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The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey
Los Angeles, California, United States · Ritz-Carlton · High Luxury
The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey opened in 1989 with 304 rooms above the harbor Los Angeles County dredged from the Ballona Wetlands between 1957 and 1965. That basin is the largest man-made small-craft harbor in the country, with berths for more than 5,000 boats. Juliet balconies face the working marina, four miles from LAX, and Cast & Plow cooks California coastal food from an open kitchen on the water. Forbes rated the house Four-Star in 2026. AAA has kept it Four Diamond since 1990.
- 304 rooms
- Opened 1989
- Neighborhood: Marina del Rey
- Rooms from 360 sq ft (33 m²)
About The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey
- Part of the Ballona Wetlands dredged to build the harbor in the 1960s has since been partially restored just south of the marina, a corrective footnote to the original engineering project.
- The hotel sits at the start of the Ballona Creek Bike Path, a trail that runs inland to Culver City and north along the coast toward Santa Monica.
History
Marina del Rey did not exist until the federal government decided it should. The Ballona Wetlands that occupied the coastal lowlands south of Santa Monica had been identified as a potential small-craft harbor as early as the 1940s, but the scale of excavation required — dredging several hundred acres of wetland and tidal flat into a protected harbor basin — required the kind of investment and coordination that only a post-war California infrastructure boom could provide. Los Angeles County Harbor District initiated the project in 1957, and construction was completed in 1965, producing the largest man-made small-craft harbor in the United States: a marina capable of berthing more than 5,000 vessels, surrounded by apartment towers, boat yards, and waterfront restaurants built on land that had been marsh a decade before.
The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey opened in 1989, twelve stories above the harbor basin with views across the boats, the inlet channel, and the Pacific beyond. The 304-room hotel was the first luxury hotel on the marina and remains the address of record for business travelers needing proximity to Los Angeles International Airport — four miles south — combined with a waterfront setting that no airport-adjacent property can match. The Juliet balconies throughout the building are oriented toward the harbor, giving even standard rooms a relationship to the working marina that functions as a perpetual reminder of the site's industrial origin.
Cast and Plow, the hotel's California coastal restaurant, serves from an open kitchen with an outdoor patio overlooking the water, continuing the property's tradition of positioning the marina view as its primary dining amenity. The hotel sits at the intersection of the Ballona Creek Bike Path — a trail that extends inland to Culver City and north along the coast toward Santa Monica — and a marina that fills on weekend mornings with sailboats heading out past the breakwater into the Santa Monica Bay. The wetlands that were dredged to create this harbor are now partially restored just south of the marina, a corrective footnote to the original engineering ambition.
The setting
The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey sits at 4375 Admiralty Way on the shores of Marina del Rey harbor — the largest man-made small-craft harbor in the United States, excavated from the Ballona Wetlands between 1957 and 1965 and home to over 4,600 boat slips. The setting offers immediate waterfront access five miles from LAX, with the Venice Canal Historic District eighteen minutes by transit and Venice Boardwalk twenty-six minutes. Santa Monica State Beach and the Pier are within thirty-six minutes. The harbor's self-contained enclave of restaurants, sailing schools, and promenades gives the hotel a maritime resort character that inland Los Angeles neighborhoods cannot replicate.
Restaurants and bars
- Cast & Plow — Restaurant · Farm-to-table, locally sourced (operator describes it as "Co
- WAVE Bar + Grill — Bar · Cocktails and casual dining
Experiences
- Cast & Plow waterfront dining — Marina-front restaurant serving fresh, locally sourced cuisine and handcrafted cocktails, with panoramic water views.
- Sisley Spa treatments — Facials, massages and body treatments using Sisley products, with direct pool access and a couple's suite. Appointment required.
- Saltwater pool and whirlpool — Los Angeles' only waterfront saltwater pool, on one of the world's largest recreational marinas; heated outdoor pool and whirlpool.
- Ritz Kids — Ritz Kids Activity Book at the Front Desk; Butterfly Beach House from June through October to watch native butterflies develop.
- Tennis and pickleball — Marina Racquet Club runs two waterfront lighted tennis courts and three lighted pickleball courts onsite; clinics subject to availability.
- Private yacht charter — Private yacht excursions or dinner cruises on the marina, arranged by the hotel, just steps from the hotel.
Amenities
- Marina-view rooms and suites overlooking 6,500 boats
- Outdoor pool and whirlpool with cabanas
- Club Lounge on the 11th floor
- Concierge-arranged yacht charters and sunset sailings from the hotel dock
- Proximity to Venice Beach boardwalk and Santa Monica Pier
- Spa
- Sauna
- Fitness center
- Tennis
- Pet-friendly
- EV charging
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026)
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