Luxury In Perth: The Ritz Carlton Perth Review
It’s great to see the Ritz Carlton brand returning to Australia with a grand debut in Perth. Yet another outstanding hotel but some service aspects can and should be improved.
Flight Hacks Readers Exclusive: When you book Ritz Carlton via our Virtuoso partner link you will receive the following benefits free of charge at Ritz Carlton Perth:
- US$100 food & beverage credit
- Free breakfast for 2 people
- Free upgrades (based on availability)
- Early check-in and late check out (based on availability)
- You will still earn Marriott Bonvoy status credits and points as well!
- No up-front payment required; pay when you check-out.
- To book click this link and make a free account. A dedicated Virtuoso agent will look after your VIP booking at no cost to you!
While Perth gets mocked on the east coast for being “boring” and in the middle of nowhere, when it comes to hotels, Perth is leading the way!
When was the last time you got excited booking a dated and overpriced room in Melbourne or Sydney (Brisbane isn’t doing bad either with their hotels)?
Sure; Sydney has got the Park Hyatt… where a base room will set you back $1200 per night! And Melbourne…Melbourne currently has the saddest hotel scene — which is set to change, but for the time being, all the action is in Perth!
Let’s get into The Ritz Carlton Perth review!
The Ritz Carlton Perth opened its doors back in November, and it’s currently the only Ritz Carlton property in Australia (further hotels are planned for Sydney and Melbourne). The hotel is located right on the water in the newly developed Elizabeth Quay, and it looks stunning!
The focus of the hotel is local art, produce and design, making it a uniquely Western Australian luxury destination.
Booking Ritz Carlton Perth
Since Ritz Carlton is a Marriott brand, those collecting Bonvoy points can redeem them for a stay at this property. Off-peak will set you back 50,000 points while peak dates are charged at 60,000 points per night.
Click here to check the best room rates
When rates are over $600 I would go for points, but for my particular dates the cheapest room was going for around $350, so in this case it’s better to pay cash.
As always, I recommend getting a few prices via travel agents that have access to speciality programs. In this case, Ritz Carlton is part of the “Marriott Stars” program which is exclusive to select travel agents.
Marriott Stars Benefits
- Complimentary full or continental breakfast daily for up to two people per room ( we received both for some reason)
- Hotel credit valued of 100USD (AU$140)
- In-person welcome (no idea what that is supposed to mean!)
- Personalised welcome amenity and note (we received a bottle of Prosecco and some fruit)
For my particular dates, the cheapest rate including Club access was $399; which was less expensive than the direct club room rates + we would receive the additional benefits which work out to around $200 worth of value if you plan to pay for breakfast otherwise.
Of course, when you book through Marriott Stars, you also earn points and status nights as per usual.
Checking In
When we arrived early around 1 PM, we were informed that our room wasn’t quite ready yet but were invited to wait at the club lounge and enjoy a few drinks first. The day before our arrival, I got to work trying to secure my Bonvoy Platinum suite upgrade.
Platinum members should be offered suite upgrades proactively, however from personal experience this hardly ever happens in Australia, so it’s better to “work for it”.
Thanks to a great tip from my friend Rick and Canadian blogger (Prince of Travel), I learned he had an unbeaten track record of securing upgrades before arrival by using the in-app chat feature.
It works because you’re messaging a real person at the front desk who won’t be able to respond with cookie-cutter BS (which is what you get when emailing hotels). Having the chat feature is a great way to have a natural conversation with the staff before arriving and make your wishes for an upgrade clear.
All suites were still available for bookings, so I managed to get a confirmed upgrade from the base room to a suite with a view over Langley Park. Club suites go for around $1000 to $1200 per night — a huge and welcome upgrade!
The Room: Langley Park Suite
The suite is spacious and clocks in at 103sqm with a separate bedroom, living room/dining area and spacious bathroom (with a separate toilet in the lounge).
The suite is tastefully decorated and exudes luxury. The king bed is comfortable, and pillows are fantastic (with a pillow menu on offer for those that need it).
The bathroom features a luggage storage area, double vanity and a huge soaking tub and shower.
Ritz Carlton Value For Money? No.
Is the Ritz Carlton Suite value for money? I don’t think so, and here’s why:
The Westin Perth, just a few blocks down the road, has suites of 115sqm which look just as nice but the price is substantially lower and often can be had for $450 per night! Sure, the Ritz Carlton bed is better and at least there’s a selection of pillows, but in terms of value, you can’t beat the Westin Suites.
The Ritz Carlton Perth Club Lounge
The Ritz Carlton Perth has a dedicated Club lounge, so I paid extra to check it out. Short verdict? It’s absolutely worth it! The lounge is open throughout the day and serves afternoon tea/drinks, and premium cocktails and spirits from 5–8 PM followed by cordials from 8–10 PM.
Cocktails on offer are 2 of my favourites the old fashioned and Negroni. Considering Club access is around $100 extra for 2 people, you will definitely get value out of it.
Service in the Club lounge was outstanding, but the food was somewhat average and a bit limited with a selection of cold cuts, cheeses and tacos (which seemed random).
Hearth Restaurant
After enjoying the drinks and excellent service at the Club lounge, we headed downstairs to check out the restaurant “Hearth” which is managed by the former chef of award-winning Wild Flower at The Como.
Unfortunately the service there was non-existent. We arrived at 9:10 PM and were told without any greeting “kitchen’s closed”. When I pointed out that it’s listed open until 9:30 PM the staff member changed the story and told us “oh actually, we’re fully booked”. Which also wasn’t the case since there were many tables left.
This kind of service is why Australian “luxury” hotels are miles behind the rest of the world. And while it’s the typical lazy response you might expect from an average restaurant…I would hope Ritz Carlton has higher standards and should probably look at employing more hospitality professionals instead of people who have zero interest in being there.
When we returned for breakfast the following morning, I finally got a look at the restaurant, which is also stunning, and the a-la-carte breakfast was delicious.
Rooftop Bar & Pool
Unlike the Westin, Ritz Carlton has a managed pool area which means you can order drinks poolside and there is staff on had to make sure the place doesn’t turn into a tip. Nice.
The pool overlooks Elizabeth Quay, and although it’s an infinity pool, Australian nanny laws make sure there’s a rather ugly and dirty glass screen at the edge to prevent any `natural selection’ from occurring.
Next to the pool is the Rooftop bar (accessible to the public) called Songbird, it’s a great spot even if you’re not staying, so well worth checking out.
Ritz Carlton Spa & Gym
We used some of our Marriott Stars credit to try out the spa treatments. Just like the rest of the hotel, the spa is equally beautiful with spacious treatment rooms, sauna and outdoor hot tubs.
The hot tub and sauna are accessible to all guests, and there’s no need to pay.
On the same level is a fully equipped gym with plenty of equipment and weights to offset all your calorie consumption during your stay.
Ritz Carlton Perth Conclusion
The new Ritz Carlton is a fantastic new addition to the Perth hotel scene and will definitely help to bring some life to the Elizabeth Quay area. I will look at staying again, but for now, some of the room types remain overpriced. That said, is it worth a staycation? 100%!
