Fred Astaire said it best in his 1930’s hit song:
If you’re blue and you don’t know where to go to
Why don’t you go where fashion sits: Puttin’ on the Ritz.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company empire, originally founded in the early 1900’s but officially established in 1983 with the purchase of The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, has remained a leading symbol of high society and luxury experiences as the world’s most prestigious and reputable hotel brand for more than a decade.
Now a subsidiary of Marriott International, Ritz-Carlton has paved the way for other luxury hotels, revolutionizing the hospitality industry and establishing itself as one of the fastest-growing companies in the world. Today, 91 cities in 30 countries and territories around the world call the Ritz-Carlton brand home, while the company employs more than 40,000 people.
They have no plans of stopping, either. To date, the company is planning to launch properties in another 12 cities across the globe.
We were lucky enough to experience the modern luxury and traditional sophistication of The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City in Arlington, Va., during a girls’ weekend getaway from the city.
Surrounded by the rich history of Northern Virginia and the nation’s capitol just across the Potomac River, the hotel is a stone’s throw away from Washington, D.C.’s most iconic monuments, museums, and historical sights, accessible via metro rail, bus, and cab. Featuring a state of the art wellness facility including a pool, sauna, and fitness center, the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City has something for every traveler.
Upon our arrival, our bags were taken by the concierge to be delivered to our room after check-in. Walking though the lobby, adorned with intricate decor and plush furniture, we grabbed some warm and gooey chocolate chip cookies complimentary of Fyve Restaurant Lounge (make sure to read our previous blog post on Fyve here, as well as an upcoming post highlighting their new brunch menu) the Ritz’s upscale private dining restaurant.
Our room was more than we imagined it would be — a 750 sq-ft. Executive One Bedroom Suite – situated high above the Arlington skyline with the outline of the Pentagon, Washington, and Lincoln monuments in the distance.
Featuring a plush king-sized bed with fine 400 thread-count linens, a personal dressing area with a full-vanity, a living room sofa bed for additional guests, and a marble bathroom equipped with two terry-linen robes and Asprey bath amenities, we knew we had a weekend full of pampering ahead.
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At the Pentagon City location, guests of the hotel have unlimited access to an array of some of the world’s finest retailers and restaurants, as the Pentagon City Mall is a few feet from the entrance of the hotel. While we strongly recommend guests venture out of the hotel during their stay, we decided to maintain a true “staycation” mentality and keep it indoors. The Ritz had us covered.
For guests staying on the Club Level, unlimited, 24-hour access to their VIP lounge is a reality. Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an array of snacks with a view overlooking the Pentagon, the wine freely-flows and the serving tables are always stocked with hand-made delicacies.
We took full advantage of this perk, dining in the lounge for all three meals while catching up on the day’s top news stories and sipping on Sauvignon Blanc (we may have even had a dessert or two). The best part? Guests can stock up on treats (and wine or prosecco) and take them back to their room if they so wish.
After an hour at the hotel’s state-of-the-art fitness center in an attempt to burn off whatever calories we could from the day, we returned to our executive suite to find the lights dimmed, the bed sheets turned down, and complimentary chocolate bars on the pillow. The next day, we awoke feeling refreshed with a cup of Joe and a hot-off-the-press newspaper (free of charge, might we add).
The Ritz-Carlton isn’t just a hotel brand. It’s an experience. From the moment we walked through the doors, to the moment we stepped into our cab, we felt like we became part of a family.
It’s not just the comforting atmosphere, the luxurious pampering, or the fine dining – one can find that at many other hotels. Rather, it’s the friendliness of the staff and the quality of the memories made that make all the difference.
For readers interested in booking a stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, click here.
For readers interested in booking a reservation to Fyve Restaurant Lounge, click here.
