Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey

It's All About You
By Debbie Krubsack

There are times when the demands of life crowd in and you just feel a need to be in a place where someone is taking care of you. A place where you will see a compassionate and welcoming smile, hear, “It’s my pleasure” when you timidly ask a favor you feel might be above and beyond the norm, or where you can fall into a deep and restful sleep. A place where you can receive the warmth and care like you provide to your loved ones every day; where you can get recharged.

And it can all be accomplished within 24 hours.

This place is only 45 minutes from home. It sits on the water’s edge of the world’s largest man-made harbor, and one of the most beautiful in Los Angeles. And the staff, who must first pass a rigorous three-month interview process before becoming a part of your personal team, have been working to prepare this place just for you. (See “What it Takes to Work for the Ritz-Carlton”)

An Ultimate Sleep Experience of handcrafted sheets, luxurious bedding and plush mattresses. Four food presentations daily of chef-prepared tapas. Bulgari amenities, thick bathrobes, and a gorgeous swimming pool with personal attendants.

All-inclusive at a comparable cost to two nights at a family-style hotel.*

Where is it? The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey--the only waterfront AAA Five Diamond property in Los Angeles.

Once known as the hotel reserved for the artistocratic, the Ritz-Carlton hotels have revamped their image to appeal to the young, hip crowd of Gen X and we Baby Boomers who don’t want to grow up (or grow old). Yet, the hotel is still able to retain it’s allure that is Ritz-Carlton. Each Ritz-Carlton property takes on the personality of the locale. The theme for Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey is fire and water; a theme you will discover subtly woven into the carpets leading to the ballroom, in the lobby lounge behind the bar, and in the quiet retreat of the spa.

What remains is the genuinely thoughtful gestures of the Ladies and Gentlemen (staff) who know their guests as ‘Ladies and Gentlemen.’ This kindness must be experienced to be understood. It may be a cold glass of water offered to you when re-entering the hotel from a walk around the harbor (“would you care for lemon or lime?”), a recipe of a favorite menu item sent to your room, or the effort to save dessert for you on Club Level because the hostess knew you were enjoying a late dinner in Jer-ne.

This is luxury…this is the place you’ll always return, because it feels like home—only better. And you can’t afford not to make this investment in you.

*$369 plus parking one night Club Level Room

Reconnect
If this is a time for the two of you to reconnect, slip into the candlelit couples suite for a massage—a quiet prelude to the celebration of your commitment to one another. Strolling hand-in-hand past the illuminated wall of over 40 flickering candles, Jer-ne into Chef Chad Minton ‘s world of the freshest, seasonal ingredients. Imaginative highlights include popcorn shrimp bisque (yes, with tender popcorn kernels!); truffle-infused balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over carpaccio and topped with parmesan potato chips; and hand-caught scallops on a confetti bed of corn, sweet grapefruit zest, and pea shoots.

After dinner, sink into one of the white leather loveseats just outside on the terrace with a panoramic view of the marina, where your private blazing firepit will ignite your passion for one another.

Renew
If this is truly an experience just for you, allow the staff to sculpt you back into your pre-mommy form: wax away those overgrown areas, reduce wrinkles and puffiness around your eyes, rejuvenate your skin and polish those fingers and toes to sparkling perfection. Plan to arrive for Wednesday night’s Happy Hour, where you’ll enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne and 25% off the regular priced Spa Menu.

Indulge
How about the ultimate LA Stay-cation? Two nights in a Deluxe Guest Room; two and a half hour cruise around the marina on a Hornblower Yacht; a guided scooter tour of Marina del Rey, Venice & Santa Monica (including a gourmet box lunch); a late check-out; and a special gift from Route 66 Modern Classics and Hornblower Yachts. Now that’s a vacation worth staying home for!