Great Labor Day weekend package

I wanted a nice place to take my wife to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We're from close-by in Illinois, and I wanted a nice romantic hotel not in downtown STL. I also didn't want to take the chance of having a kids sports team or convention swarming the hotel and making a racket. The Ritz was the perfect choice--in an upscale part of town with great restaurants close by (we went to Morton's Steak House--awesome!). The hotel decor is haughty, but the rooms are simply decorated and very comfortable. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The best part was the Labor Day getaway package that the hotel was offering. A room, two 1/2 hour massages, and breakfast (in room, or in the restaurant) all for $229. Priced individually, it would have cost us about $380. The area surrounding the hotel is under construction, but we never heard any work going on.

Just OK for a Ritz Carlton

The good: the location in Clayton was actually very nice. Ten minute drive to the airport, ten minutes to the Fox Theater, five minutes or so to two malls (one nice, one upscale). The room was clean and the view of the Arch was great. The breakfast (dining room) and lunch (bar) and room service (ordered off the menu) were all good. Service was generally good.

The not so good: I was checked in by a new employee and she was not given much assistance - got my room rate wrong - and did not confirm it with me. The room, on the club floor, did not have a separate shower - unusual for a new hotel. The large lobby bar, with a small band on the weekends, is a neighborhood meeting place for young adults - and the crowd of cigar smokers was overwhelming. I called to confirm the day prior to my arrival that the hotel had a hot tub - and was told yes. Unfortunately it was broke my entire stay, a part was ordered three weeks prior - and I was continually lied to about the status of the repairs. Finally, as I was about to check out I was told that they could turn the hot tub on from a master switch in the basement, which they would do now - too late for me. The attendant asked for my name and said a manager would be in touch - never happened.

The unfortunate - there was a small fire that caused the evacuation of the hotel in the early morning - walked down 17 floors. There was no real communication from the hotel other to evacuate - and I felt that the hotel should have "bought breakfast" for the inconvenience.

The Best in St. Louis

I have stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Clayton on 3 occasions. Each time I have been pleasantly surprised at their attention to detail. They truly welcome each and every guest and provide the level of service you expect from a Ritz Carlton. The location in Clayton is superb, very centrally located in St. Louis (10 minutes from everywhere) and within walking distance to endless dining options. The rooms are plush, spacious and their best features are the balcony and bed. The beds are so good, I found out through their gift shop that you can purchase their mattresses and down bedding through their website. Highly recommend for business or pleasure!

Two stays and will return

I'm a bit tardy in writing this review. We've stayed at the Ritz twice; October 2002 and February 2004. No, it is not located in a fascinating location, but we were in St. Louis to visit our son, who attends Washington University. For us, the location is perfect. On our second stay we were inexplicably upgraded to the concierge level. I say inexplicably because I had snared a bargain internet rate of $139 per night. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed the many different food "presentations" on the concierge leve. The staff graciously ignored our son, the ravenous college student, who also enjoyed the food "presentations". Our rooms have been spacious, but the bathrooms are not up to Four Seasons quality. The hotel is one of the "in spots" for the young professionals working in Clayton. The bar and lobby area are filled with these folks on Friday evenings. We are old "fogies" but we enjoyed the "scene".

Nice, But Not Spectacular

The hotel is really beautiful, especially if you're into victorian interior design. Very pretty. We were disappointed, though, in the fact that they didn't offer wireless internet access in the rooms. They have wired access, but for some reason, there's an additional fee to use it. Granted, if you can afford to stay at the Ritz, you can afford to pay the fee. But we chose the Ritz after we had seen advertisements for several less expensive hotels that seemed to be light-years ahead of the Ritz in terms of technical amenities. The room was spacious, and the balcony was very nice. Our view was of a highway that's under construction, and we did hear some construction noise in the morning, but it was still very nice. I enjoyed seeing the St. Louis skyline, including the Arch, in the distance. Not really what we expected from a Ritz, but still an enjoyable stay.

Very Luxurious

Date of Stay: Oct. 9-10

The St. Louis Ritz Carlton does live up to the Ritz reputation. The lobby is beautiful, and the dining room, lovely. We reserved the Executive Suite with the Bed and Breakfast package. The B&B includes 30.00 credit in the dining room (or Amer breakfast in room) and complimentary valet parking. The room was ridiculously large (At 1060 square feet, it was 250 larger than my first apartment). It had 1 1/2 bathrooms, a separate bedroom, 2 (very small) balconies, a living area and 3 desks. Not to mention lots of closet space. I felt the decor was a little blah in our room, but it was very nice just the same. It was my sister's birthday, so they sent up tuxedo strawberries in the evening.

The breakfast was wonderful in the dining room. It was a huge buffet. The pool is 3', and is really only for small children or lap swimmers. There is a well equipped fitness room and weight room. In the morning they have coffee or OJ, and later in the day they have cucumber, orange or lemon water. Fun! It is located very close to the Galleria mall, but it is tucked back on a cul-de-sac. Keep your eyes peeled, it's there. This was my second stay at the Clayton Ritz, and I highly recommend it.

Excellent hotel/strange location

Stayed one night here and wanted to stay longer. The room was spacious and loved the balcony (even though it looked out over ugly construction). Room service was delicious and not terribly expensive. The staff was a joy. So many incredibly helpful people. They even provided us with a phone charger. Gorgeous lobby. Very comfortable bed. Can't wait to go back.

Lovely hotel

The actual hotel is situated on a quiet elegant crescent. The main floor is beautiful, rooms are a nice size, beds very comfortable, spacious marble bathrooms. Staff could be better trained and more accessible. They seem a little inexperienced but nice. If you want a luxurious, relaxing vacation, away from noise and bother stay here. It was well worth it.

Ritz.. Overrated

Stayed here for an enjoyable evening. Ate @ Cardwells, which is wonderful.

No one from the Ritz offered to carry our bags. Hotel was VERY, VERY loud in the hallways, screaming kids, drunk adults.. lobby was the place to be, if you are a snob..

Have stayed at many hotels all over the world and Ritz usually delivers. However, this location in Clayton, MO is nothing special. It seems like an apartment building with panoramic views of... a highway. Also, our non-smoking room had a glass upon arrival, half-filled with wine on the small balcony.. it had cigarette butts left in it, presumably from the night (week??) before. Disgusting.

People who stay at this Ritz mustn't realize there are far better hotels in the area, such as the Omni Majestic downtown... and others. Highly overrated, woken several times throughout the night by screaming people... no one carried our bags INTO the hotel.. quite ignorant. I threw them down onto the lobby area to get their attention (it worked).

Slightly wacky setting for a Ritz, but a beautiful hotel

Set in the middle of what looks like condominiums and office buildings, the Ritz doesn't look particularly, well, _ritzy_ from the outside. Inside, however, it's gorgeous. The lobby is lovely, and the rooms are spacious and luxurious in a modern, plush sort of way. (Frette linens, etc.) We were an easy drive from the downtown attractions and an even easier drive to the campus of Washington University. One mild complaint: what is the deal with the selection of cable tv channels? No CNN but FOUR religious programming channels, the Nascar Network, and every home shopping channel known to man? That's very bizarre in a luxury hotel.