We stayed at the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey, which wasn’t a bad stay but we found ourselves asking the question on whether it’s worth the cost.

Booking the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey

We had a Marriott 85k free night certificate to use from her Ritz Carlton credit card. Well, that’s not exactly true–we downgraded her card a couple of years ago to the no annual fee version (Marriott Bonvoy Bold), but she continues to get the 85k free night certificate. Last year, we used it at the fun Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance (the most expensive Courtyard we’ve stayed in). I’m certainly not going to complain the system glitched to our benefit.

Anyways, we needed a one-night staycation. Our best option was to use it at the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey. While we used the 85k free night certificate here, the stay on this Saturday night was only 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. While we could have used a 50k free night certificate and topped off with 10,000 points, the point of the stay was to use the expiring 85k certificate.

Alternatively, the refundable nightly rate at the hotel was about $500 if using cash. That implies a points valuation of ~0.083 cents/point. That’s less than my valuation of Marriott points, suggesting that it’s better to not use points and instead pay cash. But would it be worth it to pay $500/night here? That’s the question I try to answer in this post.

Destination fee

Is it any surprise this hotel has a daily destination fee? It’s a $40 fee (plus tax) that includes the following:

• $20 food and beverage credit
• Enhanced Wi-Fi
• One-hour walking tour for two (kids are welcome to join despite the stated limit of two)
• One-hour pickleball court rental with equipment

It seems a bit generous of the hotel to call the pickleball rental a “$65 value”. Even if you call the $20 food and beverage credit equal to $20 in value, does the rest count as a $20 nightly value? Not in our view.

Earning Marriott Bonvoy points

If you’re looking to earn Marriott points quickly, you could look into picking up a Marriott credit card. Both Chase and American Express offer Marriott credit cards.

Full disclosure: the link below is a standard refer-a-friend links where I may earn some Marriott points for referring. There is no requirement to use the below referral links to apply but note your offer may differ when going directly to the card issuer.

Chase offers the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful credit card that gives a sign up bonus of 85,000 Marriott points for spending $4,000 in the first three months for a $250 annual fee.

Or you can turn your eyes to American Express:

• The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy (not an affiliate link) offers 85,000 Marriott points for $5,000 spend in the first six months for a $250 annual fee.
• The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant (not an affiliate link) offers 100,000 Marriott points for $6,000 spend in the first six months. It also comes with instant Platinum status but with a higher annual fee ($650).

Since Amex credit cards are generally one-in-a-lifetime, it might be worth waiting for a better deal to come by.

First impressions of the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey

We arrived at the Ritz Carlton in the afternoon at around 4:20PM. Since we were checking in on a Saturday, it wasn’t crowded at the front desk or anywhere in the hotel for that matter.

Valet is quite expensive at $65/night for guests. That’s pretty painful on a free night stay. It almost would have been cheaper for us to Uber here and back. We likely would have done that if staying multiple nights instead of paying this fee.

The lobby had simple decorations but still looked nice. I liked the way the ceiling gradually recessed above the display on the floor.

While I had Titanium status, Jenn was the one to check in, and she only has Marriott Gold status. It’s not like my status would give that many more benefits over what she got since we’re at a Ritz Carlton. At least the front desk proactively offered a 2PM late checkout to us, which is great when we don’t need to fight for it.

They also saw that our kids were with us and wheeled out a large sailboat full of toys. That’s cute, especially since the hotel sits right on the marina, so the theming is on point.

The kids wanted to show off their toys. Char got a squishy toy that has a belly that pokes out when squeezed.

Alex chose a skill toy that he played with extensively during this stay.

The room

Our room for this stay was 925, up on the ninth floor.

Bedroom

Our room for this stay was a bedroom with two double beds. The beds were quite comfortable and each had plenty of pillows. The decor within the room was simple but elegant. We found the beds to have a good balance between firmness and softness.

Across from the beds was a small TV. This was probably the least attractive feature in the room given how small it seemed compared to everything else in the room. But we didn’t use it during our stay, so I guess it’s no harm, no foul.

Next to the TV is the desk, which isn’t compatible with optical mice. So many hotels have a desk that just doesn’t work with modern mice…

Next to the beds is a small lounging chair. The kids found it to be a good chair for sitting back and reading.

In between the beds is a small table that housed a clock, the phone, and two bottles of water.

Also available in the room is a mini-fridge, which is always handy to have available.

The view from the room is of the marina and the pickleball courts at the hotel. If you happen to be here during a wedding, you can practically watch and hear the whole ceremony from your room. Thankfully, when the party moves to the reception and dinner, you won’t hear it anymore.

The bathroom

The bathroom is pretty simple. There is a back-lit mirror and vanity in one corner of the bathroom.

The other corner has a bathtub with a shower curtain. Personally, I’d prefer just a shower with a glass door as I think that looks more elegant for a luxury hotel.

Toiletries are from Diptyque, a pretty good brand.

Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey amenities

Fitness center

On the ground floor of the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey, you’ll find the fitness center and spa. We didn’t use the spa during this stay, but the fitness center is pretty nice. There is plenty of natural lighting and a nice variety of machines. It never seemed too crowded in here, but maybe we were just lucky when here.

If you don’t want to use the treadmills, there are plenty of free weights available to use too.

Should you need more bottled water, just head over to the fitness center to get more.

Pool

The pool is open from 7AM to 10PM but it seemed like towels disappear starting around 7PM. If you need towels, your best bet is to go to the fitness center bathroom. They are actually the same towels as those normally available at the pool.

We found the pool can feel a bit cold in the morning with the marine layer, even in the summer. It is mildly heated.

In the back is a hot tub, where Char forced me to hang out in the evening. I have to say it’s quite strange to be using this hot tub when a wedding is going on. They’re having a big celebration with a crowd looking at the lovely couple. Meanwhile, this hot tub is stationed in a spot where all guests can see us walk by in our swimsuits. It makes me just a little self-conscious.

And if you need it, there is water and sunscreen available.

Guided tour of the area

We chose to take the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey up on their walking tour. We needed to meet up in the lobby at 8:45AM and wait for our tour guide. There was no reservation needed.

Right at 9AM, we met Justin, the tour guide for the day and knowledgeable of the area. Then, we just headed down a flight of stairs and walked around the marina.

If you wanted a rough idea of the path we took, you’ll see it below. We walked from the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey, past the Trader Joe’s, and over to Burton Chace Park.

Justin described the marina, pointed out Howie Mandel’s boat docked near the Ritz, and called out anything else notable along the way.

He took us over to the Warehouse Restaurant, which was one of the oldest restaurants in the area. He clearly knows the people in that restaurant, as workers held the door open for him despite the restaurant being closed when we were there.

It’s certainly a uniquely decorated restaurant inside. Too bad we didn’t get a chance to check it out on this trip. We’ll have to consider a return here another time.

Just outside the entrance is a large koi pond. He handed us some food to feed the koi, which the kids enjoyed.

Along the way, we saw a stingray and a couple of sea lions. I should also point out that a couple of people interrupted the tour to complain while Justin gave the tour. The interrupters yelled about taxes or how native land was given away by a coin toss. It would probably scare someone who wasn’t used to ranting but it didn’t bother us.

Overall, not a bad tour. It’s not a tour we’d want to do every day, but for our one-night stay, it worked.

Dinner at Cast & Plow

We arrived with intentions of dining elsewhere, but the kids were antsy and so we chose to take the easy path and eat at the hotel. Cast & Plow is the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey’s full-service restaurant. The decor at Cast & Plow makes you feel at home.

Thankfully, it was a quick wait before getting seated. Reservations were not required.

Soon enough, we were seated outdoors with a nice view of the marina.

The menu

Drinks

I ordered the Whiskey and Wild (bourbon, maple syrup, bitters), which was pretty tasty. Jenn ordered a Sunset Breeze (blackberries, lemon juice, ginger syrup, non-alcoholic) and it was on the sweeter side.

Food

Unfortunately, service was a tad slow for dinner. But what the service lacked in speed, it made up for with taste. I ordered the curry falafel, which was actually not dry at all. The dish had plenty of flavor and the sauces served quite well to bind it all together.

Jenn’s scallops were fine but, personally, I thought the sauce on it was a bit strong. I wouldn’t prefer a whole meal out of it. Jenn thought it was fine (though perhaps not fully worth the $52 price tag).

Char ordered the mac and cheese from the kids meal. It’s a delicious mac and cheese that is more of a guilty pleasure. The richness helps make up for how little there is of the noodles in the bowl. Char always likes adding in fruit to accompany her meals.

Alex ordered the kids steak and fries. The steak was cooked perfectly and plenty tender. He was a big fan of this meal.

For dessert, we just opted for items off the kids menu. First up was the house-made cookie. For $6, it’s a bit overpriced. It would have been nicer if they gave two cookies, but what do you expect? It’s a an expensive restaurant attached to an expensive hotel.

We also ordered some strawberry and chocolate ice cream, which came with fresh fruits and a pretty wafer. Again, probably not worth the $16 for this dessert, but it was more filling than the cookie.

In total, it cost us just north of $200 after tax but before tip and before the $20 food and beverage credit applied. A bit expensive but we weren’t surprised by the final bill.

Breakfast at Cast & Plow

In the morning, we again decided to keep things easy since we were planning to take the morning tour.

Breakfast menu

There is a kids menu for breakfast, but it’s the same menu as above in the dinner section. For the sake of not posting the same image twice, I’ll just refer you to scroll up to see the kids breakfast menu.

The food at breakfast

Let’s start with the kids meals we ordered. First up is what Char ordered: the steel cut oatmeal. It’s a simple dish and exactly what you would expect it to be.

Alex ordered the silver dollar pancakes that were a bit larger than we thought they would be. It came with some berries and whipped cream on the side.

Jenn ordered the marina breakfast, which was the standard two-egg breakfast. What a world we live in where two eggs, toast, meat, and potatoes costs $37. At least it was cooked well and delicious!

Lastly, I ordered the strawberry streusel “pan” cake, which was a bit too sweet. It had plenty of strawberries, which made Char change her mind on what she wanted to eat. The rule of thumb states that whomever has the most fruit on their plate is the plate she will eat from.

In total, it was over $100 for breakfast. Again, we weren’t surprised when seeing the bill. If we wanted to save money, we would have just gone to McDonald’s.

Recommendation of the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey: Not worth the cash price

So, when you take it all together, the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey sure charges rates consistent with a luxury property. The nightly rate is high, the meal costs are elevated, and the valet parking charge is painful. What do you get in return? A room that’s nice but didn’t truly feel luxurious, some service that was generally good but slow during meals, and a nice walking tour. If paying cash, we certainly wouldn’t have been satisfied with the stay.

But what about on a free night certificate? Can you really call it a ‘free night’ when we have to pay $65 for valet, $40 for the destination fee, and then food costs on top? Even if you throw out the price of food, it’s over $100 for us to stay here for “free”. It could be worth it, but I think if we didn’t get a chance to use the walking tour, we would definitely say it’s not worth it. As it stands, we’re on the fence about our stay. This definitely didn’t feel like other more memorable stays we’ve had at Ritz Carltons in the past.

Have you stayed at the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey before?

Suggested reading:

• Everything You Need to Know About Marriott Lifetime Elite Status
• Review: The Ritz Carlton Maldives, Part 4 – Kids Club
• The Value of a Marriott Bonvoy Elite Night