The Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey

Mother’s Day is a time to honor and celebrate the incredible women in our lives. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of celebrating a truly remarkable Mother’s Day with my wife and our daughter at The Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey.

Nestled in the heart of the vibrant Marina Del Rey, the Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey is situated along the picturesque California coast boasting a prime location with stunning views of the marina and the Pacific Ocean. 

The Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey participates in the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program, so we thought, this would be an avenue to utilize our $200 hotel credits as part of the yearly benefits from the Amex Platinum Card.

As an Amex Platinum cardholder, we were able to take advantage of exclusive benefits, including room upgrades, which for this stay was from a standard room to a room with partial view of the marina. Other benefits of booking via Amex FHR were also complimentary breakfast for 2, which was a credit of $80, and a generous property credit of $100. Generous since the hotel allows guests to combine the entire credits, altogether giving guests a total of $180 to spend on dining. This added value made our stay even more rewarding even though the room rate was $470 for this one-night stay.

An interesting datapoint worth mentioning: since I input my Marriott Bonvoy membership number during the booking on Amex website, I received a Welcome Gift for my Titanium Elite status and also earned Marriott Bonvoy points as if I had booked directly with Marriott.

The Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey not only boast an aesthetically pleasing setting, but also boast of its’ prime location which is just about fifteen minutes away from the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Santa Monica pier. 

As we stepped onto the property, we were greeted by the sight of the very polite valet and bellmen. Though I didn’t like the fact that I was paying $55 for parking to valet my car, but the services provided by the valet team was very satisfying.

Despite it being Mother’s Day weekend, the lobby was not crowded when we arrived, and we were quickly checked-in by one of the gentlemen at the front desks. I had utilized the online check-in feature on the Marriott Bonvoy app prior to our arrival, and already saw that I’m being assigned a 1 King with Partial Marina View room.

Related: The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

Located on the 9^th floor, this Partial Marina View Guestroom is a 360sqft room with a Juliet balcony for easy viewing of the marina. The room itself wasn’t anything special, but it featured a chair with ottoman, 2 nightstands with lamps, and a table which can be used for both work and dining.

If there’s one thing that’s consistent across all Ritz Carlton properties, it’s the bathroom. The bathroom in our 1 King Room with Partial Marina View was typical. It featured luxurious environmentally friendly bath products from diptyque Paris, rather than the usual Asprey London products. The diptyque Paris is the same brand you’ll find onboard the Qatar Airways Qsuite as well as across the airlines’ airport lounges. In all honesty, the diptyque products which is exclusively made for Qatar Airways smells way better than the ones we found at The Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey.

While I am not against luxury hotels providing environmentally friendly amenities, I was quite disappointed at this hotel for not making basic amenities like sewing kits, combs, dental kits, etc. available in the room. This is nothing but cost-cutting on the hotel part.

Indulging in culinary delights is an essential part of any memorable getaway, but the Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey did not provide an excellent service in this regard. Though the food quality was satisfactory, the overall dining experience left much to be desired. We had enquired about their Mother’s Day Brunch at Cast & Plow, their signature waterfront restaurant, and we were told they were sold out. But then, throughout the brunch period, half the tables were not occupied.

 The menu choices for the Mother’s Day Brunch were limited, and we just decided to stick with the breakfast menu instead. With our $180 credits, we ordered a bit much from the menu since we are to use the credits or lose it.

The Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey offers a range of amenities to enhance guests’ stay. The outdoor pool area provided a pleasant space to relax and unwind as they soak up the California sun. Guests can also enjoy creative cocktails or mocktails at the lively Wave Poolside Bar + Grill. We can say that water flows freely at the Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey and the hotel is quite generous by providing a refrigerator with complimentary bottled water at the pool side.

The fitness center was adequately equipped for guests to get their workout in. 

The Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey is also known for its’ wedding ceremony ground. A sight of beautifully landscaped gardens with a serene waterfront in the background.

Verdict:

While our stay was pleasant overall, it’s fair to say that our experience fell within the realm of average. From the service to the amenities, the hotel provided a satisfactory stay without leaving a lasting impression. While the room was okay for a one-night stay, appropriate amenities were not provided by the Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey. Also, the wall in the room was so thin, we could hear the conversation from the next-door guests.

While we didn’t get that much of a memorable experience from the Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey, the hotel did provide a comfortable and convenient stay for us during this getaway trip. The proximity to LAX airport and Santa Monica was perfect for us, and we didn’t mind paying the $55 to valet our car.

But then, I appreciated the hotel for appreciating me as a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite guest even though this booking was made through Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts. But will I return to this hotel anytime soon? Probably not. I think it would be fair to explore other hotels in the area first before coming back to the Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey.

What are your thoughts on The Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey?