I must preface this review by saying this was my first visit to a Ritz-Carlton (Destination Club, specifically), and my first at Northstar - and I have nothing to say but fantastic things about both! This resort is perched on the side of the mountain, so it has been designed to be "ski-in, ski-out" for avid snowboarders & skiers - very convenient, and the placement of the resort is perfect in regard to mountain views and the ski slope (and access on snow to the lifts at Northstar). The Highlands gondola is literally 20 steps out the door of the Club, so very convenient to take the 8-10 minute ride down into the Northstar Village (also an incredible place, see review for the Tahoe Mountain Club), go ice skating, shopping or get on the lift and go ski/snowboarding/tubing, etc.
The Ritz-Carlton is a luxury resort like no other I have seen (the Hyatt is very nice in Incline Village, but this is a whole different class), and the architecture is breathtaking! I have stayed at other Ritz properties around the US, but this location is truly amazing in every detail, and a sight for sore eyes! The Destination Club is the fractional ownership portion of Ritz-Carlton brand, and therefore is built as a separate building connected to the main hotel by a heated sky bridge, or on foot in about 50 steps. It has a dedicated concierge staff, Valet staff...I must preface this review by saying this was my first visit to a Ritz-Carlton (Destination Club, specifically), and my first at Northstar - and I have nothing to say but fantastic things about both! This resort is perched on the side of the mountain, so it has been designed to be "ski-in, ski-out" for avid snowboarders & skiers - very convenient, and the placement of the resort is perfect in regard to mountain views and the ski slope (and access on snow to the lifts at Northstar). The Highlands gondola is literally 20 steps out the door of the Club, so very convenient to take the 8-10 minute ride down into the Northstar Village (also an incredible place, see review for the Tahoe Mountain Club), go ice skating, shopping or get on the lift and go ski/snowboarding/tubing, etc.
The Ritz-Carlton is a luxury resort like no other I have seen (the Hyatt is very nice in Incline Village, but this is a whole different class), and the architecture is breathtaking! I have stayed at other Ritz properties around the US, but this location is truly amazing in every detail, and a sight for sore eyes! The Destination Club is the fractional ownership portion of Ritz-Carlton brand, and therefore is built as a separate building connected to the main hotel by a heated sky bridge, or on foot in about 50 steps. It has a dedicated concierge staff, Valet staff and management team - I must say every single employee I met during my 5 days there was so fantastic, their attitude helped me decide to sign a contract that was pending prior to my visit (for another Ritz Destination Club location in St. Thomas). Anne, Heather & Carmen are the Concierge staff who meet you at the front door, so from check-in to departure, and anything you would like during your stay, they will help you with a smile, and are super friendly! Zac was the Bellman/Valet that took my vehicle into the private parking area when I arrived, I told him I had picked up some groceries on my way in & they needed to be in the refrigerator if the unit wasn't ready (I was early) - so he parked the car, took all of my luggage & groceries up to the unit while I went exploring the hotel side, and Anne called me about 30 minutes later to say everything was ready - was it ever! Zac had put all of the groceries in the refrigerator, and the dry goods into the pantry, put my suitcase away & hung my jackets up! I told him I own another property in Cabo that includes a Butler, and had never had such a great experience even with him before - felt like a king! Heather & Anne were so nice to deal with the entire time, and I had a chance to interact with both Eric & Michelle for a few minutes during my stay, both of which were very pleasant. I give you all a 5 1/2 star rating & thank you all for making me feel at home during my first Ritz-Carlton Club experience!
So on to the experience - as a guest of the Club, you are entitled to almost every amenity the resort has to offer, so full access to the Spa, swimming pool & outdoor whirlpool (both amazing overlooking the ski slopes, and perfectly heated!), the outdoor social areas and every restaurant & bar in the hotel, all of which are spectacular! Due to the weather (50 degrees and raining for the first 2 days), the "Backyard BBQ" was closed - my only disappointment during the stay - but as the name implies, it is completely outdoors, and wouldn't have been much fun in the rain! There are more gas fire pits & fire features spread around both inside & out, you can run from one to the next without getting even a chill, and very relaxing to sit next to and relax (I even bought a little one for my backyard upon returning home to Ft. Lauderdale!). Inside, the lobby is one of the most breathtaking architectural designs I've ever seen in a modern structure, and probably the most astounding use of wooden beams ever - so you can sit by one of 5 - 6 fireplaces in a comfortable chair and have full bar service (and delicious food) served to you in your seat, or the lobby bar has 15 or so stools if you prefer. I must commend the bartender Matt who gave exceptional service and was great to talk beer & football with! He made great recommendations on wine, and was friendly & super-efficient. The food & beverage at the resort are not inexpensive, a beer was roughly $10 with a gratuity, and the food was similarly expensive but very good - the Manzanita restaurant is a superbly designed restaurant just off of the lobby, giant glass wine cellar as you walk in, more fire features to keep you warm, and an incredible bar in the center with more friendly bartenders! Again, food was delicious & happy hour is from 4-5PM daily - so when you get off the slopes from a long day of skiing/boarding, this is a perfect place to go unwind!
The first morning of my stay, I woke up feeling a bit run over, so I asked Anne if I could use the outdoor whirlpool at the hotel, and she told me to either go there if I wanted to sit in the hot water in the rain, or otherwise to wait until 9AM and go to the spa - I was needing some instant relief, so put on my snow pants & walked over the sky bridge into the hotel lobby (about a 5-minute walk to the lobby/spa/stores/outside pool/gym). As I entered the main lobby, I was greeted by a very sharply-dressed gentleman by the name of Mr. Martins, who I stopped to ask directions to the outdoor whirlpool - so instead of pointing me in the right direction, he stopped what he was doing, and not only walked me to the area, but turned the jets on & picked up a coffee cup - in the rain, wearing a perfectly pressed suit! Once again, I was overwhelmed with his dedication and being so friendly - this is obviously a hallmark of what Ritz-Carlton is all about, and every single employee I met fit this mold!
A few other things to mention - as a member of the Club, a pair of passes are issued to you for the Tahoe Mountain Club, which is down the Highlands gondola (included in your membership), and was recommended by concierge Anne as a great place to eat, and another incredible piece of architecture! It is located as you enter the Northstar Village development, a short walk from the gondola station (I'd say 5 minutes max). Again, this is a private club, so you have to show your pass when you sit down - great advantage to that is the amount of patrons in the restaurant is limited and a very pleasant place to eat & drink - in a relaxing atmosphere. Again, more friendly faces and great food, Ryan was my bartender/server at lunch, and was fun to talk to (I was alone). The shopping here was dead the afternoon I visited, due to the weather - so I wanted to make a few purchases, most of which were on sale - the stores are all upscale, and many other restaurants to chose from, ranging in price from inexpensive to upscale dining (Tavern 6300), but delicious eats! Lots of people ice skating on the lower level, more fire pits to keep you warm & things to keep you entertained day or evening at this small but beautiful little town.
My experience at the Ritz-Carlton Club has redefined what I expect in a luxury resort, I own many other "5-Star" properties around the world, and although I have spent most of my retirement on these homes/residences/villas, I will now expect more from them and will make certain that the management teams come to this location to find out what 5-stars really means! Thank you all for a very pleasant vacation! TomasitoMore
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