The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland

“Always a spectacular experience”

I have stayed here a few times. It is always consistent and a wonderful stay. I always get upgraded to a suite. The suites are perfect. But, so are the regular rooms. The club room is a must. It just nice to be able to go there any time of day and have a nice selection of snacks and the Club a… more

I have stayed here a few times. It is always consistent and a wonderful stay. I always get upgraded to a suite. The suites are perfect. But, so are the regular rooms. The club room is a must. It just nice to be able to go there any time of day and have a nice selection of snacks and the Club attendants are wonderful. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and great menu. The workout room is incredible. The locker rooms are so relaxing and the sauna is sensational. Overall, this is the best hotel in Cleveland.

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“Repeated Stays, Repeated Disappointments”

I have stayed at this property several times, and it continues to fall short more often than it delivers. While it carries the Ritz-Carlton name, the overall experience does not consistently meet that standard. During my most recent stay, I again attempted to use mobile check-in. As with prior vis… more

I have stayed at this property several times, and it continues to fall short more often than it delivers. While it carries the Ritz-Carlton name, the overall experience does not consistently meet that standard. During my most recent stay, I again attempted to use mobile check-in. As with prior visits, it did not work, and I ultimately had to check in at the front desk. Staff attributed this to an “app glitch,” which is the same explanation I have received multiple times. At this point, it appears to be a recurring issue rather than an isolated one. Check-in itself was slow, with multiple guests waiting, and the staff was not particularly welcoming or attentive. The layout does not help the situation. The fireplace is positioned near the check-in line, which may have been intended to enhance the atmosphere, but in practice it makes an already crowded and uncomfortable waiting area worse. After checking in, I asked for contact information for the front desk manager. No business cards were available, and staff could not provide direct contact details. One employee later identified themselves as a front desk manager and offered assistance, but given the experience up to that point, it did little to instill confidence. The room was acceptable but unremarkable. It was slightly better than what you might find at a lower-tier brand like a Fairfield Inn, but it did not reflect a luxury standard. The mattress had a noticeable dip in the middle, suggesting it is due for replacement. There are a couple of positives. The location is excellent, right in the center of downtown Cleveland with direct access to the Terminal Tower complex. In addition, the fitness center is genuinely top-notch and one of the stronger features of the property. That said, I have stayed at other Ritz-Carlton properties, and this one does not compare favorably. The pricing and brand set a high expectation, and this property does not consistently deliver an experience that justifies either.

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“Not worth the price”

I was in town recently for an NFL game with my son. I'd never stayed at a Ritz Carlton so I thought I'd really treat us since it was his Christmas present. Aside from the nice touch welcome macarons, the one gingerbread elevator (they only shelled out for one of them?) and the nice smell in the l… more

I was in town recently for an NFL game with my son. I'd never stayed at a Ritz Carlton so I thought I'd really treat us since it was his Christmas present. Aside from the nice touch welcome macarons, the one gingerbread elevator (they only shelled out for one of them?) and the nice smell in the lobby, that really was where the luxury ended. Oh, and the bathtub was marble, so that was a nice touch. The beds were comfy, the location was nice. But none of that really justified the price. And for any other commoner who thinks you're getting a deal by doing the room with the breakfast, it's not a "breakfast included," just a $50 meal credit. If you think that $50 will cover an omelet and a breakfast burrito, you are sadly mistaken. I only went with this plan because I figured on game day we would eat at the hotel restaurant to save time. We arrived downstairs at 9:45 to a half empty dining room, and after being asked "do you have reservations," was told that there were no tables available until after the game. I could do room service, so I ended up paying $100 for an omelet, a breakfast burrito and some coffee ( only $50 after our credit!). I was really disappointed that nobody told us when we checked in that we would need reservations for breakfast, especially since it was quite obvious we were there for an NFL game when we checked in. This made our morning a lot more stressful, wondering how long the food would take to get to the room (it was relatively fast, which also goes to show the kitchen wasn't overworked and busy). We also had an incident on Saturday night where someone on our floor was playing their music really loud, very late. We turned on the TV to try to drown it out, fell asleep, but when I woke at 1 AM and turned the TV off it was still going on. I called the front desk and asked them to find the offending room. They offered me some ear plugs, but I don't spend over $600 a night to have to sleep with earplugs. They did attend to the matter, and the person turned their music off, but it was a little shocking to me that people would blast music at a Ritz Carlton. Overall, I guess I just had a different idea of what the name brand meant. I got it out of my system and will be content to spend half the price to stay at a Marriott or Hilton next time.

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