The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey

I stayed 1 night, just shy of a $1,000, with a view of the marina for my bday. The hotel needs updating. My suite had only 1 trash can, no microwave, no coffee maker, a cake slice just sitting out on a table uncovered, a large mysterious storage room next to my closet. I will not return.

Location on the marina is beautiful, but a bit far from other parts of LA with no real transport options other than Ubers.

2/5 Stars: This Property Simply Doesn’t Feel Like a Ritz-Carlton

I am currently staying at The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey, and unfortunately this has been one of the most disappointing Ritz-Carlton experiences I have had.

To be clear, this is not a bad hotel. The marina location is pleasant, the rooms are comfortable, and the food has actually been quite good. The problem is that almost nothing about the service feels like Ritz-Carlton.

The disappointment started at check-in. I arrived about 20 minutes before the published 4:00 PM check-in time, and my room was not ready. I ultimately waited nearly two hours while being repeatedly told it would be ready “momentarily.”

What stood out was not the delay itself. Delays happen. What stood out was the lack of ownership. Not one person checked in with me proactively. The first time I sought an update, I found myself standing at the front desk while the associate who had originally checked me in was assisting another guest. She did not even acknowledge my presence. When the room was finally ready, a manager called my phone and instructed me to return to the front desk, where I had to wait in line again to obtain my key.

That pattern continued throughout the stay.

Room service was generally fast and the food was good, but most orders arrived incomplete or incorrect despite clear instructions submitted through the app. Small details were consistently missed.

I also experienced recurring issues with my room key and door lock that required additional trips to the front desk and a delayed engineering visit that ended without a fix or even a precautionary battery replacement.

The pool experience was equally surprising. On a slow day with attendants present, I selected a chair, settled in, and watched multiple staff members walk by without so much as a greeting. Eventually I retrieved and set up my own towels despite multiple attendants being present. Again, not a major inconvenience, but not what I expect at a Ritz-Carlton.

I had a similar experience in the boutique. After explaining that I had forgotten some resort wear and was looking for a swimsuit, shorts, or a tank top, I was largely left to search the boutique on my own for 15–20 minutes. The associate eventually pointed out a small display of tank tops, but there was little effort to assist or help find alternatives.

Even some of the traditional Ritz-Carlton touches were missing. The minibar was completely empty upon arrival and required guests to request stocking. While minor on its own, it reinforced the feeling that the property lacks the attention to detail typically associated with the brand. No gummy bears in sight! IYKYK!

What makes this disappointing is that these issues occurred across multiple departments over several days. Rather than a single service lapse, the experience reflected a broader pattern of inconsistency, disengagement, and lack of ownership.

For travelers deciding between this property and the Marriott nearby, I would have a difficult time justifying the significant price premium.

The accommodations are fine. The food is good. The service, however, is simply not what the Ritz-Carlton name promises.

I really enjoyed the convenient location, especially being so close to the airport. The staff and valet team were friendly, welcoming, and made the stay even more enjoyable.

Stayed here for the last 2 nights of our LA trip given its proximity to the airport and ocean access.

I wasn’t wild about the amenities or rooms, the entire property didn’t feel like it had been revamped or redone in ages and our room felt pretty “meh” and there was dust all over the nightstands. Lobby bar and pool facilities were average at best.

My take is that this is fine for a 1 night stay in and out of LA but not a vacation stay or anything to expect a wow factor out of amenity or room wise.

Truly world-class hospitality. Every aspect of our stay was handled with care and professionalism. The hotel offers the perfect balance of luxury, comfort, and convenience. From the impeccable service to the attention to detail throughout the property, it was clear that guest experience is a top priority. We left impressed and would gladly return on our next visit to Los Angeles.

This was such a fantastic hotel and I used to come since many years.

In the meantime it would definitely need a reservation and house keeping is extremely sloppy. Today they ‚forgot‘ to do the bathroom at all. This should not happen in a first class hotel.

cafe da manha e vista

Ubicación y servicio

A luxurious and beautiful hotel. Excellent service that was both professional and personal. The entire staff was cordial, attentive and helpful, but I want to particularly thank Daija at the front desk for her help and her warm interest in our family celebrations.

The staff is really nice. The wait time for check in is way too long. The bathtub in the room needs to be updated as it looks a little dingy and should be updated, it shouldn’t look worse than my tub at home. Room service the first night was very helpful and attentive. Breakfast with room service the next morning was just ok. I didn’t see all the menu items that are on the menu at the downtown location here at this site. Asked for country style potatoes got tater tots from the kids menu looked like. They said they would take it off my bill when I checked out they hadn’t so the front desk deducted from my bill for me. I loved that I got a card candy and balloons for Mother’s Day. That was extremely nice and the kind of service I look forward to. This little act made me so happy made me feel like I mattered. I will stay here again in the future but maybe in a different room or a different location. If love that checkout is at 12pm so you don’t have to rush in the morning.

Was so shocked when my bill came for two martinis that the server took upon herself to be made with Grey Goose vodka. Usually servers ask me what kind of vodka I would prefer. She went off shift so I was stuck with the bill. Buyer beware and be sure to review your receipts. I am a regular but am questioning going back this week for sure.

I’m honestly not sure where to begin, so I’ll start from the beginning. We’ve stayed at this hotel before and really enjoyed it, but this time the experience was completely different.

It started with poor communication in advance. We had several questions that either went unanswered or were answered too late for us to make any changes to our booking. Upon arrival, there was no one to greet us. We had to find someone ourselves to help with our luggage and car.

Once inside, I asked my questions again at the front desk, but the staff member didn’t have any answers. I requested to speak with a supervisor or manager. We waited in the lobby for 30 minutes, but no one came. When I followed up again, we were told the manager was in a meeting. We were allowed to wait in the Club Lounge, which was fine, but it took over an hour before someone finally came to speak with us. After a pleasant conversation, things seemed resolved and we received our room keys.

Unfortunately, the room was a huge disappointment. It was located next to the Club Lounge, with constant noise from slamming doors, and near an elevator that made loud banging sounds. The furniture was old and worn. One of the closet doors even came off in my hand when I tried to open it. Because of a wall (only present on the eleventh floor), we had a very limited bay view—in fact, practically no view at all.

After two hours, we needed our car. While passing the front desk, I noticed the staff talking and laughing about us, which felt very uncomfortable.

The highlight of our stay was Estefany in the Club Lounge. She was incredibly kind, professional, and clearly knows how to treat guests well. However, the next morning her attitude had completely changed, as if she had been informed about us.

The lounge itself was okay, but limited in offerings. We did enjoy the soup. It was also surprising to see guests bringing in dogs that were not service animals.

The next morning, we decided to leave because we simply did not feel welcome. We travel a lot and frequently stay at Ritz-Carlton hotels around the world, but we have never experienced anything like this.

As Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite members, we were especially disappointed. We even felt sorry for our daughter, who traveled all the way from Amsterdam to spend just three days with us—two of which were already spoiled.

This hotel truly needs rebranding, refurbishment, and possibly new management.

I’m giving 2 stars, mainly because of Estefany and the soup.

Service was excellent, beds were very comfortable and cozy. Staff were excellent

Location and staff