Disappointing but still nice
My wife and I get up to San Francisco a few times a year for some R&R. Generally we are Four Seasons junkies and stay there or the Grand Hyatt, but this time we got a deal at the Ritz and decided to stay there for four nights. We knew that the experience would be different - we expected that the Ritz would be more old world charm and elegant compared to the trendy modern style of the Four Seasons.
First I do want to acknowledge some good aspects of the Ritz: the hotel was spotless and in perfect condition. No chipped tiles, missing grout, dinged floorboards that you see at even some other five star hotels. The hostess/waitresses at The Lounge and the bar at Parallel 37 on Friday and Saturday nights were fantastic - perfect discrete yet attentive service. Every concierge that we talked to during our stay was knowledgeable and helpful. The car valets were very professional and helpful.
But we had some issues. First off, the service in the restaurant side of Parallel 37 (their main restaurant) was very spotty. Some, like Reinaldo, were perfect. Others not so much. In fact at one breakfast we finally gave up after waiting 10 minutes for the bill and simply got up and left. Really! I can't remember the last time I've done that at even a Burger King, let alone a Ritz. The restaurant itself, as well as The Lounge, is a bit of a conundrum. The hotel is old world style, yet the restaurant and lounge have been renovated to a modern style - coincidentally very similar to what I'd expect in a Four Seasons with the sleek lines and chillaxing music. Somehow it just didn't fit. One minute you're in an ornate marble lobby, the next you're surrounded by sleek wood and metal. Huh?
Another issue was with housekeeping. We tried and tried, but somehow our schedule must have perfectly conflicted with room cleaning and the evening turn down. Even though each day we were out of the room from 8-10 and 11-4, then 6-8pm. Finally we called and asked for at least a special turn down so we'd have some clean towels. At other five star hotels they uncannily know when you're gone - presumably some spies in the lobby or something - and the room mysteriously gets cleaned each day regardless of schedule.
The hotel itself is at the top of a steep hill. Only a couple blocks from the Union Square shopping area, but those two blocks are MUCH more difficult than the two blocks from the Four Seasons to the same Union Square, let alone the Grand Hyatt right off the square. One odd thing, that perhaps just brings out the hotel snob in me, is that at no time was there a doorman to open the doors for us. Of course we can do that ourselves, but I guess I've come to expect it.
The rooms are nice - perhaps a bit small but that's ok. No separate shower, which I like. The courtyard view rooms are very quiet - almost too quiet! Some noise in the hallways in the mornings, but nothing significant.
Don't get me wrong - it's a very very nice hotel. Just not what I expected from a Ritz, with the level of perfectly attentive yet discrete service I've come to expect at any and every Four Seasons. Which is where we'll stay, again, next time.