This review is only of the lobby, front door/valet staff and the 19th floor roof which houses a vegetable garden and two hives of Cloister Honey bees.
I arrived shortly before my CH tour, which began at noon. I opted to park at the nearby Bank of America parking garage, which is literally on the same block and very easy to locate. I saved $6 by parking at this lot versus the hotel. Event parking at the Ritz costs $18 and all day is $38.
The valet all spoke politely to greet me as I entered and I quickly found my group, which gathered in the lobby. Valet offered me complimentary fruit when I left. I ate the pear yesterday when it ripened; it was very juicy. I took two oranges after they urged me to. Lol
The CH owner led us to the rooftop and educated us on the life cycle of bees, their importance in the environment with the pollination of crops and the production of honey. The speech and question /answer session was very informative and interesting. Next, he opened the wooden box so we could look and see the bees completing their normal tasks, and the honeycomb where both nectar and honey are stored. The box is only roughly 1 foot high by 1.5' wide weighing approximately 120 pounds and a hive population of 60,000+... I was simply amazed! We could visibly see the bees returning to the hive with thick yellow stuff clinging to their rear legs, which is pollen!
The tour was extremely insightful and educational. I highly recommend it.
Last impressive point, the Ritz earned the LEED green, environmental standing in 2010.