The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

We were hoping for a romantic getaway, but the stay felt like a waste of money. Service was mediocre for a “5 star” hotel, and room service took an extremely long time. Afterward, housekeeping left the dishes on the hallway floor instead of coming to collect them. We saw the same food sitting there overnight on multiple days. The pool area was pretty crappy, with a lukewarm pool and a couple of tiny hot tubs. Everything was extremely overpriced, even by luxury hotel standards. If you’re using the ski school, stay in town instead so you can avoid the shuttles.

Brianna gave me an incredible massage and was lovely and professional. Everything around it made for a disappointing spa visit, though. I called after the online booking system showed nothing available, and was told everything was open. I booked a same-day appointment with friends. The massage cost $225 for 50 minutes, which felt steep, but I thought the facilities would make it worthwhile because my friends had raved about them. I arrived 15 minutes early and asked about buying a bathing suit for the hot tub, grotto, and steam room. That’s when they told me the grotto wasn’t working and the hot tub was out of service. Those facilities were a big reason I booked, and they should have told me on the phone or website. The only suits for sale were $200, which is insane, even at the Ritz. The front desk also failed to tell Brianna about my same-day appointment, so she was 40 minutes late coming to get me from the lounge. I had to ask the desk what was happening, and by the time I started, my friends were nearly done. Brianna kindly offered a complimentary body butter enhancement for the trouble, which I appreciated, but it took away the time I’d planned to spend with my friends in the sauna and steam room. After the massage I tried the hot stone sauna and steam room before our lunch reservation, but the steam room wasn’t working either. An attendant couldn’t get it going, and no one had mentioned that beforehand. I paid $225 for a 50-minute massage and got 10 minutes in a sauna. Had I known the facilities weren’t all working, I’d have saved my money and gone another day.

I came for my birthday and regret it. Food and drinks are extremely overpriced because you’re stuck here, 20-30 minutes by car from anywhere else. There’s not much to do when there’s no skiing, apart from a hike up the hill at 10 every morning. Downtown Vail and civilization are half an hour away. At spa checkout, the attendant had the nerve to suggest a 22 percent tip. I hadn’t asked, and it felt rude, offensive, and presumptuous given the inflated prices and underwhelming service. My friend had a treatment and they added a tip without asking her, too. She had it removed and tipped appropriately in cash. People work hard for their money and don’t want to be ripped off or taken advantage of. There’s also a ridiculous 30-day cancellation fee. I paid for four nights but decided to stay only two, spending the other two at the excellent Sonnenalp Hotel instead. It’s walkable to everything, with terrific five-star service, an excellent breakfast, and reasonably priced food and drinks. I don’t recommend the “ritz”!

We spent a week at Bachelor Gulch over February break with our two kids and had a pleasant stay. The room was nicely appointed, everything was clean and easy to get around, and the staff were friendly and went out of their way to help. Our kids tried the Ritz Kids program for one morning and were happy there, not wanting to leave when it was over. We also visited several restaurants and liked the atmosphere and food for a week’s stay. The problem was the toilet in the master bathroom of our suite. We reported several times that its flushing mechanism would randomly stop working, but it kept happening until we left. For anyone staying in Room 545, a firm open-palm whack on the side of the tank fixed it each time for us, in case they still haven’t fixed it.