The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

I celebrated a wedding here last weekend and was really blown away by Nihat and the entire laundry team's hospitality. Nihat is responsible for the whole hotel's laundry and he personally helped me get my clothes pressed and ready for the big day. He went above and beyond and I could not be more grateful for all Nihat's help. Thank you again, I couldn't recommend this place enough

We stayed at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in August to celebrate three family birthdays and booked the concierge level, hoping for a memorable getaway. Unfortunately, the experience felt like it fell just a bit short of the luxury standard for the price point, ultimately lacking the special touches that leave a lasting impression or make us want to return. Our arrival set a challenging tone when our room was not ready at the designated check-in time. While the staff offered a polite apology, no additional steps were taken to help accommodate or ease the inconvenience of waiting. The club lounge experience itself was also a bit underwhelming. The food was okay, but the beverage options were quite limited, featuring only one white wine selection and no still rosé. When we asked, we were told it would have to be purchased downstairs at the bar, something that would have been a nice, effortless accommodation to include at the concierge level. Birthday recognition was minimal. Despite noting the celebration multiple times prior to our arrival, acknowledgments from the staff were sparse beyond a small cake left in the room. The room itself had a few minor oversights in finishes, such as a broken and crooked lampshade. We stayed in a one bedroom club level suite. We opted for the kids camping experience for our four-year-old son, but it did not quite match the marketing photos, as elements like the lantern and special lighting were omitted due to liability policies. To their credit, when we shared our disappointment, the club-level staff graciously removed it from our bill. I also had to request a kids activity book, which was not included in the camping package, despite being advertised online. After asking for one, they did provide it. However, they did make it a point to mention that it is usually reserved for the kids' club members (which requires children to be five and up). Comparing this property to other Ritz-Carlton locations we have visited, such as Maui, where the team consistently goes above and beyond, Bachelor Gulch felt a bit transactional rather than tailored. While comfortable, it simply didn't deliver the unique magic or attentive service we hoped for, and we likely would choose to spend our travel investment elsewhere next time.

My wife and I were part of a group of about 250 people who attended a wedding that took place at the hotel, most of whom also stayed in the hotel or in the affiliated condominiums. The property is beautiful, the staff was top notch; the wedding events were spectacular, including the Ritz staff preparing not one, but two separate services of spectacular-tasting Indian food; but our room was the pits. Literally. We are Bonvoy menmbers and try to book with that family of hotels whenever possible. We booked our stay directly with the hotel and took advantage of the block of rooms set aside for wedding attendees. We were assigned Room 229 which indicated a "limited view". In this case, becuase the second floor was the lowest guest floor (who knew?) that meant looking up at the earthen ramp that runs alongside the hotel as well as at a large metal exhaust grate. It took us about 36 hours to realize that while the view was poor, the room comfort was worse. That is becuase, we surmise, that since it is on the lowest level of the hotel, it is located above mechanicals or a boiler becuase the common hallway, tile floor of the bathroom is actually warm to the touch, as is the carpet for about four feet into the room. While that might be great in the winter, it is not in the summer when the air conditioner cannot cool your room. We brought all of this up to the manager, who listened to our criticisms and offered to move us, but we had already put all of our clothes away. He also offered complimentary spa treatments, but we turned that down becuase a) we had already been to the spa, and b) it was expensive and too much to ask. In the end, he offered us a $200 credit, which we accepted. Funny enough, on our folio it showed we were only given $100.00. The bottom line is that there is no way that someone did not already know that those six or so rooms at the start of the second floor hallway have a temperature issue. They should not be rented out in the summer, espeically when there are multiple open rooms during the slow (non-snow) season. This stay was simply not up to Ritz-Carlton standards.

Disappointing experience for a romantic getaway I want to be very clear from the outset: the staff at the Ritz-Carlton Beaver Creek were absolutely fantastic. They were warm, welcoming, professional, and genuinely tried their best throughout our stay. My disappointment is not with the people working at the hotel—it is with the management, planning, communication, and overall operation of the property. My wife and I booked this stay specifically for a romantic break. I have been traveling extensively, and we were really looking forward to some quiet time together. Unfortunately, we were not informed when booking that there would be a large wedding taking place at the property during our stay. When we raised this concern, we were told that the hotel could not tell us that a wedding was taking place because of privacy considerations. I found that explanation difficult to understand. We weren’t asking for the names of the couple, details about the wedding, or any private information whatsoever. Simply letting guests know that a large wedding or private event would be taking place at the resort is basic information about the environment they should expect during their stay, not a breach of anyone’s privacy. The wedding itself was clearly a high-energy event, and while I have absolutely nothing against weddings or people celebrating, the atmosphere was completely at odds with the quiet, romantic getaway we were expecting. Had we known in advance, we simply would have chosen somewhere else. More importantly, the impact went beyond the atmosphere. The hotel appeared to be operationally overwhelmed by the event. There simply did not seem to be enough staffing or inventory available to adequately serve the other guests staying at the hotel. At around 10 p.m., we attempted to order room service. We were told that the only option available was a Caesar salad without protein because multiple other menu items had sold out. This wasn’t an isolated case of one particular item being unavailable—it seemed that multiple menu options and ingredients were no longer available. We experienced something similar at the Japanese restaurant. Again, the service from the staff was fantastic. They were doing everything they could, but effective inventory management should be a fundamental part of operating a property at this level. If a hotel is expecting a significant increase in occupancy and demand because of a major event, it should be anticipating that demand and ensuring it has sufficient stock to deliver the experiences and menu choices it is advertising. The staff were not the problem. The operational planning was. We did raise our concerns during the stay, and unfortunately, at one point the conversation seemed to shift toward the fact that our reservation had been made using Marriott Bonvoy points. I found that particularly disappointing. How a guest has paid for their room should not determine the quality of experience they receive. I am a long-standing member of the Marriott ecosystem, and one of the reasons people consistently choose to stay within a hotel group is the expectation that loyalty will provide a consistent experience across the brand. Whether a stay is paid for with cash, points, or a combination of the two, the guest is still occupying the same room and should receive the same standard of hospitality. In this instance, I simply did not feel that the value proposition of being a loyal Marriott guest was reflected in our experience. At some point, management needs to decide what this property wants to be. If it is going to operate as a major wedding and events destination, that can certainly make sense from a revenue perspective. But if that is the strategy, the hotel needs to ensure it has the staffing, inventory, communication, and operational capacity to continue providing an exceptional experience to the other guests staying at the property. Right now, it feels like the property is trying to do both, but the experience for non-event guests can suffer significantly as a result. The biggest disappointment was for my wife. We booked this as a chance to reconnect and have a quiet, romantic break after a period when I have been traveling extensively. Instead, the overall experience left her genuinely let down. To be absolutely clear: this is not a criticism of the staff. They were lovely, fantastic, and did everything they could. This is a criticism of management and the operational decisions surrounding the event. If you are looking for a romantic couples’ getaway, I would strongly recommend considering an alternative property in the Beaver Creek/Vail area. If you are looking for a wedding venue, however, this may be a very different story. For us, unfortunately, it was a two-star experience and a significant disappointment given what we expected from a Ritz-Carlton.

I stayed at the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch for a business meeting. The hotel is located mid slope west of Vail in Avon. It’s a traditional mountain lodge hotel and is full of timber and stone for rustic look. The rooms are well appointed and comfortable. Service is good not great. Folks are friendly and the hotel is kid friendly. Would be good to bring your family for a trip here. Lift No. 16 for the Bachelor Gulch Express leaves from the terrace. So very convenient for skiing and hiking. I would stay here again.