Disappointing experience for a romantic getaway
I want to be…read morevery clear from the outset: the staff at the Ritz-Carlton Beaver Creek were absolutely fantastic. They were warm, welcoming, professional, and genuinely tried their best throughout our stay. My disappointment is not with the people working at the hotel--it is with the management, planning, communication, and overall operation of the property.
My wife and I booked this stay specifically for a romantic break. I have been traveling extensively, and we were really looking forward to some quiet time together. Unfortunately, we were not informed when booking that there would be a large wedding taking place at the property during our stay.
When we raised this concern, we were told that the hotel could not tell us that a wedding was taking place because of privacy considerations. I found that explanation difficult to understand. We weren't asking for the names of the couple, details about the wedding, or any private information whatsoever. Simply letting guests know that a large wedding or private event would be taking place at the resort is basic information about the environment they should expect during their stay, not a breach of anyone's privacy.
The wedding itself was clearly a high-energy event, and while I have absolutely nothing against weddings or people celebrating, the atmosphere was completely at odds with the quiet, romantic getaway we were expecting. Had we known in advance, we simply would have chosen somewhere else.
More importantly, the impact went beyond the atmosphere. The hotel appeared to be operationally overwhelmed by the event. There simply did not seem to be enough staffing or inventory available to adequately serve the other guests staying at the hotel.
At around 10 p.m., we attempted to order room service. We were told that the only option available was a Caesar salad without protein because multiple other menu items had sold out. This wasn't an isolated case of one particular item being unavailable--it seemed that multiple menu options and ingredients were no longer available.
We experienced something similar at the Japanese restaurant. Again, the service from the staff was fantastic. They were doing everything they could, but effective inventory management should be a fundamental part of operating a property at this level. If a hotel is expecting a significant increase in occupancy and demand because of a major event, it should be anticipating that demand and ensuring it has sufficient stock to deliver the experiences and menu choices it is advertising.
The staff were not the problem. The operational planning was.
We did raise our concerns during the stay, and unfortunately, at one point the conversation seemed to shift toward the fact that our reservation had been made using Marriott Bonvoy points. I found that particularly disappointing. How a guest has paid for their room should not determine the quality of experience they receive.
I am a long-standing member of the Marriott ecosystem, and one of the reasons people consistently choose to stay within a hotel group is the expectation that loyalty will provide a consistent experience across the brand. Whether a stay is paid for with cash, points, or a combination of the two, the guest is still occupying the same room and should receive the same standard of hospitality.
In this instance, I simply did not feel that the value proposition of being a loyal Marriott guest was reflected in our experience.
At some point, management needs to decide what this property wants to be. If it is going to operate as a major wedding and events destination, that can certainly make sense from a revenue perspective. But if that is the strategy, the hotel needs to ensure it has the staffing, inventory, communication, and operational capacity to continue providing an exceptional experience to the other guests staying at the property.
Right now, it feels like the property is trying to do both, but the experience for non-event guests can suffer significantly as a result.
The biggest disappointment was for my wife. We booked this as a chance to reconnect and have a quiet, romantic break after a period when I have been traveling extensively. Instead, the overall experience left her genuinely let down.
To be absolutely clear: this is not a criticism of the staff. They were lovely, fantastic, and did everything they could. This is a criticism of management and the operational decisions surrounding the event.
If you are looking for a romantic couples' getaway, I would strongly recommend considering an alternative property in the Beaver Creek/Vail area. If you are looking for a wedding venue, however, this may be a very different story.
For us, unfortunately, it was a two-star experience and a significant disappointment given what we expected from a Ritz-Carlton.