CHECK-IN: The clerk at lobby reception gave the option to check-in there or to go up to the club level to be checked-in. We thought we would go with the full Ritz club experience and be checked-in on the club floor. The clerk escorted us up to the club floor and introduced us to the concierge. The concierge led us to the lounge and offered us drinks while processing the credit card and check-in. Then, a concierge escorted us to the room. All in all, club check-in was just additional steps and made reaching the room too long of an ordeal. It was nothing special so we regret not just going through the process at lobby reception. Service standards were there, but at no point did we experience anything special in regard to staff personalities or service.

CLUB LEVEL ROOM: Good size room, immaculate, good amenities, nice toiletries (Bulgari), great floor to ceiling windows the span of the room… but still not a great room. There seemed to be far too much furniture (or maybe it was just very badly arranged) that made the room awkward. Although spacious at the end with the desk and window there was no space at the other end with the sofa, coffee table, chair, etc. crammed in beside the bed. The furniture definitely can be and needs to be rearranged. The lighting in the closet was pathetic and the emergency flashlight had to be used frequently to see inside the safety deposit box. The dressing closet lighting was far too dim for viewing ones self in the full-length mirror. Turndown service was performed differently each night. One thing done one night, but not the next, the extra pillows put in one place one night and then in the closet the next and so on. The attendant that came to provide turndown service on our first night gave a look of much displeasure in my requesting that he return later as we were still getting dressed for dinner. He certainly made me feel as though we were being a big inconvenience. The complimentary pressing was very much appreciated and perfectly done and timely. The bathroom is nicely designed for the simultaneous use of two people. The hairdryer always overheated and stopped operating until it cooled down again. The Bulgari toiletries are a nice touch. However, the printing on the tiny and identical bottles is miniscule so it is very difficult to decipher what each bottle contains.

CLUB LOUNGE: The lounge is large with three different sitting areas of which two of them have flat-screen TVs. There is a billiard room, a computer room with two computer stations, a food and beverage service area and the concierge desk. Never saw the conference room. There are many tables for eating and four sofa & chair combos. Breakfast in the lounge was pleasantly serene, the coffee superb and service pleasant and efficient! The buffet was disappointing for us as it had too much focus on Western cuisine. We prefer to eat local food when traveling so it would have suited our tastes more if there were more Asian items. Breakfast was also available in a lobby area restaurant. Although it did offer more Asian cuisine items than the club lounge it was too crowded and noisy for persons who enjoy a tranquil morning environment. Overall, the food quality for all the various F&B periods in the club lounge was good (for complimentary food) and the selection was amply sufficient.

CLUB CONCIERGE: Niki, one of the male lounge attendants was most pleasant to interact with. He was warm and genuine with a nice balance of humor and highly hospitable. Outside of Niki none of the other concierge or attendants shone in regard to personality or service talents. They were rather unforgettable actually. After being at the hotel for a few days my wife and I went to the lounge for breakfast whereupon one of the concierge stopped us as we were entering the lounge to inquire my room number and then proceeded to ask my wife for her room number as if we were traveling separately. The manner in which she asked seemed as if she suspected us of being non-club guests trying to sneak in for a free breakfast… not to mention it made my wife feel second rate. This certainly was not good for the guest recognition standards set and expected. Although we attempted to be clear in relating our expectations and needs for “local” restaurant and shopping recommendations the concierge did not grasp what we wanted and sent us to the regular places that tourists go. We then did our own research and found “local” cuisine and shopping. The concierge highly recommended we dine at Lara Jonggrang. This turned out to be a big disappointment and when we returned to the hotel the concierge told us they had never been to this place! Overall, it did seem that the concierge were more preoccupied with their administrative duties at the concierge desk than to be true Concierge. The ladies at the concierge desk clearly exuded an aura of self-importance and certainly do not enjoy providing service or assisting guests. Perhaps they think that type of work is for the lounge attendants to handle. They are obviously accustomed to assisting business guests and as a result are not prepared or expected to be concierge to the leisure traveler.

HOTEL: The key-cards that were issued to us at check-in became faulty in the middle of our stay and did not work in the elevators a couple of times. On one occasion a bell-boy happened to be there and used his card to activate the panel for us. The second time we had to go to the front desk to obtain a replacement. We found the lobby lounge to be non-conducive for enjoying a relaxing nightcap as the live entertainment was far too loud. We tried again on another night when there was not live entertainment but found the thumping and din from the disco below very unpleasant. The room is big and dark and service was on the brusque side. We enjoyed the lobby lounge venue and service much better at the Grand Hyatt when which we visited while at the Plaza Indonesia.

POOL/SPA/HEALTHCLUB: We liked the pool, the bales at the far end are most pleasant, the attendants were highly attentive and the complimentary bottled water, wet hand-towels, mango puree shooters and fruit were greatly appreciated and enjoyed. The spa facilities contain a relaxation area with seating, beverages, TV, and some reading materials. There is a whirlpool, cold plunge pool and a steam room and dry sauna. Robes, slippers, towels and bottled water are either in the locker or provided throughout the facility. The facilities were never busy. Overall, we enjoyed the use of the locker/spa areas, but the facilities are looking very old and tired. The relaxation area seating could be more relaxing if the seating had ottomans to rest one’s legs on. The area seemed overly sparse, cold, too dimly lit so was rather uninviting. The spa massage rooms are large and nicely furnished with glassed showers. The massage was very good and one of the top two I had of many on our entire trip. The personnel at the spa desk are not very warm and seem to be wary of everyone that enters the facility which gives off an impression that they are always on guard for an imposter guest or that you are trying to get past without paying. I had the same type of interaction with the same spa desk personnel on multiple visits so there was certainly no guest recognition here! Although we meant to we did not use the fitness center, but it seemed to be of a sufficient size and had all the needed and standard equipment.

CHECK-OUT: Well, we could have been at any generic hotel front desk as the clerk’s main focus was to ensure we confessed our mini-bar use so she could add the charges. There was no attempt made to make us feel like valued guests that the hotel wanted to see return. On top of that, the guest information literature stated that there were complimentary local calls. So, we were not pleased to see local calls on our billing statement. We were even more disappointed to learn that calls to local cell phone numbers do not qualify for complimentary local calls. It would be a better service if the literature pointed this fact out. It is not that such charging did not make sense to us. It was that we never predicated that calling a local person’s cell could be considered long-distance. Notification of this fact would be a service to the guest.

OVERALL: This Ritz was the pits! The huge marble lobby is most uninviting and there is nothing in the lobby area that is warm and welcoming. It is indicative of the overall service and product level of this Ritz-Carlton.