Resort overview: A keep at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans

What’s The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans?

The situation

The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans is on the southwestern fringe of the French Quarter and a block from Bourbon Road. In case you’re flying into Louis Armstrong New Orleans Worldwide Airport (MSY), it is a couple of 20-minute drive from the airport to the lodge, relying on site visitors.

The rooms

My mom and I have been upgraded to a Studio Suite, a form gesture that gave us slightly extra elbow room to prepare for dinner every night. The Studio Suite was slightly extra dated than club-level rooms and a few of the lodge’s extra opulent suites (extra on that quickly), but it surely was a well-maintained house with two queen-size beds, a spacious residing space, views of town and loads of room to prepare.

The suite’s blue and grey hues made it really feel much more spacious, and a partition between the sleeping space and lounge allowed me to take a piece Zoom assembly whereas my mother learn her e-book with out getting in one another’s manner.

There was a separate self-importance space the place somebody may placed on their ending touches of make-up or examine their outfit within the mirror by the closet whereas another person may prepare within the spacious toilet. The studio suite toilet had a double self-importance, a soaking tub and a walk-in bathe. Friends will discover Diptyque bathtub merchandise in bigger dispensers meant to remain within the room, however you would additionally take one dwelling for $70 per bottle.

The entry to the suite was additionally barely faraway from the hallway in a small vestibule shared by the suite subsequent door. This was a pleasant element that additionally added slightly extra soundproofing to the room at night time. Housekeeping got here by twice day by day, and turndown service is included in the price of a keep. Bottles of water and robes have been set out for us every night time.

I additionally very a lot appreciated the lodge’s heat welcome, which included a chocolate duplicate of the property, take-home canine treats and a printed picture of my canine, Pimm, so we would not overlook the four-legged member of my household who wasn’t alongside for the journey. (My husband, Parker, very a lot needed to know why there weren’t any printouts of him.)

The lodge additionally lately renovated its club-level visitor rooms and higher-end suites. Friends who keep in these rooms can frequent The Ritz-Carlton Membership all through the day for mild bites and cocktails. One factor to remember is that these rooms are the nicest lodging on the property however require a circuitous path to entry. Friends should take a separate elevator from the foyer on the third ground to their room or suite, irrespective of the place they’re staying.

The eating and ingesting choices

Restaurant and bar choices at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans embrace M Bistro (positioned off the foyer) for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Straight in entrance of the M Bistro, guests can discover The Davenport Lounge, a cocktail lounge named after the lodge’s resident musician Jeremy Davenport. Since we visited throughout a gradual time of 12 months, M Bistro was closed for dinner throughout my keep, however we have been nonetheless in a position to benefit from the M Bistro menu within the elegant Davenport Lounge.

Highlights from the M Bistro menu included the smoked duck breast ($41) served over a farro ratatouille in addition to the bone-in hen with mushrooms and a marsala sauce ($37). Because it was a mother-son journey, we indulged in a slice of carrot cake ($15) and an espresso martini ($19) to spherical out the meal. Service was pleasant and attentive, and it was an incredible spot to take pleasure in catching up with my mom, because of its comparatively quiet environment. I think about issues get far more full of life round Mardi Gras.

However our private favourite was The Ritz-Carlton Membership Lounge, the secluded fourth-floor retreat that felt like wandering right into a stately Backyard District pied-a-terre with its vibrant marble kitchen space, wood-paneled library and crystal chandelier-adorned eating space.

Whereas it might be simple to get slightly intimidated by the elegant decor, the Membership Lounge workers have been amongst our highlights of the entire keep — as evidenced by my mom asking for everybody’s Fb data so she may buddy them as we made our goodbye rounds earlier than trying out.

Group members within the Membership Lounge have been terribly affable and clearly happy with the place they labored, stating meal-specific specials like a grits bar at breakfast and etouffee sandwiches for mild supper nibbles. Friends may order wine, beer and cocktails, and every part is included within the costlier nightly fee related to Membership Stage visitor rooms and suites (we maintained Membership Stage entry regardless of getting upgraded to the studio suite).

My mother even requested for the recipe for a Mediterranean cracker served within the Membership Lounge, and the chef handwrote it out for her. Now, that is what you name above-and-beyond service, my buddies!

Wellness facilities

The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans has a strong well being and wellness providing in a tucked-away nook of the sprawling constructing. The health heart is comprised of a collection of rooms with all kinds of apparatus, similar to TRX bands, rowing machines, treadmills and different cardio gear, energy coaching machines and free weights. There may be additionally a pool and a scorching tub for individuals who would really like a leisurely dip within the water.

The Ritz-Carlton Spa, New Orleans is equally unfold out, with separate males’s and girls’s leisure areas and altering rooms that additionally function saunas, steam rooms and showers.

I loved an 80-minute, New Orleans-inspired “Voodoo Ritual” (principally an enhanced full-body therapeutic massage with voodoo drumbeats piped in from the sound system and extra flickering candles than you’d discover throughout a “regular therapeutic massage”) as a part of my keep — this therapy prices $290. However do not let the drums deter you: The therapeutic massage was very stress-free and added a enjoyable, native flourish to the method of kneading out one’s knots. Nevertheless, it was additionally simply as good to take pleasure in a glass of Champagne and skim my e-book within the males’s leisure room for a couple of minutes after the “ritual.”

The spa facility additionally contains a salon, boutique and a restaurant that serves wholesome meal choices (although it did not seem open throughout my keep).

Causes The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans won’t be for you

Whereas I completely loved my keep at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, some vacationers to New Orleans may be all in favour of a distinct type of Large Simple expertise. Here is who may be higher off trying elsewhere:

• Offseason charges weren’t unhealthy for The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans — and I discovered some dates the place they dipped even decrease. However it’s among the many most luxurious motels within the metropolis, so higher bargains may be had elsewhere.
• These on the lookout for a extra intimate keep within the coronary heart of the motion will wish to seek for boutique motels sited extra deeply within the French Quarter.
• This can be a elegant institution, particularly if you happen to’re staying in a club-level room. It would most likely not be the only option if you happen to’re bringing a rowdy bachelor or bachelorette occasion to city and wish to spend most of your time on Bourbon Road.

Accessibility

This Ritz-Carlton lodge has quite a few accessible options and a number of other accessible visitor rooms. There may be valet parking for autos outfitted for drivers who use wheelchairs. The property has wheelchair-friendly elevators, which you need to use to entry the foyer. From there, vacationers should make the most of a distinct set of elevators that give them entry to visitor rooms and suites.

Small ramps and wheelchair-friendly corridors present accessible routes from the entrance door to the spa, health heart and assembly areas on the bottom stage. These routes additionally result in the foyer, the lodge’s bars and eating places and the visitor rooms and suites.

The Residence Suite and the Govt Suite, in addition to sure club-level, metropolis view and deluxe visitor rooms, are accessible.

Inside accessible rooms and suites, visitors will discover adjustable hand-held bathe wands, bathtub seats and guard rails, in addition to accessible vanities — visitors also can request for mattress heights to be lowered. Accessible rooms even have lowered deadbolts, electrical retailers and lowered night time guards and viewports on visitor room doorways. These rooms also can function roll-in showers and bogs at wheelchair peak. Listening to-accessible rooms and kits can be found upon request.

Trying out

The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans wowed from check-in to checkout with its pleasant, fun-loving staff. Everybody gave the impression to be in nice spirits, which put my mother and me in nice spirits, too, during our keep.

I would appear to be a snooty lodge reviewer by stating minor issues like dated curtains, however I knew the lodge staff was knocking it out of the park once I overheard my mother mutter to herself one night time, “Properly, it does not get significantly better than this.”

My suggestion? Splurge on club-level entry to take pleasure in The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans to its highest potential.

Associated studying: