THE RITZ-CARLTON NEW ORLEANS

Love this hotel. Hit or miss with pricing. Gotta time it right with booking. Phenomenal spa. Do not recommend the bamboo massage though (goodness it hurt).

Great breakfast but absolutely terrible hotel management/service and subpar room. Click to read more:

Long story but we move to stay in the Courtyard Marriott suite we booked to extend our visit by a few days. The buildings are adjoined. 3 hours later the Ritz-Carlton staff had thoroughly “lost” the clothes I left in the closet. No one else had checked in and I suspect no one in leadership could communicate with my Spanish speaking housekeeper to see where she stored or stashed the items. I spent the next 3 days being jerked around by various clueless leaders who didn’t know one another’s, or staff’s, names!

I asked Q, the assistant Director of Housekeeping, what the housekeeping process was and she said it is to deliver all left behind items to the office immediately. Nothing was ever turned in. I asked if she knew who the housekeeper was on my floor. She offered that the housekeeper was a “Spanish lady” whose name she could not recall because the housekeeper had started just 2 weeks prior.

Q could see the concern on my face and told me THEE Ritz-Carlton would find my clothes or pay to have them replaced. I believed her. She said she’d send the Loss Prevention person to take a report.

While waiting I made small talk with a security guard who’d worked there for over a decade. I learned that J, the disappointing manager I’d asked for help, had just started at the site a week ago. He hadn’t circled up the teams to introduce himself and, like the housekeeper, or “Q’s” full name, few people knew J’s name either.

The Loss Prevention person, N, said she “believed me” in an off putting way that made me think she wouldn’t have if my multi-day ordeal hadn’t been so unique. She spoke with authority, stating she would see whose room keycard entered my room. Even if I didn’t get my clothes back for some strange reason she would get to the bottom of the mystery and report back. I asked for her direct number after she took mine promising a follow-up call. I later learned the number was not direct. Later that day I came by after shift-change to reconnect with the evening manager, J. I assumed he’d be on the case. He had no update, interest, or concern. He did offer to send more emails to people I image were just a room over.

My 3rd and last day staying in the adjoining Marriott, I returned to see J dressed down wearing sunglasses pushing an empty cart. It looked like he was moving into the building, and keeping a low profile. He refused to look my way, so I ran over and asked “any update?”, “No, I’m not working” he responded, coldly. The crew at the front desk didn’t have an update either. I left New Orleans empty handed.

I never received a call from N in Loss prevention. I called a few times but she wasn’t scheduled or available. Some time later corporate called, responding to the emailed report, to say they would not reimburse me for the clothes but they could still turn up. I called N asking if she remembered to find out which housekeeper tended to my room. She said the housekeeper indicated nothing was left behind but she could not or would not tell me who cleaned it. I don’t think N speaks Spanish either.

The Ritz-Carlton made no attempt to make this right with me and customer service email addresses bounced back.

I hope they see this and will consider hiring leaders who speak Spanish, introduce themselves to staff, and lead first with a common-sense search before composing emails. The departments felt overly and unnecessarily siloed and disconnected. Clerks, concierges, housekeepers, security, and management were unable to answer basic questions about other departments or even communicate with one another in real-time. This resulted in hours of my time wasted and clothes unreturned. This was not a positive Ritz-Carlton experience. I do not recommend this place.

First time staying at the Ritz and was underwhelmed by some of the service experienced. Some employees were great but the repeated instances of subpar service was off putting given the caliber/cost of stay.

Beautiful hotel offering an oasis in the middle of the city. Great location for business or pleasure.

Right by the French Quarter. Well appointed luxury hotel.