Frommer's Review
From the cadre of doormen and valet parking attendants who greet you effusively when you arrive, to the graceful young women in long dresses who swan around you serving cocktails in the bar and lounge, the Ritz staff always looks after you.
The hotel is built around a multitiered Japanese garden and courtyard with reflecting pools and cascading waterfall; guest rooms on the inside of the complex overlook the waterfall or terraced garden, while guest rooms on the outside perimeter view landmarks and cityscapes. Even standard rooms are very large, and richly furnished with a firm king-size bed covered in both a duvet and a bedspread, decorative inlaid wooden furniture, a comfy armchair and ottoman, and very pretty artwork. The marble bathroom is immense, with long counter space, separate bathtub and shower stall, and the toilet in its own room behind a louvered door. The clock radio doubles as a CD player, and the phone features a button for summoning the "technology butler" (a complimentary, 24/7 service for guests with computer questions). Other nice touches in the rooms include an umbrella, windows that open, and an outlet for recharging laptops. Among the different versions of suites available, most are "executives," which include a sitting room and separate bedroom.
Guests enjoy free use of the hotel's fitness center, the two-level, 100,000-square-foot Sports Club/LA, which leaves all other hotel health clubs in the dust with its state-of-the-art weight-training equipment and free weights, two regulation-size basketball courts and four squash courts, an indoor heated swimming pool and an aquatics pool with a sun deck, exercise classes, personal trainers, the full-service Splash Spa and Roche Salon, and a restaurant and cafe.
The Ritz's bar and lounge are also exceptionally inviting, with lots of plush upholstered couches and armchairs, a fire blazing in the fireplace in winter, and a pianist playing nightly. The lobby lounge is the setting for daily afternoon tea, jazz trio performances Monday through Saturday evenings, and occasional events, such as the chocolate decadence buffet staged the first Friday of every month.
Facilities: Restaurant (American); lounge; health club and spa (the best in the city); 24-hr. concierge; business center (open weekdays); 24-hr. fax and currency-exchange services; salon; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; same-day laundry; dry cleaning w/1-hr. pressing; club level w/5 complimentary food presentations throughout the day (including a chef station each morning to prepare individual requests); 10 rooms for those w/limited mobility, 6 w/roll-in showers.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
