The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad

Ritz-Carlton NoMad – Carefully Curated Design, Inconsistent Execution We’ve stayed in several Ritz-Carlton properties around the world — from Kyoto to Istanbul — and recently spent a few nights at The Ritz-Carlton NoMad in New York. This property undoubtedly has potential, and the visual language of the hotel — minimalist, clean, and modern — is appealing to the contemporary traveler. But at this level of price and prestige, the execution must match the design, and that’s where things became uneven. ✦ Arrival & First Impressions – Calm but Detached Arrival was smooth but lacked warmth. The lobby is beautifully understated, and the staff were polished, but not particularly proactive. We were not offered assistance with luggage — surprising for a hotel of this tier. The Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts booking was not acknowledged until we asked, and the usual welcome letter was missing entirely. We had to chase down the benefits ourselves, which felt uncomfortable. ✦ Room – Stylish, but Lacking Functionality The room (suite) was elegant, well-lit, and impressively soundproofed from interior noise. The bed was excellent — but pillows were too soft and thin, requiring stacking that made restful sleep difficult. There was also no dedicated luggage space, so if you arrive with more than one suitcase, you’ll quickly run out of floor. For a newly built property, the bathroom water temperature was inconsistent — in our case, tepid at best — and maintenance offered to move us for the second night of a short stay, which wasn’t practical. Wi-Fi speeds were unexpectedly slow, even with Bonvoy Gold upgrades — a detail that should not be overlooked at this level. ✦ Elevators – A Serious Issue The rooftop bar is clearly a major draw for non-guests, but this creates a major problem: the elevators are shared with outside visitors, and at peak hours (evenings), you can find 20+ people in line. There is no prioritization for hotel guests, and several times we had to wait uncomfortably long or share cramped elevators filled with rooftop-goers. This isn’t a minor inconvenience — it’s a serious flaw in guest experience design. ✦ Food & Beverage – Mixed Results We had breakfast at Zaytinya, which is vibrant and well-executed — the Turkish eggs and fresh juices were standouts. But it’s not clearly explained that in-room breakfast is excluded from FHR credit, which caused confusion at checkout. Room service was slow and inconsistent — one evening, we waited over 60 minutes for a simple fruit plate, which was eventually delivered to the wrong room. When it finally arrived, both a manager and the server showed up — but by then, the timing had already disrupted our evening. The rooftop bar Nubeluz has a beautiful design and excellent views, but the energy felt curated more for social media than hospitality. Service there was mixed: charming on one visit, inattentive the next. ✦ Staff – Polite, but Lacking the Signature Ritz Touch There were a few standout employees — especially concierge and doormen who were helpful and professional — but generally, the service lacked the intuitive kindness and warmth that define the best Ritz-Carltons. Even simple requests (a late checkout, a quiet table, amenities) were either forgotten or required following up. In some cases, feedback was not followed up at all, and in others, the tone of communication lacked the grace we expect from this brand. ✦ Final Thoughts – Luxury in Design, But Not Yet in Delivery The Ritz-Carlton NoMad feels more like an Edition or W Hotel wrapped in a Ritz label — beautiful, theatrical, but still finding its soul. With high expectations come high standards, and while the product is visually compelling, the service model needs urgent refinement to match the brand’s heritage. Would we return? Possibly — but only if we see signs that the feedback of discerning guests is being taken seriously.

I had an excellent stay at this hotel. The staff provided exceptional service, particularly Pauline at the front desk, who went out of her way to offer a box of tissues and bags when I was feeling unwell—a thoughtful gesture that was greatly appreciated. The bed was very comfortable, and the view from my room was truly outstanding. I highly recommend this hotel and would gladly return.

This is my third stay in 12 months. This is now my hotel of choice in NYC. Everything works from the fantastic location and a great team led by GM Bastian Germer. Check-in and check-out are flawless. The gym is small but effective. I tried all three F&B outlets, and each of them over-delivered on the experience. The concierge was helpful when needed. The doormen gave me an umbrella on the days when it was raining or forecasted to rain when I left for my meetings. I had dinner at Zaytinya, which was fun. I had drinks at Nubulez on the roof, which had great views. I had cocktails at the Bazaar Bar, where the bartenders were super efficient. If I had to find a fault, it was the fact that they would not serve my guest an espresso at the Lobby Lounge, stating it was after 9 p.m., but they were happy to serve us an espresso martini. I look forward to my next visit.

First time staying a Ritz-Carlton and somewhat disappointed. Expected it to be the same level of a Four Seasons or similar. To start, my reservation was made through Amex FHR which was not acknowledged nor was I given the standard FHR welcome letter that shows what benefits I would receive. I had to ask and only then did they explain the details, when I asked for more details about breakfast credit, was told to ask the restaurant directly. The room itself is nice but sort of one the small side. There is no dedicated space for suitcases/luggage so if you have more than 1 piece of luggage it’s gonna take up a good portion of the room. WiFi is pretty slow and enhanced speed for Bonvoy Gold and higher members did not seem any faster. The most annoying part are the elevators. The rooftop bar is a really happening spot and it felt like most of the people using the elevators are non guests heading up. Depending on time of day, especially evenings to late night, there’s usually 10-20 people waiting to go up, with additional 10 or so waiting in queue making the lobby and elevator bank crowded. There only 3 elevators and it felt hotel guests aren’t given priority and at times we were crammed in with people going up to the bar. There should’ve been a separate elevator for hotel guests and people going up to rooftop bar. Special priority should be give to guests, especially when you’re paying this much and it just didn’t fell that way. Sound proofing seems to be no existent, on the 16th floor we could hear constant honking and occasional loud music from street level. Rooms are very nice, and at this price point my expectations were high, and unfortunately was kinda disappointed. Most likely won’t be back again. Vibe I got is that it’s more like a party hotel than a luxury 5 star hotel.

Used an upgrade cert (Platinum) and received a corner suite- sweet (3 days in advance). Mentioned 31st Anniversary and received a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries just after arriving. The view was great. Not complaint is the shower took one to warm and was only puddle warm at best. Called and they checked it out and said they would need to take the room out of service to fix. Defined moving for a night (only two night stay - using points). So if a hot shower is important check the water temp after checking in.