I recently stayed at The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage for two nights over Easter, and I wanted to share some honest feedback.
At roughly $1,000 per night for a standard king room, expectations were naturally very high. Unfortunately, the overall experience did not match that level.
This is not meant to criticize unfairly, but to provide constructive feedback.
Upon arrival, valet asked for my name, which I appreciated, but that was also the last time it was used throughout my stay. At check-in, the front desk agent, Joe, never used my name once. The interaction felt transactional and focused primarily on my credit card rather than welcoming me as a guest. It honestly felt more like interacting with an AI than with a trained luxury hospitality professional.
The Ritz-Carlton credo, “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen,” is something I truly admire. However, I did not feel that standard reflected during my stay.
Joe quickly walked us through a property map but never asked about preferences such as room location, views, or whether we preferred a quieter area. That level of personalization was missing from the start.
The property itself is beautiful, and the room was nice. However, attention to detail, which truly defines luxury, was lacking.
The main pool experience felt closer to a standard Hilton than a luxury resort. Over two days, only one server approached us once. There was no water service, no proactive engagement, no eye contact, and no use of guest names. Small touches like complimentary amenities such as frozen grapes, which are common in higher-end service environments, were completely absent.
I understand this property is not Forbes rated, but striving toward those standards should still be the goal.
In the guest rooms, each balcony features an electric candle, which is a great idea in theory, but ours did not work. It was likely a battery issue. A simple operational improvement such as switching to solar powered candles could easily solve this and reduce labor.
We had dinner at State Fare Bar & Kitchen one evening. The initial impression was disappointing. The hostess, unfortunately I did not catch her name, came across as quite unfriendly. When I asked about pizza, she mentioned only flatbreads and handed me a menu without guidance. Interestingly, the menu did include a pizza section.
We were told we could only sit in the bar area because the restaurant was preparing for dinner, even though we were there for dinner. It was confusing.
Service took about 10 minutes to start, but our server Ryan completely turned the experience around. He was engaging, professional, and genuinely hospitable. Thank you, Ryan. You were a highlight of the stay.
That said, even in the restaurant there was no name usage, there were delays, and there were no small touches like bar snacks, again details that matter at this price point.
Another surprising gap was when I needed smaller bills to tip valet and housekeeping. Both valet and front desk were unable to provide change on multiple occasions and did not offer any alternative solutions. Even at a mid scale hotel, someone would typically guide you on where to obtain change.
The property also features a large lawn near the adult pool, which has great potential, but there is no seating or activation. It feels like a missed opportunity to enhance the guest experience.
In summary, the hotel is visually beautiful, but the details, the ones that truly define luxury, are missing.
In this segment, details are everything.
I generally prefer smaller boutique hotels, but I wanted to give this property a fair chance. At $250 per night, I would consider returning. At $900 or more, there is a clear gap that needs to be addressed.
A stronger focus on team training, especially around personalization, guest interaction, and attention to detail, would make a significant difference.
Thank you for taking this feedback into consideration, and Happy Easter.
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