there was a family allowing their children to run around the lounge, while the parents did little to intervene. The staff tried to handle the situation as diplomatically as possible, but the lack of consideration from the parents was frustrating and certainly not the hotel’s fault. The location was convenient for our purposes, particularly because we could walk to the arena. Housekeeping, however, was another significant issue. Our room was not serviced while we were out during the day. We returned around 5 p.m., went to the club lounge for something to eat, and then came back to the room, only to find that it still had not been cleaned. Before leaving for the game, I mentioned to the front desk that we needed the room serviced. Overall, this was not the experience we expected from a Ritz-Carlton. The room felt worn, the valet operation was chaotic and poorly managed, and the housekeeping service appeared to have serious issues. I have stayed at better Ritz-Carlton properties, and this was one of the weakest in terms of delivering the luxury experience the brand promises. We would not choose to stay here again the next time we are in Atlanta for a game.

I was in a genuine bind because I did not have the physical card with me and asked the hotel for a reasonable way to resolve it. The person who identified themselves as the operations manager refused to exercise any discretion and said they could be personally held responsible if a chargeback occurred. Rigid, unhelpful, and far below the level of judgment and service I would have expected in days past.