Merit Beauty Debuts at The Ritz-Carlton with In-Room Kits and Beauty Carts Across Seven North American Hotels

Merit Beauty, the New York-based clean beauty brand known for its minimalist approach, has entered the hospitality sector for the first time through a collaboration with The Ritz-Carlton. The partnership places Merit’s skincare and makeup products across seven North American properties, from Club Lounge beauty carts and in-room dining bundles to turndown samples and a signature cocktail.

The collaboration runs through summer and early autumn 2026 at Ritz-Carlton hotels in Toronto, Santa Barbara, Dallas, Washington DC, Naples (Florida), Los Angeles and New York, NoMad. The rollout covers multiple guest touchpoints rather than a single amenity placement.

Key facts

What the collaboration includes

At selected hotels, Club Level guests will find a co-branded beauty cart stocked with four Merit essentials: Great Skin Serum, a bi-phase hydrating formula; Great Skin Double Cleanse, which removes makeup and exfoliates; Clean Volume Mascara, marketed as lasting up to 16 hours; and Flush Balm in Postmodern, a deep pink-brown shade. Merit Beauty educators will also visit certain properties to offer personalised product guidance.

For guests not on Club Level, the room-service menu offers beauty bundles in a custom canvas pouch. Evening turndown service includes co-branded chocolates alongside skincare samples. Participating hotel bars serve a ‘Minimalist Martini’ paired with a sample of Merit’s Retrospect fragrance.

A limited-edition travel kit combining the same four products in a co-branded pouch with an exclusive keychain is available both in-room and online.

Brand strategy behind the move

‘Merit creates products that are meant to live with you, especially when you’re on the go,’ chief marketing officer Aila Morin told Wallpaper. For the brand, hospitality felt like ‘a natural step.’

The collaboration reflects a broader trend of direct-to-consumer beauty brands seeking physical retail and service environments to build brand loyalty. Hotels offer controlled, high-traffic spaces where guests can trial products without purchase pressure, a format that suits Merit’s pared-back positioning.

Why this matters for design and brand culture readers

For an audience following design culture, brand partnerships and hospitality trends, this collaboration illustrates how lifestyle brands are moving beyond retail stores into experiential hotel placements. The Ritz-Carlton, part of Marriott International, has increasingly partnered with curated brands for amenities and in-room experiences, positioning itself as a platform for brand discovery rather than just accommodation.

The selection of Merit — a brand built on a limited product range and a strong visual identity — also signals a shift in hotel amenity strategy toward deliberate, design-led curation rather than generic toiletry lines.

Source limitations

The information in this article is drawn from a Wallpaper editorial feature published August 18, 2026, and from the brand’s own communications. Specific dates for educator visits, the full list of Club Level hotels receiving the beauty cart, and the precise end date of the collaboration have not been independently verified. Readers should check with individual properties for availability of specific amenities.

Source: Wallpaper — Merit Beauty checks into The Ritz-Carlton for its first hospitality collaboration (https://www.wallpaper.com/travel/travel-events/merit-beauty-the-ritz-carlton-collaboration)