The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe

Pretty Bad! Hotel is old, beds not comfortable, no amenities, service is literally nonexistent, and the food is not good. I really can’t say anything nice about this place. And it’s super overpriced. We’re ambassadors we didn’t get upgraded and it seems like the place is empty. I can handle an older Ritz but service terrible.

We had an exceptional stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, thanks to Joanna. From arrival to departure, she handled every detail with professionalism and genuine care. Joanna warmly welcomed us with champagne and Ritz-Carlton outing shirts for my husband and me. She also prepared a s’mores kit for a cozy evening by the fire and arranged a relaxing bubble bath setup for me to unwind. Her handwritten card, thoughtful recommendations, and attention to detail made our stay truly memorable. Joanna’s kindness and dedication elevated our experience, and she is a tremendous asset to the Ritz-Carlton brand. Thank you, Joanna, for making our visit so special.

We often just drive around the lake on a day off and pick a random spot to stop in for a drink. This time we chose the Ritz, as we’ve been thinking about doing a staycation there. We went upstairs to Manzanita and initially sat at the bar. There’s no question this is a 5-star hotel. The service was fantastic, drinks very tasty and everyone was friendly. We decided to move a few feet to the Living Room Lodge where the upscale service didn’t stop. The fire was burning, making the atmosphere cozy and perfect. We’re not big skiers and often prefer to be on the water when staying at the lake, but we are keeping this in mind every time we consider our next trip.

We booked a family stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe for myself, my wife, and our six-year-old son. A few days before our trip, our son was diagnosed and tested positive for RSV. I called and asked for a reservation modification given the circumstances, and I was completely open to alternative solutions: a date modification, Marriott Bonvoy points to rebook on our own, a refund, or anything reasonable. We just wanted some flexibility. What followed was the usual runaround. We called the Ritz-Carlton directly, they told us they couldn’t help because we booked through American Express. So we called Amex, whose concierge team was empathetic and professional. They reached out to the Ritz-Carlton on our behalf. After waiting 24 hours and following up, we were told that Ritz-Carlton management responded via email and declined to allow modifications to the reservation and still expect us at the property unless we pay a $750 cancellation fee. We presented a positive diagnosis of a contagious virus, were willing to accept any reasonable accommodation; a date change, points, anything, and the answer was no. This raises a serious concern beyond our personal frustration. If the Ritz-Carlton would rather a family show up carrying a contagious virus than accommodate a date change, what does that say about their commitment to the health and safety of their guests and staff? How many other sick guests have they pressured to check in rather than lose a night’s revenue? What about employees who may face the same inflexibility when they’re ill? For a brand that markets itself as the gold standard of hospitality, this experience seems like the opposite.

I had a trip planned to North Lake Tahoe w my wife, son, and his 2 friends. My wife and I were booked at Ritz for a full week. My son and his friends were booked at the Hyatt resort a short gondola ride away. Something came up and we had to cancel our trip. When I called the Hyatt to cancel their room, despite I have no meaningful status with Hyatt, they cancelled the reservation despite we were inside of their 7- day cancellation window (allowing them to retain the entire amount) and refunded us the entire reservation. After hanging up with the Hyatt, I called the Ritz front desk and spoke to a very nice young woman who listened to my story and told me that she did not think it would be a problem to cancel our room and get a refund but that she would have to speak to her Reservations manager and have her call me to discuss. I asked how long before I could expect a call and she replied probably 2-3 hours. No one has ever called me to address this urgent issue. It has been a week and despite several calls and emails from me the Ritz will not respond. Rather than call me, they sent me an email telling me they would not refund my money. I am very disappointed in not receiving a call from the Ritz as this email is not the customer service I would expect from the Ritz brand. Instead, I get a canned email. Considering I stay at Marriot Bonvoy properties frequently, I am a gold member, and I was scheduled to stay at the Ritz Carlton (one of Marriott’s premiere brands), I certainly expected them to treat me as well as I have been treated by Hyatt. This is especially true considering the hotel is empty this week and has lots of rooms available. I understand the purpose of your cancellation policy, but that purpose is not being furthered by this decision as there is no demand for rooms in Lake Tahe right now. That is not good business and reflects very poorly on your brand that I have always been so impressed with. Obviously the management in the Tahoe sales office is not comparable to other Ritz properties. Very disappointing and embarrassing service.