Calling this number was surprisingly straightforward once you get past the fact that you aren't going to hear anything about Ritz-Carlton during your call. The first thing you need to know is that Ritz-Carlton is a brand that's now owned by Marriott, and all related correspondence will be Marriott-related.
This number appears to be a holdover from the days before Marriott took control of Ritz-Carlton, as it isn't referenced online anywhere. Searching for it yields no results, so you have to know this number to make the connection that it was a Ritz-Carlton number.
When I did get my connection established, I was taken to the main menu and thanked for calling Marriott. I was then asked how they could assist me, and I told them I was calling for questions about the card rewards program.
Specifically, I was curious as to how the years worked in terms of getting or not getting a higher status each year. Essentially, I was asking if someone was about to earn Platinum level for 2024, how long would they have in order to get to that level and secure it.
The representative told me that based on my activity, I had secured Elite status for 2024 in the fall of the previous year. I would thus have 14 months from the start of the calendar year to enjoy my newfound status. I would also need to achieve enough hotel stays in 2024 to maintain my newfound Elite status, which meant that I'd need to finish the year and travel multiple times to hold my status moving forward.
I was then asked if that had answered my question, and I said that it did. The representative then wished me a pleasant day and thanked me for choosing Marriott. I thanked them for their assistance and hung up at that point.
Overall, I thought there were definite positives to keeping alive a number that's not supposed to work properly active. The main plus is that it seamlessly integrates Ritz-Carlton's customers into the Marriott family with little issues with the infrastructure. No time is wasted in trying to get the customer support to work with you and provide solutions. The hotel simply goes about its business and establishes itself as the new choice for this client base, creating a strong first impression.
Given that several large brands choose to leave behind their past when they change their name, it was nice to see this one willing to take care of its older fan base by letting the old phone number still work. I was also pleased with the thorough explanation I got from the representative; it gave a nice sense as to what I am paying for. Based off this information, I would definitely use this number again if I needed assistance with the Ritz-Carlton or another Marriott property.