An OMAAT reader shared a frustrating Ritz-Carlton experience with me, and unfortunately my take on this is likely pretty cynical…
In this post:
Ritz-Carlton Jakarta provides poor service recovery
Marriott Bonvoy Titanium member Scott completed an 18-night stay at the Ritz-Carlton Jakarta Mega Kuningan, in Indonesia.
Scott had a variety of service failures during his stay, ranging from a lack of reliable hot water, to poor room maintenance, to seeing vomit on the club lounge floor, to a lobby security incident involving a prostitute, to repeated failures to address the problems.
While Scott tried to get a resolution to this early in the stay, the hotel did a poor job being responsive and addressing his issues. In an email from the general manager, she acknowledged that the property “had dropped the balls” (just quoting here) and “there were no excuses.”
What’s interesting is what the hotel was and wasn’t willing to offer the guest. A few days before check-out, in an email, the rooms division manager wrote the following:
“As you have gone through series of inconvenience, I would like to offer you a 120 minute treatment at our SPA and would like to invite you for a nice meal at either of our restaurant at hotel. I am afraid that monetary compensations in form of cash or points are not authorized at our property, but in terms of services, you may request for anything and I will make all the arrangements.”
Scott claims he didn’t have time in his schedule for the short remainder of his stay to get a massage or have an on-property meal, which is why he requested points as compensation. In correspondence with the general manager after the stay, she reiterated that stance, offering an upgrade on the next stay, and a spa experience, but no points:
“It would be our pleasure to welcome you back and provide you with the level of care and hospitality you deserve. As a gesture of goodwill, we remain on our offer of a complimentary upgrade during your next visit as well as a spa experience.”
After getting Marriott consumer affairs involved, they said they couldn’t compel the hotel to actually offer anything additional. It does seem consumer affairs was eventually willing to offer 40,000 Bonvoy points as compensation (Marriott corporate, not the hotel), which Scott points out isn’t even enough points for half a night in the room he stayed. Corporate also indicated that they considered the case closed, and any further correspondence would be routed to the same contact. As Scott concludes:
“The result is a Ritz-Carlton property that can acknowledge significant multi-week service failures, including a serious security incident, while simultaneously maintaining that it is structurally unable to provide meaningful compensation because ownership policy prevents it, with Marriott corporate apparently unwilling to override that limitation in any meaningful way.”
“Ritz-Carlton heavily markets its employee empowerment philosophy, the well-known principle allowing employees to spend up to $2,000 per guest incident to resolve problems without managerial approval. Yet in this case, management stated in writing that no points or monetary compensation could be offered under any circumstances.”
My take on this Ritz-Carlton compensation situation
Let me of course acknowledge that we only have one side of the story, though Scott has shared all of the written correspondence with me, so I at least know that all of the communication is accurate.
I obviously didn’t experience his issues firsthand, but the general manager does acknowledge that they dropped the ball, and that there were no excuses, so I’d take her at her word. I also don’t necessarily have an issue with hotels wanting to resolve things on property when possible, though it sounds like they should’ve made these offers earlier in his stay.
But what I absolutely find ridiculous is the claim that a manager at a Ritz-Carlton doesn’t have any ability to award points or other forms of off-property compensation. That just seems incredibly weak. Scott is right that Ritz-Carlton used to have a philosophy whereby any employee can spend $2,000 to make things right for a guest, but I don’t believe that exists anymore.
Now this gets to my cynicism — seriously, what do you really expect from a hotel brand that belongs to Marriott? Look, there are some hotels that are good in spite of being associated with Marriott, and I stay with the brand all the time. But broadly speaking, Marriott is in the room count and commission business, and not in the hospitality business.
While some Ritz-Carlton properties are good, the base standards, and what you can reliably count on, have fallen a lot over the years. Nowadays a Ritz-Carlton can basically be a Sheraton, but with turndown service and a minibar.
Should Marriott corporate do better? Of course. Am I surprised Marriott corporate didn’t do better? Of course not. I’m as guilty of this as anyone, but we just have to realize that Marriott is not a customer service oriented company, and we need to stop lying to ourselves and pretending the reality is anything else.
Marriott is better than any other brand at creating “points farms,” properties where managers clearly know that guests will come back due to the loyalty program, even if the guest experience and value isn’t otherwise there.
It’s funny to listen to Ritz-Carlton founder Horst Schulze talk about the exceptional experience the brand delivers, as his impression seems to be based on a reality that maybe existed decades ago.
Bottom line
A Marriott Bonvoy Titanium member had a frustrating experience at the Ritz-Carlton Jakarta on an 18-night stay. There were multiple failures, and then hotel management did a poor job actually addressing those.
What’s interesting is that they only offered some sort of goodwill gesture at the very end of the stay, for a spa treatment and meal, but at that point the guest didn’t have enough time to enjoy those. One of the managers claimed staff aren’t “authorized” to award points or other comparable compensation. So much for the concept of empowering employees to take care of customers!
Unsurprisingly, Marriott corporate wasn’t able to compel the hotel to act differently, though did throw in a (relatively) small number of points. Disappointing as it is, I can’t say that I’m surprised by all of this.
What do you make of this Ritz-Carlton customer service situation?
First, any Marriot product is second class and should be avoided whenever possible. A stay at the La Posada in Sante Fe NM last fall (another Marriott property) was appalling: failure to honor a breakfast included package despite evidence, terrible slow restaurant service and food. Poor or no daily cleaning. Closed spa and jacuzzi, etc, never again. The experiences described in Jakarta sound about tight for the degraded Ritz-Carlton name. Also, who in their right...
First, any Marriot product is second class and should be avoided whenever possible. A stay at the La Posada in Sante Fe NM last fall (another Marriott property) was appalling: failure to honor a breakfast included package despite evidence, terrible slow restaurant service and food. Poor or no daily cleaning. Closed spa and jacuzzi, etc, never again. The experiences described in Jakarta sound about tight for the degraded Ritz-Carlton name. Also, who in their right mind would want to spend that long in Jakarta? Try 4 Seasons.
Not sure why people always ask money or points, but sure.
Anyway, in these things, just let your booking habits speak for yourself. If the service was weak, and if there was no service recovery at all, just don't book it anymore.
Ritz is not the high end type of property it was in previous years (just a step up Marriott). Try Four Seasons, they have nicer properties and elevated service.
Agreed on the overall takeaway from Ben. I no longer have any expectations for Marriott hotels, which honestly makes it easier to have a positive stay. I remember years ago with Starwood asking if there were available upgrades, inquiring about the local amenity (at hotels where relevant), asking for points compensation when issues arose, etc.
I'm lifetime platinum now and these days I almost never ask about upgrades (unless at a noteworthy hotel) and instead...
Agreed on the overall takeaway from Ben. I no longer have any expectations for Marriott hotels, which honestly makes it easier to have a positive stay. I remember years ago with Starwood asking if there were available upgrades, inquiring about the local amenity (at hotels where relevant), asking for points compensation when issues arose, etc.
I'm lifetime platinum now and these days I almost never ask about upgrades (unless at a noteworthy hotel) and instead just book the room I want if it matters. I take points as the amenity for work stays and breakfast usually for multi-night vacation stays. Beyond that, I basically don't think about status or anything else with Marriott and most hotel issues I deal with at the hotel level because I know Marriott corporate won't do anything helpful. If it really never gets resolved then it goes on Trip Advisor and I move on with my life.
I had a similar incident at the JW Marriott in Mexico City three years ago. I awoke to no water in the hotel and the managers didn't seem to think it was an issue at all since they had "notified maintenance and it was expected to be fixed within the next day or two". I was headed to an important meeting that morning and they showed absolutely no concern at all and refused to offer...
I had a similar incident at the JW Marriott in Mexico City three years ago. I awoke to no water in the hotel and the managers didn't seem to think it was an issue at all since they had "notified maintenance and it was expected to be fixed within the next day or two". I was headed to an important meeting that morning and they showed absolutely no concern at all and refused to offer any sort of compensation including points, dinner, spa, etc. I contacted the Regional VP in Florida and she did end up giving me the equivalent points for my stay but it involved months of wrangling. That was and will be my last stay at a JW. (This particular hotel is more like a Courtyard anyway so can't recommend)
I don’t think free spa and dinner plus a very open invitation to ask for additional amenities is a bad offer…
No hot water is serious, and the hotel absolutely does need to control that. If that prevented the guest from showering before needing to go out those nights absolutely must be refunded.
But security, if they have cctv and guards, and something slipped through the cracks; the hotel doesn’t need to pay for...
I don’t think free spa and dinner plus a very open invitation to ask for additional amenities is a bad offer…
No hot water is serious, and the hotel absolutely does need to control that. If that prevented the guest from showering before needing to go out those nights absolutely must be refunded.
But security, if they have cctv and guards, and something slipped through the cracks; the hotel doesn’t need to pay for that. Figuratively nor literally. Even with police, crime happens. As long as they have protocol in place they’ve done their bit.
If they offered him a spa and dinner 3 hours before he had to go to the airport that’s worthless. But if it was the night before surely he could rejig his plans and also request a bottle of Salon and a hotel car on duty for the entire last day.
There are two Ritz-Carltons in Jakarta and this one at Mega Kuningan is widely recognised as very inferior. The all-club Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place isn't far away but it's much better, and of course usually more expensive. I think Scott chose the cheapo option and paid the consequences. Jakarta has an excellent range of top hotels but not so many good ones in the Marriott family. Nobody should really consider this RC (or the nearby JW...
There are two Ritz-Carltons in Jakarta and this one at Mega Kuningan is widely recognised as very inferior. The all-club Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place isn't far away but it's much better, and of course usually more expensive. I think Scott chose the cheapo option and paid the consequences. Jakarta has an excellent range of top hotels but not so many good ones in the Marriott family. Nobody should really consider this RC (or the nearby JW Marriott for that matter) given the alternatives available.
Whenever theres an issue with a hotel, 9 times out of 10 it seems to be marriott. Havent stayed at their hotels in like 5 years.
This one seems more of a shitz-carlton than a ritz-carlton.
I’m not sure what to make of this. Fortunately I haven’t had to be on the receiving end of bad service. And what’s this about a security and a… hired talent?
Anyway, the hotel has been put up for sale recently. Maybe the owner’s no longer interested in keeping it running in tip-top shape (inconsistent hot water sells it). Not even the best hotel manager can swing an unwilling owner
This guy definitely is a complainer. It seems like he was already out for compensation in terms of cash and/or points and to scoff at 40,000 points from Marriott corporate. Yeah, it was lower than half of a night at that hotel but what does he expect? Most of his complaints were those that did not cause any real problems for him personally. Of course it was horrible to have to see barf on a...
This guy definitely is a complainer. It seems like he was already out for compensation in terms of cash and/or points and to scoff at 40,000 points from Marriott corporate. Yeah, it was lower than half of a night at that hotel but what does he expect? Most of his complaints were those that did not cause any real problems for him personally. Of course it was horrible to have to see barf on a club lounge floor or that lobby incident but things happen. And yes they should not have happened but should all of the guests at that hotel that stayed during the time these things occurred act like him and demand compensation as well? If I see dirty plates on a non club floor should I not get compensation because it was not on a club lounge floor? He sounds very entitled just because he is a titanium member. Should I get compensation if I see dirt on a club lounge floor or if the windows were not super clean? It sounds like he is complaining about everything but the kitchen sink just to get some compensation. And when the hotel does offer compensation he rejects both of them. Then, when Marriott offers something as well he scoffs at it. Then, what should he do? Just quit staying at Marriott but most likely he won’t and that is why he got those responses. A lot of customers like the loyalty programs offered by these hotel conglomerates especially the points and whatever benefits still left. So, he is not left with much of a choice but just to accept the reality and take whatever compensation he was offered and the stay at a different hotel the next time. If not, he can go for another chain or select an OTA, independent hotel or book through a travel advisor.
Hey, now, it's not all about commissions. Marriott is in the cobrand credit card business too!
Sounds like the complainer is lying. They leave out crucial details like what day of 18 did they offer spa and meals.
F-n snubs.
Take a free massage and move on.
It's worth pointing out that every Ritz-Carlton with three exceptions (Chicago, Montreal and I believe Kuala Lumpur) are managed by Marriott. So this is NOT the case of a rogue owner or franchisee. It's further proof that even corporate properties cheat guests.
If I'm not mistaken, Tan Kian owns both Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta, and the JW Marriott Jakarta.
They may own them, but Marriott manages them. Marriott does not franchise Ritz-Carlton. The Ritz-Carlton properties in Chicago, Montreal and, I believe, Kuala Lumpur are "licensed" by Marriott. They are the only Ritz-Carlton properties anywhere not managed by Marriott.
so hotel should pay out all for 18-night stay compensation? What a jerk. 40000 points was fair.
Why did he stay for 18 nights? Did he have no option to checkout and go elsewhere? There are many other nice properties in Jakarta.
Ben, I find that when it comes to Marriott, you talk out of both sides of your mouth. You pitch how great they are one day, while try to get readers to sign up for their credit cards through your links (I understand this is how you make your living)....
Why did he stay for 18 nights? Did he have no option to checkout and go elsewhere? There are many other nice properties in Jakarta.
Ben, I find that when it comes to Marriott, you talk out of both sides of your mouth. You pitch how great they are one day, while try to get readers to sign up for their credit cards through your links (I understand this is how you make your living). However, you obviously know that Marriott sucks and that things like Platinum status are a joke. Why not put your money where your mouth is and stop promoting Marriott, or at least stop saying how great Bonvoy status is?
To be fair, he talks about the good and the bad. People patronize Marriott hotels with the full knowledge that there are problems but also potential benefits, and expect to see that kind of content here. Ben is one of the most balanced writers out there when it comes to this.
We need to know more about this -
"a lobby security incident involving a prostitute"
First rule Avoid Marriott. Second to tenth rule see first rule. Why didn't Scott go elsewhere? Why didnt Scott ask for compensation sooner? Why subject yourself to Marriott? There are better hotels in Jakarta.
“Marriott is in the room count and commission business” has never been more accurate than it is today! I remember the day I heard that Marriott was acquiring Starwood-I was actually staying at a Starwood property and the entire mgmt team was as devastated as I was.
I was a Marriott member in the 80’s-up until the early 90’s when I became so disgusted with its lack of customer service, it’s lack of customer intimacy...
“Marriott is in the room count and commission business” has never been more accurate than it is today! I remember the day I heard that Marriott was acquiring Starwood-I was actually staying at a Starwood property and the entire mgmt team was as devastated as I was.
I was a Marriott member in the 80’s-up until the early 90’s when I became so disgusted with its lack of customer service, it’s lack of customer intimacy that I returned my membership card with a note to the CEO. The last sentence in the note said “Marriott is a company that knows the price of everything but the value of nothing! As both a (through Ritz Carlton Club ownership) Titanium and lifetime Platinum member, I can tell you that statement is as true today as it was nearly 35 years ago when I first said it! A token amount of points seems to be its go to remedy.
Still better than the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne, which had a similar level of "balls dropped" and actively nasty employees. Upon emailing the hotel I received... absolutely no response whatsoever! General Manager couldn't care less and it shows.
Ben - you write that Marriott is not a customer focused company. I could not disagree more. They are incredibly customer focused. Their customers are property owners paying hotel guests are only incidental to that customer base.
@lucky, a couple of stories you may be interested in:
- Westjet changing aircraft immediately before cancelling to avoid paying compensation: https://www.cbc.ca/news/gopublic/go-public-westjet-flight-cancellations-9.7191542
- Westjet lobbying for removing passenger protection: https://www.thestar.com/business/document-shows-westjets-push-against-federal-air-passenger-rights-regulations/article_04d36601-d56e-49f9-b8a1-650bc3ef3e94.html
It was when consumer affairs told me they paid a consulting firm that restricted their ability to provide service recovery beyond a certain point- that I ditched the brand.
They will tie their own hands to make sure you don't get reasonable compensation.
The Ultimate Bonvoy.
I read the post from beginning to end. there is no surprise anywhere. This is a "same old" story.
Ben is right: Adding a big brand name to a hotel assures retail business, but does not assure brand standards.
My policy is: be prepared to leave early in the stay, even if it costs money. If you're not prepared to end your stay early, then you're bluffing.
The staff used wiggle words when refusing cash/points....
I read the post from beginning to end. there is no surprise anywhere. This is a "same old" story.
Ben is right: Adding a big brand name to a hotel assures retail business, but does not assure brand standards.
My policy is: be prepared to leave early in the stay, even if it costs money. If you're not prepared to end your stay early, then you're bluffing.
The staff used wiggle words when refusing cash/points. Grammatically the refusal was likely true, since the email did not come from the owner, but from staff, who said they aren't "authorized" (presumably by the owner) to provide such compensation.
We're going to see more and more of this. Is it even worth covering, one case at a time? Is it worth discussing in comments? This is the reality.
Interesting question - in such a situation (let's presume it's soneyhing like a significant maintenance problem at the core of the trouble), would you be in a position to refuse the early departure fee and/or demand a refund on prepaid nights?
I think what bugs me is that the hotel apparently couldn't even comp a night or two off the stay. It's a two-week-plus stay, right? Just drop two nights.
I'd also be just a little bit surprised if the guest had NOTHING else that could be comped in lieu.
I think what bugs me is that the hotel apparently couldn't even comp a night or two off the stay. It's a two-week-plus stay, right? Just drop two nights.
I'd also be just a little bit surprised if the guest had NOTHING else that could be comped in lieu.
"...what do you really expect from a hotel brand that belongs to Marriott?"
Nailed it.
Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt are really offering the same things but with different names and inflated prices for all of them. Oh, and mandatory resort and destination fees offering everything that NOBODY wants.
Oh! And because everyone was on the edges of their seats, I should note that I was able to cancel my PH Sydney stay next month and...
"...what do you really expect from a hotel brand that belongs to Marriott?"
Nailed it.
Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt are really offering the same things but with different names and inflated prices for all of them. Oh, and mandatory resort and destination fees offering everything that NOBODY wants.
Oh! And because everyone was on the edges of their seats, I should note that I was able to cancel my PH Sydney stay next month and book the Capella instead. Score one for me! :)
Utter BS. The front desk clerk at a Fairfield can give points as compensation lol.
Not if the owner of the Fairfield says they can't
I genuinely don't understand people who haggle about compensation. Service recovery is always the hotel/airline/restaurant's chance to make things right and fix the issues. If they don't offer anything reasonable proactively, I just move on and don't spend money with them again rather than wasting time on a business which clearly doesn't care about costumer.
That being said, I think the hotel's offerings were actually quite reasonable here (particularly when they offered basically anything service-wise).
I genuinely don't understand people who haggle about compensation. Service recovery is always the hotel/airline/restaurant's chance to make things right and fix the issues. If they don't offer anything reasonable proactively, I just move on and don't spend money with them again rather than wasting time on a business which clearly doesn't care about costumer.
That being said, I think the hotel's offerings were actually quite reasonable here (particularly when they offered basically anything service-wise).
I find it surprising that the reason given for refusing the goodwill gestures was a lack of time. The last thing I would want after a traumatic experience with a service provider would be to consume more services provided by them!
Is this Ritz a Marriott corporate owned property or under separate ownership? Either way they should have discretion to offer cash compensation. Points compensation is another issue as this is system wide and if under separate ownership, there are likely contractual prohibitions on what local ownership can offer points-wise.
More and more "compensation" will be determined by AI. A manager will have no ability to override whatever the AI says. And the AI won't be kind to consumers.
Just want to highlight this for Ben as a great example of service recovery:
Property: Waldorf DIFC Dubai
Stay - Feb 2026 - 4 nights (before the war began) , 2 adults, 1 child
How I booked: Hilton Honors Points
Status: Gold
Issue: Got an email 2 weeks prior to the stay that the hotel was cancelling my reservation due to a corporate event buyout (It was Google). My reservation was made...
Just want to highlight this for Ben as a great example of service recovery:
Property: Waldorf DIFC Dubai
Stay - Feb 2026 - 4 nights (before the war began) , 2 adults, 1 child
How I booked: Hilton Honors Points
Status: Gold
Issue: Got an email 2 weeks prior to the stay that the hotel was cancelling my reservation due to a corporate event buyout (It was Google). My reservation was made like 6 months prior to this email. Was offered no compensation and only an upgrade on a future stay.
My response: Unacceptable. Asked for a room at the Conrad in DIFC. Also wrote back stating what similar properties were costing for my dates of stay and how much i would be out of pocket due to this cancellation. I was initially told a no by who I believe was a junior employee. However, I wrote another scathing email and left a negative trip advisor review.
Resolution: After my second email, the property manager stepped in and offered three nights at the hotel with an upgrade to a suite (since the first three nights were not bought out). 4th night free at the Conrad or the Waldorf Palm with all transfers handled by the hotel. 25000 points for the cancellation plus reimbuirsement of one nights points due to the free fourth night. In addition, everybody was wonderful at the hotel and for some reason they even checked out my Linkedin prior to my arrival!
Honestly, when I got the email from the Manager, I first thought he was trolling me. But hey, there is still hope and humanity in the world.
You are lucky they didn’t report you to the Dubai cops for writing that TripAdvisor negative review. Dubai and UAE is one place I will stay far away from.
Free speech is not a given in many countries today! I don’t know what to say if as a green card holder I have to be mindful of what I post about online or be worried about my phone records being checked every time I fly back from an international trip.
Yeah the green card is a scam. No voting power but you have to pay US taxes on worldwide income for a lifetime for the “privilege” of holding a green card. Well the Trump ballroom aint building itself for free!
My personal opinion is that hospitality all over the world is really struggling at the moment. I was recently at the Ritz Reserve Dorado and we had multiple service failures (mainly around housekeeping and turndown - primarily issues with not converting the sofa bed at night, waiting over an hour for someone to come do it, etc.) and we received no compensation or good will gesture. We didn't even receive an apology. The hotel was...
My personal opinion is that hospitality all over the world is really struggling at the moment. I was recently at the Ritz Reserve Dorado and we had multiple service failures (mainly around housekeeping and turndown - primarily issues with not converting the sofa bed at night, waiting over an hour for someone to come do it, etc.) and we received no compensation or good will gesture. We didn't even receive an apology. The hotel was EMPTY...I mean really and truly empty it was quite shocking actually. At one point I think there were maybe three or four groups sitting at the pool and the restaurants remained empty during lunch. I don't think they have a spare penny to spend on service recovery at the moment. Perhaps I'm wrong, but this is the impression I've gotten lately while staying at luxury properties.
"My personal opinion is that hospitality all over the world is really struggling at the moment" You should say "corporate managed hospitality" meaning hotels that belong to chains like Marriott. The way to really enjoy real hospitality is to avoid chain hotels and stay at locally owned properties where the hotel is basically the way a family survives so they have no option other than provide a stellar service otherwise their business will die. That's...
"My personal opinion is that hospitality all over the world is really struggling at the moment" You should say "corporate managed hospitality" meaning hotels that belong to chains like Marriott. The way to really enjoy real hospitality is to avoid chain hotels and stay at locally owned properties where the hotel is basically the way a family survives so they have no option other than provide a stellar service otherwise their business will die. That's why I gave up on hotel points/loyalty many years ago and only stay at locally owned places and I do not recall a bad experience in many hotel stays. It starts with no nickel and dime, you get free water at your room, no stupid resorts fees, etc...
Ritz Carlton is a brand that owners lease. By its actions, Marriott has demonstrated that it is more interested in the immediate effect of brand lease revenue then enforcing brand standards.
What would you expect from a savage backward country where people don't even wear shoes or proper clothes. And who in the world can take 120 minutes manual stimulation ( if you know what I mean), maybe Ron Jeremy ?
It looks like you come from a backward country where people sadly don't know how to behave and talk about other people.
As sad as the state of customer service from Marriott.
In the Garden of Eden, our mother and father wore no clothes. And, are we not called to love one another? Abe Lincoln said that he did not become a better man by tearing down another. From what dogma does your stance originate?
The spa still costs the company. Offering points is a given and there shouldn’t have been any argument.
Labour in Jakarta isn't exactly expensive, certainly not in relation to the rates charged by a hotel of this sort.
Points costs the company too.