Share
Which hotel is best, Ritz-Carlton vs. JW Marriott Los Angeles? We have already reviewed whether Ritz-Carlton vs. JW Marriott is best overall. Generally, Ritz-Carltons are better hotels, but there are exceptions to this rule.
Now, we specifically review these two properties in Los Angeles. There is a Ritz-Carlton, a JW Marriott, and a Four Seasons in Los Angeles, so you are spoiled with luxury hotel choices. We have compared the best Four Seasons in Los Angeles as these luxurious hotels are also worth considering.
We have outlined the best JW Marriott hotels, and best Ritz-Carlton hotels in case you want to delve further into each hotel brand.
1. Loyalty
Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott are high-end brands under the Marriott umbrella. They share this elite spot with BVLGARI, EDITION, and The Luxury Collection. These brands occupy a 5-star luxury category, with room quality and size, service, restaurants, and the hotel as a whole offering an ultra-luxurious setting. Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott are both part of the Marriott Bonvoy brand loyalty program.
It’s worth mentioning that these loyalty benefits are nowhere near as good as the benefits you get by booking via luxury travel concierge agents. If you book with our concierge agents, you will also get all your usual Marriott Bonvoy points during your stay.
Our travel agency Stars partnership with Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, and JW Marriott hotels means you will also get brilliant free benefits, usually including breakfast for two, prioritized room upgrades (subject to availability), hotel credit, and more if you book with one of our agents. Our deals are almost always better than booking directly on the hotel website for all these brands.
2. Location
In Los Angeles, the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott share the same building, which contains around 1000 rooms, although each hotel has a separate pool and facilities. Within the building, around 120 rooms are Ritz Carlton rooms, and over 800 rooms are JW Marriott rooms.
3. Style
These two hotels have different entrances. The JW Marriott lobby is two levels in height, whereas the Ritz-Carlton has a small, intimate lobby that feels like a boutique hotel. Highlights at this Ritz-Carlton are the Wolfgang Puck restaurant on the 24th floor, which is noteworthy because of its views and its modern takes on Chinese cuisine, Saturday yoga classes, the views from the club lounge, which are jawdropping, and the full spa.
The Ritz-Carlton is the more swish and stylish than the more generic JW Marriott, but both are luxurious hotels.
4. Rooms
The rooms at the Ritz-Carlton are classy, immaculate, and generous in size. Views from the rooms are amazing, as the Ritz rooms are on floors 22-26. Many have access to the excellent Ritz-Carlton club lounge.
Rooms at JW Marriott Los Angeles are of decent size and are on the 4th and 21st floors of the tower. They are not as special as those at the Ritz but some of these rooms also have access to a club lounge, this time the JW Marriott club lounge.
5. Club Lounge
Ritz-Carlton club lounges are some of the best club lounges in any city. We have outlined the best Ritz-Carlton club lounges. These club lounges cannot be accessed with high loyalty status. At Ritz-Carlton hotels, you must book a club room to get access to their club lounges. Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles has an excellent club lounge. Find out which other hotels have the best club lounges in Los Angeles.
This club lounge is located on the 23rd floor and has amazing views across the city, plus five food presentations every day. The floor-to-ceiling windows highlight the views, and the high quality and generous food presentations make this the best lounge.
Most JW Marriott hotels also have club lounges, and if you have top-tier Marriott Bonvoy status, you get access to JW Marriott club lounges for free, but they are not as good as the Ritz-Carlton club lounges.
Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador Elite Marriott Bonvoy members have access to Concierge/Executive/Club/Signature Club/M Club lounges at Marriott properties, including JW Marriott, Marriott, Renaissance, or Sheraton hotels, and they can also bring one guest to the lounge as long as the guest is staying in the same room. At the time of writing, you get Platinum Elite status after staying 50 nights a year at a Marriott property. To get Titanium Elite, you need to stay 75 nights each year.
The club lounge at the JW Marriott Los Angeles is very good. It is located close to the elevators on the fourth floor, and this executive club lounge offers four food presentations each day. This contemporary but fairly generic lounge has an outdoor patio enclosed by greenery and with comfy sofas to sit out on. You can read our review of the club lounge at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London to see what we have experienced in a JW Marriott club lounge.
6. Pool and Gym
The JW Marriott has a rooftop pool and bar on the 4th floor, and the Ritz-Carlton also has a rooftop pool with a hot tub on the 26th floor, which is usually fairly quiet and offers amazing views as it is so high up on the roof of one of the towers which make up this building. The Ritz-Carlton pool is usually quieter than the JW Marriott pool. Both hotels have a gym.
7. Family Facilities
The Ritz-Carlton Los Angles is more family-friendly than the JW Marriott because of its excellent club lounge and skew towards leisure travelers.
Some JW Marriotts are used as conference hotels that can be noisy and boisterous with complementary alcohol at corporate events. This is particularly true for JW Marriott hotels in cities, so do check whether there is a conference planned before choosing to stay at a JW Marriott with your family.
Both the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Club lounges in Los Angeles are brilliant for young and older children due to the snacks that are provided throughout the day and the extra space to escape. The Club Lounge is better at the Ritz-Carlton, but the rooftop pool may be preferable for families at the JW Marriott.
If you want the best brand for family-friendly luxury hotels, it is usually best at Four Seasons or some Belmond properties like the Hotel Cipriani.
8. Price
The Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles is almost always more expensive than the JW Marriott Los Angeles, so while the Ritz-Carlton is the best hotel, you may feel that the JW Marriott offers better value.
For a more reasonable Ritz-Carlton or JW Marriott stay, check out our review of some of the cheapest Ritz-Carlton hotels, and the cheapest Marriott hotels.
9. Conclusion
The Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles is better than the JW Marriott Los Angeles. It has a great boutique feel, and the views from the lounge, pool, and rooms are better as they are higher up in the same building. We do, however like the cheaper price of the JW Marriott and the fact that the JW Marriott club lounge has an outside area to enjoy the LA warmth.
COPYRIGHT 2014 – 2023 LUXURY TRAVEL DIARY. DUPLICATION OUTSIDE OF LUXURYTRAVELDIARY.COM IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN.
Image © frank peters / Adobe Stock.
Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.