Ritz Carlton Hotel

» ngoldman - Montreal's Ritz Carlton

Here is an email I received from one reader:

Mr. Goldman,

Happend to find your article while searching for updated
comments on the Ritz. I'd like to share a few comments
with you.

In short, there's nothing like it! Our first visit was in 1980,
but it was not until 14 years later (we lived in South Florida
until 1994), that we became regular three or four times a
year visitors.

Very few hotels in the world have the type of long term, well
trained and eager staffs that this property has. I'd have to
include Zurich's Baur au Lac and San Francisco's Huntington in this very short list.

To be certain, until the rooms were renovated, this grand
dame had become a bit shabby. The bar still needs a total
redoing and hopefully this will be accomplished soon. Some
mornings, breakfast could be better, too. However, there's
nothing more civilized than sitting in the jardin during the
warm months or the Cafe de Paris during your cold winters.

It's not only home, it's better. My wife gets kissed by very
no other hotel doormen, bar waiters, et al. Tommy, the
head Concierge, runs not only Montreal, but I'm convinced
Canada as he can pull rabbits out of hats, solve quests
in more languages than I care to think of.

In conclusion, Montreal has no greater Ambassador to the
world the Ritz and it's staff. Are we coming back? You
can count on it.

Best regards!

Joseph W. Mathews
The Travel Gallery "Where Travel Is An Art"
Post Office Box 276
Manchester, Vermont 05254-0276 U.S.A.
Telephone: (01) (802) 362-0404
Facsimile: (01) (802) 362-0404
Offices also in Jupiter, Tequesta & Hobe Sound

-- posted by ngoldman

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» ngoldman - Ritz Carlton Hotel

Here is a follow up to the email I received

Norm,
Quote anything you'd like. Also, the next time you're in the Ritz Bar
look at the big, blue wingback chair at the first table
on the right as you enter. You'll see a gentlemen's initials
on the back. Seems this gentleman lunched at the same
table for years. Ask Mike (he's on Monday to Thursday).
He can also point out where the late Mordecai Richler
almost got into a fist fight with some fellow. Mike is a
font of Ritz stories.

The younger generation being trained is equal to the task.
Though not owned, but under management contract to
the American Ritz-Carlton (read Marriott) organization,
the soul of this property is Cesar Ritz and epitomizes
Montreal (anglo, allo and francophone).

Again, thanks and I hope some of this is of interest to
people who love this hotel.

Best regards!

Joe
The Travel Gallery "Where Travel Is An Art"
Post Office Box 276
Manchester, Vermont 05254-0276 U.S.A.
Telephone: (01) (802) 362-0404
Facsimile: (01) (802) 362-0404
Offices also in Jupiter, Tequesta & Hobe Sound

-- posted by ngoldman

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» ngoldman - Ritz Carlton

Here is another message I received from a reader pertaining to The Ritz-I welcome your comments:

Last week I spent 4 nights at the Ritz Carlton in Montreal. While I had a very agreeable stay there, I did not find all aspects of this hotel equal to the quality one finds in other luxury hotels around the world.

First, upon arrival, there was no doorman. Then there was no porter to help carry the bags up to the room. I found the room pleasant but small. The bathroom dated from the early days of the hotel and lacked any kind of luxury or charm. It appeared typical of any ordinary bathroom in any ordinary house built in the 1950's or the kind of bathroom one can still find in inexpensive hotels in the third world.. This, clearly, was not a grand hotel in Europe, nor a luxury hotel in Asia, nor any Intercontinental hotel built in the last 15 years. The furniture is the room, while tasteful, was not expensive and was worn taking on the aspects of "second hand" furniture rather than "antique". Unfortunately although there was an inner door to the room which closed off an interior hall leading to the bathroom and closet, the room was incredibly noisy. Even through two closed doors I could hear every sound from the hall way and even noise coming from other rooms!! Hearing others talk on their telephone several rooms away or the sound of television sets does not help the guest feel he is in a luxury hotel. Finally one of the elevators was out of service which made for long waits coming or going from the room.

On the bright side, the food was excellent, staff were pleasant, professional and helpful in every way. Charm goes a certain distance in defining "luxury" but hotels come up short when they can't provide a large, quiet, comfortably furnished room with a modernized bathroom. These qualities, after all, are standard in modern five star cookie cutter hotels. One expects more from a hotel with a name and reputation like the Ritz-Carlton. J. de Sandre

-- posted by ngoldman

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