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Ritz-Carlton executive club lounges are some of the best club lounges in the world. Usually, they include five daily meal presentations, complimentary drinks and snacks throughout the day, and alcoholic drinks and events such as wine flights in the late afternoon and evening. Add in a sophisticated environment and often amazing views, and you will understand why these lounges can be worth paying extra for.
Marriott Platinum members do not get free access to Ritz-Carlton club lounges. In fact, there is no way to get free access to Ritz-Carlton club lounges, but there are several ways to get a better deal on your next Ritz-Carlton booking and to get free benefits added in for no extra charge.
If you want free access to club lounges in the US & Canada, Gold, Platinum & Platinum Premier Marriott Bonvoy, elites will receive executive lounge access throughout their stay at Marriott hotels. This excludes Ritz-Carlton resorts. Gold, Platinum & Platinum Premier Marriott Bonvoy elites do not get free access to the Ritz club lounge. Everyone has to pay to enter a Ritz-Carlton club lounge.
If you want free lounge access in New York, London, or Paris, book a standard room at the local InterContinental (Barclay in New York, park Lane in London, and Le Grand in Paris), which are partner hotels with our luxury travel concierge, and you will get Club Lounge access free. You will also get relevant loyalty and status benefits if you share your loyalty account number with our agent.
Here is our pick of the best Ritz-Carlton club lounges around the world.
1. Best Club Lounge: Ritz-Carlton Budapest
The best Ritz-Carlton executive club lounge can be found at the Ritz-Carlton Budapest. This Ritz-Carlton can be found a short walk from St. Stephen’s Basilica, Erzsébet Square, and the River Danube in Budapest, and its club lounge is an homage to chic exclusivity tucked away on the top floor of this luxury hotel.
The Ritz-Carlton Budapest Club Lounge exudes a no-expense-spared ambiance, having been recently revamped with sleek black wood, luxurious carpeting, and plush seating. The space feels fresh and modern, with the black wood detailing extending seamlessly into the dining area, creating the atmosphere of an exclusive, high-end club.
Classy. Wooden and marble table stations provide a stylish worksurface for the food and drinks to be laid out. Backlit bookcases split this large area into intimate spaces with sofas, meeting rooms, and dining tables appealingly placed under stylish lamps.
Club Level amenities include extended breakfast, light fare lunch, hors d’oeuvres, the best desserts cakes ever, complimentary beverage service, and wine and spirits.
The addition of fresh flower arrangements throughout the lounge brings vibrant pops of color, beautifully contrasting with the chic combination of dark wood and cream marble.
The culinary offerings in this lounge are outstanding, even by Ritz-Carlton’s high standards. A highlight is a full breakfast prepared by a private chef, paired with an irresistible selection of cakes and macarons available throughout the day.
The chocolate cakes, in particular, were a masterpiece with rich, creamy layers atop a delicate sponge that were nothing short of indulgent. While classic snacks like nuts, cookies, and other lounge staples are also available, the cakes are undeniably the stars.
Afternoon offerings include a tempting variety of sandwiches, vegetarian cheeses, salami, croissants filled with cream cheese, and turkey and ham rolls. Scones are served with an assortment of jams, and a large tiramisu, beautifully presented under a glass cover, makes for a delightful dessert option.
The evening spread in the lounge was truly impressive and was served until around 8 PM. Highlights included small hot dishes like flavorful chicken tomato pasta, asparagus gratin, Hungarian-style quiches (with options for meat lovers or mushroom enthusiasts), and other delicious creations. I couldn’t resist the chicken tomato pasta, enjoying five servings as the staff continually replenished the supply!
The salad selection was equally extensive, featuring a variety of fresh ingredients. Mozzarella flakes, breads, anchovies, premium olives, and cold cuts were available, along with all the essentials to assemble a Caesar salad. Bowls of lettuce and rocket were paired with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, nuts, and pumpkin seeds for a customizable salad experience. Pre-prepared options like tuna salads, chickpea salads, and fruit salads added even more variety.
The only time this lounge gets packed is for the Hungarian wine flight when you can taste a wide selection of flavorful wines from the built-in wine vault. Vintages include intriguing Hungarian wine regions such as Villány, Szekszárd, and the Balaton region. White, rosé, red, or Cuvee wines from the best Hungarian wineries are all available to try. The staff here also go the extra mile to help club lounge guests enjoy Budapest to its fullest.
2. Ritz-Carlton Nomad
You may have noticed that a second Ritz-Carlton launched in New York in 2022, and this is easily one of the best hotels in New York with one of the best executive club lounges. Newly built from the ground up and situated in one of the tallest buildings in the area, the 250-room Ritz-Carlton hotel boasts spectacular views from the Empire State Building down to the Statue of Liberty from its club lounge.
Ritz-Carlton New York Nomad is steps from Madison Square Park, the Flatiron Building, and a short walk to the Highline. The guestrooms and public spaces all showcase elegant floral expressions, such as natural elements and textures, that reflect the soft curvature of petals alongside sleek accents and lines, which echo New York City’s verticality and city grid.
Many rooms have stand-alone bathtubs next to the window, so you can relax while looking over the New York skyline. You can watch the setting sun glow warmly over the skyline as the city transitions day to night right from your bathtub. The views from the bed and the bath are just fabulous.
The hotel also houses the signature 6,800 ft² Ritz-Carlton Spa and Fitness Center, with complimentary fruit-infused water and cold towels. There is, however, no pool at this hotel. Restaurants and bars are by Michelin-starred chef José Andrés. Zaytinya and Andrés also oversee the food in the club lounge, the hotel‘s rooftop bar, where guests can drink 500 ft in the air, as well as in-room dining and banquet events, including weddings and more.
This Ritz-Carlton feels more modern than the original Ritz-Carlton in New York. The decor in much of the hotel has a jungly feel with dark browns, greens, and lots of foliage. But the bathtubs by the window make this hotel stand out for us.
The Ritz-Carlton Nomad Club Lounge here offers fabulous views. The lounge combines intimacy, comfort, and exclusivity with personalized service and attention to detail. This oasis in a well-appointed, relaxed lounge environment on the 36th Floor of the building offers 180-degree views of Downtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. The Club Lounge provides continuous complimentary culinary offerings throughout the day by Michelin-starred chef José Andrés and also offers alcoholic drinks for free.
This is the best club lounge in New York, although it has a hefty price tag. You need to book an executive club room here to gain access to this lounge.
3. Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park
Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park has a brilliant location on the edge of Central Park. It has been a landmark in New York City since the 1930s. Rockefeller Center, the shops on Fifth and Madison Avenues, and Lincoln Center are all nearby. Restaurants, shops, subway stops and Central Park itself can all be found steps from this iconic hotel.
The original Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park also offers a Club Level. It also has a fun location on the second floor with ever-changing views of iconic Central Park and lively 59th Street pictured above, but it does not offer a birdseye view like the Nomad above.
This club lounge does include alcoholic drinks (hurrah!), including beer, wine, cocktails, and spirits. In fact, it goes a step further with wine tastings and similar events. For example, on Friday evenings from 5:00 – 7:00 pm, club lounge guests can indulge in exclusive tastings from the wine cellar, focusing on local and regional wines, or sip on a select distinct spirit accompanied by exquisite hors d’oeuvres alongside picturesque views of Central Park.
4. Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Maui
We consider the lounge at Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua to be one of the best club levels in Hawaii. Just take a look at the views pictured above from this club lounge. From here, you can also enjoy a beautiful beach resort with wonderful pools and an exclusive golf course.
You can only get access to the club level lounge if you book a club level room. The Club Lounge is located near the elevators on the resort’s eighth floor of the Napili Wing.
They call this club level a hotel within a hotel, with a dedicated concierge and a well-appointed, relaxed lounge environment. Continuous culinary offerings include breakfast, light snacks, hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and sweets, many reflecting the cuisine of the Hawaiian Islands.
In the afternoon and evening, you can drink alcoholic drinks of your choice, and the staff will make up great cocktails complete with flowers, all included.
Club-level rooms offer better views and are on the hotel’s higher floors. Ritz-Carlton values club access at about $100 USD per person per day because the Ritz-Carlton club lounges are so much better than most other club lounges (except for Four Seasons Club lounges). This is probably fair, mainly because the food and drinks are enough to negate the need to go elsewhere. Of course, you miss out on other dining and drinking options by booking and staying in the club lounge.
When traveling with kids, the value of the lounge is increased as kids under twelve do not usually cost extra, so it is convenient to have a constant array of food available and not to have to stick to mealtimes so paying for Club Lounge does seem worth it if you don’t go above the $200 USD additional charge on top of the ordinary rooms.
5. Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort
Let’s now move to the sunshine. Florida beckons with radiant waters and white sands from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. Let’s not forget the theme parks, including Disney and Universal in Orlando. Dispel the notion that winter is just snowstorms and frost, and rejuvenate with a luxurious tropical getaway in the sunshine state. Both Ritz-Carlton’s in Naples are excellent, and both have club lounges. The Ritz-Carlton Naples Golf Resort is ten minutes away by car or resort shuttle from The Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach. Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort probably has the best club lounge of all the hotels in Florida.
The Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach has the best club lounge in Florida and is an impressive five-star with soaring floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers. It is ideal for families, weddings (there is a marvelous Vanderbilt Ballroom), and conventions.
Pros of the Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort include:
- Stunning Gulf of Mexico views from your room
- Gorgeous beach reached by a wooden walkway
- Super pool with water slides for the kids
- Excellent spa and fitness center with its many exercise classes
- Drop-off, supervised kids’ club for those aged 5 through 12 years & children’s scavenger hunt. Excellent activities are included in half and full-day sessions. Animal education with real-life animals, along with snacks and crafts to take home, are all included
- For teens, there is a video game room at the Beach Resort
- Beautiful sunsets
The Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort club lounge feels intimate and cozy compared to other resorts in Florida, such as the Ritz-Carlton Orlando. The lounge’s sunset views are a major selling point and mean that you don’t have to head down to the beach to enjoy the stunning sunset.
This club lounge offers 5 meals a day and an excellent breakfast with three hot stations with bacon, scrambled eggs, and pieces of French toast or pancakes. There’s also a cold breakfast buffet of smoked salmon, charcuterie, fruits and yogurt, muffins, croissants, bread, and gluten-free options. A Nespresso machine can be used for coffee.
There’s bread, deli meat, and sliced cheese at lunch to make sandwiches, wraps, small sandwiches, chicken, and salad.
The club lounge champagne is Pommery and is available in Brut and Rose throughout the day, as are soft drinks and cookies (5 different types). There are sunset views from the lounge if you don’t want to go to the beach. In the evening, there are hor oeuvres and chef-prepared dishes.
6. Ritz-Carlton South Beach, Miami
The Ritz-Carlton South Beach is an oceanfront luxury hotel inside a historic property designed by Morris Lapidus in the heart of the Art Deco District. It features a wonderful swimming pool, a stunning art collection, a modern spa, and an excellent Spanish restaurant, Tatel.
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach club lounge is located on the 10th floor and is reserved for Ritz-Carlton Club Level guests, only those staying in rooms on the ninth and 10th floors. The renovation in around 2017 reimagined the space to create more of a social, lobby-lounge feel, encouraging interactive experiences with guests.
There are five daily food presentations featuring select dishes off the menu of Bistro One LR, the hotel’s flagship restaurant, and biweekly cooking demonstrations from chef du cuisine Luis Quant and pastry chef John Martinez.
A mixologist prepares seasonal cocktails for guests at a weekly Cocktail Action Station. Other events, such as trunk shows, Espa product presentations, and wine and Champagne tastings from select vineyards, are also included if you have club lounge access.
7. Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne
Just 9 miles/ 14 km from the main Miami airport, this tropical island oasis is set on the eastern shore of a unique island that offers guests a tranquil haven, surrounded by golden sands (if thin and seaweedy – see below), gentle waters, and towering palms. With a décor inspired by West Indies Colonial design, the 12-acre oceanfront resort captures the beauty of its waterfront setting with floor-to-ceiling lobby windows that offer the first dramatic glimpse of palm gardens and the Atlantic Ocean.
450 guest rooms, including 37 suites, 64 Ritz-Carlton Club level rooms, and suites, each overlooking either the water or gardens. All guestrooms and suites welcome guests with feather beds and down comforters, Frette linens, and comfortable, Caribbean-inspired furnishings.
This hotel is not in central Miami and is instead 20-30 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Miami Beach. The beach here is somewhat disappointing, narrow, and full of seaweed, and golfing options are limited, too.
The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne club lounge gets excellent reviews and offers food presentations daily, breakfast, lunch, mid-day snacks and fine selections of wines, liqueurs, beers, and non-alcoholic beverages. There is complimentary wireless in-room Internet access for Club guests along with the pressing of two garments pressed daily.
This exclusive lounge is on the 9th floor and features an endless array of beverage and culinary offerings throughout the day, coupled with the finest personal service. Views from the lounge and adjacent Club Level guest rooms boast stunning panoramas of Key Biscayne and Biscayne Bay.
We highly recommend booking a room on the Club floor. It will almost undoubtedly work out cheaper than booking a standard room as you have all your meals catered for, for free, and the food in the lounge is excellent. A full breakfast buffet is served daily. Sandwiches are provided for lunch, and heavy hors-d’oeuvres for the early evening (lobster, crab, and other delicious offerings). You may choose to eat all your meals there and will certainly use it for breakfast and snacks and, of course, alcoholic drinks, which are available 24/7. You can choose from wine, Champagne, beer, spirits, and a selection of non-alcoholic beverages are available throughout the day.
Kids are welcome here. The lounge has a dedicated kids’ room, fully stocked with classic board games, TV entertainment, puzzles, and more. Along with glass candy, jars are filled with a variety of delectable delights, like the Executive Pastry Chef’s delicious cookies.
8. Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
This is the hotel with the best club lounge for the theme parks of Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld. While on-site hotels at both parks have club lounges, none is better than the club lounge at this Ritz-Carlton.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Orlando is a great luxury hotel choice. It is located in the Grande Lakes part of the city, within a short free shuttle ride to Disney and Universal (included with the resort fee of $35 USD per day). The resort fee also includes Wi-Fi, phone calls, the driving range, some kids’ activities, access to and floaties at the JW Marriott lazy river, and shuttle transport to Disney and SeaWorld (reservation required at least 24 hours in advance), and a one-hour bike rental.
The hotel is next door to the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. It’s about a 20-minute drive from Orlando Airport (MCO), and parking fees are around $40 USD per night if you have driven to the hotel.
I would choose this hotel because it offers luxury near the theme parks and an excellent club lounge. It also has three wonderful pools, a Ritz-Carlton Spa, a Greg Norman-designed golf course, and 11 dining options. You can also use the lazy river next door at the JW Marriott, which kids and the young at heart will love. The Ritz-Carlton Spa is also not to be missed, with its 40 treatment rooms, salon, private heated lap pool, and healthy spa café. Of note, the JW Marriott does not have a club lounge. Hence, you do better booking into a Club Room at the Ritz-Carlton and then taking advantage of the magnificent lazy river at the JW Marriott during your stay whilst retaining access to the RC club lounge.
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes is ideal for families, providing convenient access to nearby Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios attractions; plus, the Ritz Kids program is a favorite, and special excursions like kayaking, fishing instruction, and eco-tours allow for adventures while remaining in this 500-acre resort.
The highlight for me here is the pool, both here and next door at the JW Marriott, with its lazy river and the incredible views of the resort holiday fireworks from the club lounge balcony.
The club lounge is on the 14th floor and is classic in design with orange and cream tones, mainly orange soft furnishings and creamy marbles. The long, thin room is shuttered to one side with windows. The buffet here is delicious and filling, with 5 food presentations per day.
9. Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island
This Ritz-Carlton is completely different. Nestled on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic, The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island is a haven of unspoiled coastal beauty and Southern charm. Whether you prefer to try an 18-hole championship golf course, wiggle your toes in the sand, or enjoy the warmth of a beachside fire, this Ritz-Carlton is the perfect hideaway.
There is a mass of history on this island, from Fort Clinch State Park (10 minutes away) featuring swimming, fishing, and boating as well as tours of a historic pre-Civil War fort, The Amelia Island Museum of History (10 minutes away), presenting the complete history of Amelia Island and you can drive to St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city, offering horse-drawn carriage tours, quaint restaurants and charming boutiques (90 minutes away).
The Club Ocean View Room at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, offers Atlantic Ocean and sunrise views, Club Level access, and accommodations for up to four. The club lounge at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, includes complimentary food presentations daily, a dedicated Concierge, and access to Spa facilities.
10. The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge is a peaceful, exclusive retreat for leisure guests and business travelers. Located on the top floor, The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge is an exclusive space for guests to work or play while enjoying spectacular views of the Singapore skyline. It features dedicated Concierge services and five daily culinary presentations throughout the day. Club guests are invited to enjoy refined cuisine, unique experiential activities, or simply unwind.
The Club Lounge is open from 6:30 am – 11:30 pm daily. Breakfast is an excellent spread of fresh fruit, pastries & other baked goods, smoked salmon with all the trimmings, and several hot offerings. In the evening, expect cocktails & substantial hors d’oeuvres along with chocolates, dessert & cordials/drinks. The offerings are varied & substantial, more than enough to fill you up.
Clubroom and suite guests enjoy personalized check-in and check-out service and a dedicated Club concierge service. Guests may also enjoy a complimentary limousine drop-off service within the vicinity.
Guests below 12 years of age are welcome between 6:30 am – 6:30 pm, unlike the Mandarin Oriental, where kids are not allowed if they are under 12 years old.
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