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The Club Lounge at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

The Club Lounge at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and a presentation of extraordinary food and drink selections throughout the day.  Is it worth the cost of reserving a club level room or upgrading to get club level access?


What is the Club Lounge?
The Club Lounge is exclusively for the comfort and convenience of Club Level guests, accessible by private key access only, and welcomes guests with its stunning views, refined and relaxed ambiance with comfortable lounge seating, personalized service and complimentary food and beverage presentations throughout the day.





Location
Club level rooms are on the fifth and sixth floors of the hotel with the Club Lounge located on the fifth floor.



Food and Beverage Presentations
The Club Lounge presents extraordinary cuisine throughout the day, from homemade pastries at sunrise to a delicious variety of hors d'oeuvres at sunset, with five culinary offerings throughout the day.  There is self-serve wine, alcohol and beer offered in the afternoon and evening as well.
  • Breakfast 7 - 11 AM
  • Lunch 12 - 2 PM
  • Lights Snacks 2 - 4 PM
  • Hors d'oeuvres and Cocktails 5 - 8 PM
  • Chocolates, Dessert and Cordials 8 - 10 PM

Is it Worth the Cost?
Club level rooms are priced above standard rooms and typically offer better views on the higher floors of the hotel.  

In most cases, the cost of having Club Lounge access is approximately valued at $100 per person per day, or at least what the Ritz Carlton typically values it at.  I would say Ritz Carlton club lounges are head and shoulders above other hotel offerings (Grand Hyatt locations for example), so you're paying for a premium experience, as well as better food and drinks.  

For $100 per person per day, you get all day access to food and drinks, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and complimentary wine and alcohol.  You can do the math on what you'd typically spend on all day dining and drinks to see if it makes sense for you, but in most cases you would likely break-even or even come out ahead when comparing it to the hotel dining choices and pricing.  If you have the Ritz Carlton credit card, the three Club Level upgrade certificates you receive are a huge benefit and can be worth a lot in value when using it for upgrading onto the Club Floor.    

The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay offers wonderful dining choices at Navio, the Conservatory and the Ocean Terrace and having Club Lounge access compliments these selections very nicely.  In this case having club lounge access would help save you money, although you may miss out on some of the dining experience offered at the hotel if you strictly relied on the Club Lounge for food.

Lastly, the convenience of having club lounge access cannot be overstated, especially with younger children.  When traveling as a family with younger children, having club lounge access is huge and in most cases there is no extra charge for kids under twelve.  Being able to grab food and drinks at your convenience, scheduling meals around kids nap times and not having to worry about dining reservations can be a good benefit to have.

Be sure to read more about the Ritz Carlton Stars Program and how you can gain a lot of extra value for your next trip here!