The living room at the Ritz-Carlton in Denver.
By Aimee Heckel
For SpaTravelGal.com
If Cartier is the crown jewel of jewelry, then the Ritz-Carlton is the Cartier of hotels.
So when the two of them — Cartier and the Ritz-Carlton Denter — come together in Denver in November, it’s an occasion of international acclaim.
On Nov. 16, the Denver Art Museum is launching the world-exclusive exhibition, “Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century,” featuring about 250 pieces of jewelry and other exquisite objects designed by Cartier between 1900 and 1975.
The show is one-of-a-kind and will only appear at the museum. This is the first and only time these Cartier beauties have been brought together like this, event organizers say. See Franklin D. Roosevelt’s clock, the Duchess of Windsor’s flamingo brooch and famous jewelry from Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor.
In celebration of the exhibition, the Ritz-Carlton Denver is offering a special “Cartier VIP Experience package.” Guests will get two VIP, line-free access to the showing, as well as deluxe room accommodations in the Ritz’s spacious rooms, breakfast for two at Elway’s Downtown and a keepsake gift.
The Cartier package will be offered throughout the duration of the exhibit, through March 15.
Covered in Diamonds
The Ritz-Carlton Denver Spa is taking it one step further, by offering guests a Cartier-inspired treatment.
The Diamond Brilliance Lifting Facial is 80 minutes of relaxation and restoration that is designed to penetrate the deepest layers of your skin. The facial uses “diamond multisensoral lifting” to reinforce the natural defenses of the skin, hydrate and improve collagen and elasticity.
The Ritz spa is one of my favorite places in downtown Denver, and is one of the top spas in the state, with more than 6,000 square feet of nature-inspired tranquility, as well as a fitness center (featuring yoga, Pilates, indoor cycling and more).
Beyond the Cartier-inspired treatment, you can find fun every-day specials at the spa, such as Martinis and Massage Mondays (complimentary martini and 20 percent off any 50- or 80-minute massage) or Face the Weekend Friday (20 percent off any 50-minute or longer facial).
The hotel itself feels like its own elegant island in the heart of downtown. Here, it’s the little details that make a big difference, such as the champagne check-in, where guests are greeted with a complimentary glass of champagne and a cheerful, “Welcome home!”
Download the Ritz-Carlton app to allow for even more personalized service. With the app, you can check in and check out from your smartphone, as well as order food and beverages, get access to concierge tips and more. This month, the app launched a new “shareable Travel Poster feature,” where you can curate your own photos with filters, titles and stamps to create your own travel posters to share online or save privately.
Our room, the junior suite, was giant (1,000 square feet — bigger than my first home out of college!), and that’s just the jumping point. The Ritz-Carlton Suite is a whopping 3,030 square feet.
My room featured stunning views of the city, a marble bathroom with a glass shower and oversized jet tub and a walk-in closet the size of many other hotels’ bedrooms. Again, the details here added up. The desk featured a convenient drawer that was lined with outlets — like a power strip charging station for your technology, while keeping them out of the way (and keeping them all in one place, so you won’t accidentally forget your iPhone charger like I do 50 percent of my stays).
The turn-down service was a lovely surprise, with chocolates and water awaiting us when we returned from our late dinner. The bed was a big squishy marshmallow of comfort. Everything about our experience was peaceful and perfect.
It’s no surprise that the Ritz-Carton is the first and only hotel in Denver to be a four-time recipient of the AAA Five-Diamond Award. The Ritz is also ranked Four Stars by Forbes Travel Guide.
If only I could be “welcomed home” every day with diamond facials, champagne flutes and chocolates on my pillow.
