At The Ritz-Carlton, we have a genuine commitment to be supportive to the community and sensitive to the environment. Our environmental responsibility initiatives deliver an unparalleled guest experience while protecting our natural resources. We are committed to engaging our Ladies and Gentlemen in a comprehensive sustainability strategy, led by our property-based Ritz-Carlton Environmental Action Conservation Teams (REACT). Within our hotels, we are mindful of our impact on the environment by reducing energy and water usage, offering a linen and terry reuse program, implementing recycling initiatives, and utilizing environmentally preferable cleaning products. Our Ladies and Gentlemen are proud to offer organic and local foods in our restaurants, organic treatments and products in our spas, paperless billing to guests upon checkout, and continuously seek opportunities to purchase more sustainable products throughout the hotel. Locally, our Ladies and Gentlemen work to better the environment through community projects such as native plant restoration, the protection of endangered species and the creation of community gardens.
A memorable and enriching stay can extend well beyond our hotels. That’s why The Ritz-Carlton proudly offers Impact Experiences, providing inspiring opportunities for our guests to contribute to the local community. Impact Experiences are compelling social and environmental impact activities where there is one constant – each program makes a lasting and authentic difference.
Impact Experiences offers on-property activities that can be incorporated in the conference agenda during lunch breaks, receptions and coffee breaks, including:
- Partnering with the hotel’s culinary team to prepare the ingredients for a regionally adapted dish for donation to a local hunger relief organization.
- Assembling school supplies and art materials in backpacks for donation to students whose academic success is threatened by poverty.
- Collaborating in teams to assemble emergency preparedness kits for shipping to a disaster relief facility or community organization.
- Designing and creating greetings and birthday cards for children in a local pediatric healthcare facility or children’s organization.
- Impact Hour, a platform for leaders from The Ritz-Carlton Community Footprints partner organizations to showcase how they are successfully addressing social and environmental issues.
Additionally, Signature Impact Experiences invite our group guests to take part in an off-site volunteer activity, unique to the destination.
Serve the Sheep
Help the Bighorn Institute, dedicated to the conservation of the endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep, native to California. Group guests can help maintain the sheep’s protected habitat and preserve their sole source of water by clearing the area of invasive plants and overgrowth. The work also helps diminish the danger of predatory attacks on the herds.
Please contact your meetings and special events professional for details on how Impact Experiences can be matched to your group.
GROUP ENHANCEMENTS
Group Exercise Classes
The mission of The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Rancho Mirage fitness team is to educate and motivate individuals to achieve their goals and exceed their expectations through instruction and guidance designed to enhance results and provide an improved quality of life. All classes are customized to your group’s needs with beginner, inter-mediate, and advanced class options. Classes include Yoga, Desert Boot Camp, Group Spin, Yoga Hike, Morning Stretch, Organic Skincare Workshop, and Guided Hikes.
CULINARY ACTIVITIES
Guacamole/Salsa Challenge
This challenge works well for a smaller group. Teams are broken up into 2-4 guests. We have the station set for everything they could need. Each team can go to the “food rack” for special ingredients that they would like to include. From there, they make and prepare their Guacamole and salsa for taste testing. Our Banquet Chef will demonstrate how to make each item, while attendees observe and potentially utilize while preparing their own guacamole/salsa.
Tapas
A little of a lot is a good thing! Our Chef will teach the group to make custom-made Tapas that will delight any crowd. Individual stations will consist of cooking equipment and product.
Pasta Making Class
Enjoy the music of Frank Sinatra as our Chef guides you in a class of making fresh, delicious pasta paired with both an Alfredo as well as a classic Pomodoro sauce. The pasta dough will be expertly crafted and prepared for your group by our culinary team. Creativity is encouraged as each individual prepares their custom pasta dish with a selection of fresh vegetables, herbs and spices.
Whiskey Tasting
Whiskey is not easy to embrace. It’s alcohol level is much higher than beer or wine. Whiskies are rich and diverse in flavors-more than any other distilled spirit. At their extreme, the really smoky, peat-infused Scotch Whiskies can be downright challenging. Our Whiskey Expert will provide a general overview of one of the world’s finest pours.
Wine Tasting – Aroma Wheel of Fortune
Challenge your senses and identify some of the key aromas found in the most common varietals. Discover why and how we taste wines with this certified sommelier led activity. Then, go head-to-head in a team aroma challenge to identify scents and fragrances in a unique challenge. Of course, to add to the challenge, you have to do this while enjoying some world-class champagne, and the added pressure of bragging rights!
Master Taster
Attendees are led through an interactive tasting of four sommelier selected wines and assorted food items. Experience why chocolate might not be Cabernet’s best friend, or why wedding cake might be better off without Champagne.
Tequila Tasting
Travel South of the Border to Central Mexico to explore the world of Tequila. This seminar will explore the beautiful terroir of the highlands and lowlands of Jalisco, the region where Tequila is grown and produced.
Golf
We partner with Redd Golf for your group’s golf needs. Redd Golf’s staff of PGA Professionals will handle every detail of your event; from site selection to food and beverage planning to logoed amenities. Your event will be virtually turn-key and as memorable as the courses you will be playing.