The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta is a skyscraper hotel at Mega Kuningan which is the centre of an upmarket business district. The complex has two towers and the hotel was opened in 2005. The building is 212 m tall and has 48 floors and 4 basement levels. The hotel has 278 club-sized rooms and 55 suites.

 Check-in was done swiftly in a separate club floor area where a welcome drink and a hot towel was offered before I was escorted to the room.

 What a nice surprise was waiting for me there. The hotel staff had a personal welcome message on the TV screen waiting for me (including my picture, which was cute) and a birthday surprise painted on the window! I found this a truly welcoming gesture. 

With a high staff-to-guest ratio, the level of attentiveness is so high that one always feels like one is staying among friends.

The Club lounge offered daily breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and snacks as well as a full dinner. All of my meals were of excellent quality and were delicious. An ever changing meal selection made this a very pleasant experience.

The staff at the Club lounge were highly professional, always ready for a chat, and always addressed guests by name. The lounge claims to be one of the largest in Asia. I cannot praise the staff enough for their unending efforts to make guests feel welcome and to take care of them.

The room was of a large size with a huge marble bathroom and, of course, featured all amenities that one could think of. (including a Nespresso coffee maker).

There are two restaurants in the hotel, a spa, a gym, and a nice swimming pool.

I give this hotel 6 stars for the large oversized rooms, the Club lounge, and the wonderful staff throughout the hotel.

Club Lounge:

SPA, Pool and Gym:

Hotel and Restaurants:

https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/indonesia/jakarta#HOTEL

Right on bustling Potsdamer Platz, The Ritz-Carlton, is well placed for shopping, museums, nightlife and key attractions such as the Holocaust Memorial and the Brandenburg Gate, both of which are within easy walking distance of around 10 minutes. There are malls, cinemas and museums all around (as well as small sections bits of the original Berlin Wall right outside the hotel), and the impressive, feature-studded Tiergarten park is right next door.

The hotel’s distinctive skyscraper-style design fits well into Potsdamer Platz’s cityscape. The interiors are classic Old Europe, with baroque chandeliers, marble staircases and Art Deco-inspired furnishings lending an aura of monied refinement throughout the public spaces; and the rooms and suites.

I checked in online and was particularly impressed by the “virtual-key” that was sent to my Marriott Bonvoy App when the room was ready. This mobile key gave me direct access to the lift and my room; and it worked reliably. It is a fantastic way of making travel easier and faster; and is linked to the Bonvoy App which has guest details and credit card information pre-registered.

The hotel ran very smoothly thanks to a well-groomed, professionally-trained, veritable army of staff. Aside from the restaurant and bars, the hotel has  a very comprehensive wellness area in the basement with pool, whirlpool tub, sauna and fitness centre.

I enjoyed my stay very much and would go back to this hotel any time.

https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/germany/berlin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui opened only a few months ago and is located on a hill enjoying beautiful views.

The resort offers all suites and pool-villas only and hosts its  own Spa Village with private cabanas, a private pool and plenty of treatment rooms. I stayed in an ocean-view King Suite which was 93 sq. metres in size and offered a stunning view over the property and the ocean.

The resort is of a fairly large size and after check-in at the arrival lounge you are taken to your Suite by an electric buggy. Buggies are available day and night and be called at any time to move around the hotel. Walkways can be pretty steep and long depending where your suite is located.

The resort suites and pool villas are tastefully decorated and offer all luxury amenities of a modern hotel. The Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui offers several restaurants and dining options. I tried several of them and the food that I tasted was delicious. I would especially recommend the Pak TaI Restaurant which offers live entertainment every day.

The Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui has two small private beaches as well as an awesome, large infinity pool. There is also a swim reef to discover where you can swim and feed the fish which I found to be a unique experience. Muay Thai and Yoga lessons are offered and a gym is also available.

The resort offers a sunset cocktail hour every day at the arrival lounge platform where guests can enjoy a sip and meet other guests. Another highlight for me was the fantastic breakfast at Shook! Restaurant. It offers an extra wide range of freshly cooked bakery and other breakfast items. Fresh vegetable juices, organic egg dishes and Asian favourites are on offer as well. This breakfast buffet is one of the largest I have ever seen and everything tasted so good.

One of the best assets of this hotel are certainly its staff members. Everybody I met was most charming, open and always ready for a chat as well as offering the famous extra-mile that Ritz-Carlton hotels are famous for. They always called me by my name and made sure I always felt comfortable and being well taken care of. I can only congratulate the Management for such eager staff members and hope the service level will stay as high as it is right now.

A fantastic new resort to the already top-notch Koh Samui resort world with a 6* service.

 

 

http://www.ritzcarlton.com

 

 

 

 

 

I arrived at the Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi a few days after their official opening. Although there were some teething problems which were to be expected, I had a very pleasant stay. I stayed in a Rainforest Deluxe Room which was a generous 75 sq. metres in size, with a living area, a balcony and an oversized bathroom. The decoration is tasteful and fits well in a remote jungle setting.

Upon arrival, I was checked-in at the arrival lounge and then taken by electric buggy to the Dahlia building which hosted 9 suites.

The hotel offers 3 food and beverage outlets. The high-end Chinese restaurant Hai Yan; the Langkawi Kitchen serving Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine; and the Beach Grill serving western and eastern dishes, mainly seafood. The menu choices at the Beach Grill were quite limited and comfort food (beach resort favourites) such as club sandwiches or spaghetti dishes etc. was unfortunately missing. However, all the food that I tasted at the resort was delicious.

The hotel had a nice private, clean, sandy beach with plenty of lounge chairs, all of which were unfortunately not equipped with sun umbrellas yet.The pool is beautifully situated overlooking the beach and the bay.

The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi opened during early October 2017 and all the staff members that I met were eager to please, charming and helpful.

The resort is set in an emerald jungle and its design is inspired by a Malay fishing village. The contemporary Ritz-Carlton SPA is offering various treatments in private settings which are shaped like local Bubu fish traps.

The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi offers luxury accommodation and the renowned Ritz-Carlton service. It’s a beautiful place in the Malaysian rainforest.

 

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/malaysia/langkawi#Hotel

 

 

 

On my arrival at the Sharq Village & Spa resort, I was escorted directly to my room where the check-in procedure was completed efficiently. I was assigned a room in Villa 8 overlooking the main pool with good views over the resort which reminded me very much of a Morrocan village. The buildings were low rise and in oriental style, white and very different from typical big-city resorts. Everything was very clean and the resort grounds had beautifully manicured gardens.

The Sharq Village & Spa resort offers 2 swimming pools, a jacuzzi and 300 metres of private beach frontage.  The beach is taken care of by  an enthusiastic and helpful beach attendant. He keeps the beach impeccably clean at all times, ensures that guests always have enough towels and offers plenty of free ice-cold water to his guests. The main pool area has some waterfalls and a swim-up bar which is quite popular all day long. The staff at the pool are very attentive and  ensure that everyone feels always at ease, being with an excellent service, a chat or just checking back from time to time to see if everything is all right.

The room was spacious in oriental style with a large bathroom with bathtub, a rain shower and a toilet. The room also had a Nespresso coffee machine, a kettle for tea and plenty of drinking water. The bed was very comfy and the room lighting system was flexible. There was a working desk (with a multi-type electric power plug, which I greatly appreciated) and a nice balcony.

The hotel offers several food outlets including an award winning Persian restaurant, a shisha bar and a cigar lounge. All the food outlets I tried were  excellent. The food choice available was plentiful, everything tasted  delicious, and the service was attentive and friendly.

The resort has a fantastic Six Senses Spa which offers luxury spa treatments including massages and Turkish bath (hammam). A large gym is also available on site.

This hotel offers all that a resort style property needs to offer. Spacious rooms, nice swimming pools and a private beach. All the staff members that I met were warm, charming and attentive. They strive to make the guest feel at home and they do this with great success. I would recommend this hotel for a vacation style stay as well as for business people since the airport and downtown Doha are both not far away and easily reachable.

 

 

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/qatar/sharq-village

Lobby and public areas

Bleu Lounge

Partial Bosphorus View Room Type

Full Bosphorus View Room Type

The Ritz-Carlton Spa and Gym

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I arrived at the Ritz-Carlton Istanbul around noon time and was quickly checked-in by the friendly front desk staff.

I was incorrectly assigned a partial Bosphorus view room instead of a full front view room as I had booked. The issue was resolved quickly and my bags were moved to the correct room while I had an enjoyable lunch at the Bleu Lounge.

The hotel is elegantly decorated and its lobby and restaurants are tastefully furnished. The lobby is a lively place where people meet, have coffee together or socialise generally.

The room was stylish and offered a wonderful view over the Bosphorus and the city of Istanbul. The bathroom was nice and had a large shower, bathtub and a separate toilet.

My room was equipped with a small minibar and an Illy Espresso coffee machine. The shoe shine service was efficient and fast.

Breakfast at the Atelier Lounge was a nice experience with lots of local and international specialities. The chef who was taking care of the egg station was a friendly lady who offered stand-out service.

Dinner at the Atelier Lounge was equally pleasant, offering a splendid view of Istanbul by night. I had a pasta dish and a meat dish. Everything was delicious and the service was excellent.

The Spa at the Ritz-Carlton is located in the lower floor and offers an indoor swimming pool, a sauna with relaxing areas, a turkish bath and a gym.

My only disappointment was that the outdoor area with the swimming pool was closed. Unfortunately they close for winter season. However, the weather was pleasant and warm in the afternoon and I think the area should have been opened.

The staff members that I met were all friendly and professional.

Whilst there are many luxury hotels in Istanbul I would return to the Ritz-Carlton Istanbul any time.

 

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/europe/istanbul

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong is a five-star luxury hotel, located in the International Commerce Centre, West Kowloon, Hong Kong.

^{I have always wanted to stay in the world’s tallest hotel and watched the construction of the ICC during my frequent visits to Hong Kong.} 

^{The hotel offers 312 rooms and suites as well as several restaurant outlets.}

^{After our arrival at the street level lobby we were greeted by a staff member who escorted us directly to the main lobby on the 103rd floor. The express elevator took about a minute to reach to the main lobby level and is reputed to be the fastest elevator in Asia.From there we were escorted to the Club Lounge for check-in. We were invited to have some food and drinks while the credit card and passports were processed. The Club Lounge is a fantastic venue. It offers six daily meal presentations including breakfast with an omelette station and full bar service all day. The staff are truly professionals and they keep the huge lounge tidy and pleasant at all times which left a very positive impression.The lounge is beautifully decorated and offers a wonderful view over Kowloon. There is a car available for free transportation within Kowloon and it’s available for all hotel guests on a first come first served basis.} 

^{Arrival at the Victory Harbour View suite was an unforgettable experience. A stunning view combined with a luxury suite that offered a separate bedroom, and a corner with a lounging area from where to enjoy the fantastic view. The suite offered a minibar, a Nespresso machine, fresh fruit and home-made chocolates. I was pleasantly surprised to receive an ice-bucket with a bottle of sparkling water and a few bottles of Coke zero which is probably on my file as a favourite drink! Really thoughtful and perfect service from Ritz-Carlton. Every aspect of the suite was well thought out (usually I find power outlets to be misplaced or the design to be impractical etc.) The hotel offers free Wi-Fi on all floors including the restaurants, the Club Lounge, the fitness centre and pool area etc.}

^{The hotel’s other facilities were equally impressive, including the swimming pool and the fitness centre which are located on the 118th floor. The swimming pool area is stunning and features nice lounge chairs as well as two jacuzzis, one of which was located outdoors and the other in an indoor lounging area. It goes without saying that the hotel has its own SPA as well.} 

^{The restaurants are a story of their own. There is the world famous Ozone bar (highest bar in the world) which is consistently mentioned in travel magazines and guides. There is Tosca, the Italian restaurant with one Michelin star as well as the famous Tin Lun Heen with two Michelin  stars and Cafe 103 on the 103rd floor.} 

^{The service at the hotel was excellent. Every staff member I met was sincere and well groomed. They interact with the guests a lot and always try to anticipate the needs and do their best to offer impeccable service.. They go above and beyond in making your stay enjoyable and memorable.}

^{In conclusion, I would say the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong is a stunning property and most certainly the best hotel in the city. The bird’s eye view from the hotel is just unbeatable and the service is amongst the best I have ever experienced anywhere.}

The suite

The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge

Spa, Pool and Gym

The Presidental Suite