More about The Ritz-Carlton South Beach
What you expect from a Ritz? YOU BET!
by A TripAdvisor Member
We went to Ritz South Beach for a weekend in late August and it was excellent! The first thing you notice at the Ritz is how friendly, polite, and helpful the staff is. Next, the hotel is great with very nice rooms, nice pool, and excellent beach. The pool is a little small for a 'resort' and was the most popular with the kiddies. But we didn't mind. We spent the days at the beach and then a short dip in the pool after a hot day at the beach. On the beach the chairs + towels are free. You pay $15.00 for the umbrellas because the guys setting them up and setting up your chair/towel are a separate company who contracted with Ritz. They are nice guys who work their butts off so either buy an umbrella or tip well. The mattresses, yes mattresses on the beach chairs and fitted towels (with Ritz logo) are awesome, if you can't sleep on these you are to high strung. The water was very warm in August as expected, but nice. As expected food and drinks are expensive. A six-pack of Corona on the beach (with a cooler to keep) was $48.00. It's $8.00 at CVS about 1/2 a mile down Lincoln drive. So many good resturants in SoBe that we didn't eat at all at the Ritz. No reason to. But overall a great hotel, and we will be going back at some time.
Typical Ritz experience...service above and beyond the expected
by TripAdvisor Member rflorez3
Just stayed here Aug 5, 2004 with my two seven year old daughters. The rooms were clean and beautiful and the beds to die for. The most comfortable beds you will ever sleep in. Everyone was very friendly with no less than four to five people greeting you by name upon entering and exiting the hotel. My twin daughters were treated like little queen's with the nightly service even tucking their baby dolls in with a mint next to their heads. The Ritz Club for kids was a blast for my little girls. They loved the counselors (Radan and Willy) whom were very attentive and entertaining for them. The food was excellent and the pool is clean and beautiful overlooking the beach. This is a classy hotel with a lot of European visitors and not what I would consider to be a party hotel. If you are looking for service above and beyond the expected and a romantic and/or good place to visit South Beach with your family...this is the place to stay. Not for those on a tight budget but worth every penny!
corporate hotel, staff try hard but no overall management
by A TripAdvisor Member
Hotel stylish but big, 375 rooms and has a corporate big company feel to it. If you want a real south beach deco experience not the place to stay. The staff try hard but no overall management so service is often very patchy. We are not fans of big hotels so although rooms ,bathrooms and public areas all very luxurious it just doesnt rock like some of the other hotels and feels too impersonal. We wouldnt stay here again its just too big and corporate for us.
Like a Kindergarten
by A TripAdvisor Member
My wife and booked a stay for our wedding anniversery. We usually stay at the Shore Club but since we were married at the Ritz I'd figured we'd try it out. I had called to arrange a rose-petal turndown and champagne and strawberries that I thought was going to be in the room upon check-in. It was not to be. Later in the evening we were called to see if we still wanted them and I said send the bubbly which we were promptly charged for (despite spending a FORTUNE on our wedding at another Ritz).
At the pool and even in our room, the crys of children were everywhere. There were more kids at the pool than adults. We don't have kids and were in sexy SoBe for romance so it was a more than a bit annoying. We checked out after one night and moved down the street to the Shore Club. After telling them about our experience at the Ritz, they said "Welcome home" and were greeted with a free room upgrade and FREE champagne and strawberries without asking.
The staff at the Ritz was very attentive and gracious and were even understanding about our checking out early- even they could not deny the sheer vloume of kids on the property. The rooms are nice, the pool is a little lackluster and the lobby is fabulous. If you want to bring the youngsters to South Beach, this is your place. If you want the sexy, adult vibe that is Sobe, then go directly to the Shore Club.
The Ritz...Not a 5-Star Performance
by A TripAdvisor Member
Just got back from a 4 night stay, and while we enjoyed the Ritz-Carlton, we felt it fell short of its 4-5 star rating. Overall the hotel looked and felt unfinished...a lot of construction going in and around the hotel. The fitness center was a joke, something you’d expect to find at an economy motel. Service at the poolside bar was agonizingly slow. One day housekeeping didn’t even bother cleaning our room, and when they did clean they did not do a good job, trash bins unemptied, dirty glassware and stained linens. The rooms however are gorgeous, and the beds are by far the most comfortable you’ll find anywhere. The pool area is perfect, but get there early for an umbrella. Yes there are lots of kids about, which did not bother us at all but gave the resort the feel of one of those family-type all inclusive clubs. If you want a 5-star resort, look elsewhere.
One of the best hotels in South Beach
by TripAdvisor Member irvoc_78
Having high expectations of South Beach, I wanted to stay at a hotel that would take advantage of the whole experience...I was definitely glad that I stayed here. (Especially after being let down on how dirty and run-down South Beach is) Not only is the architecture incredible but the service is friendly and prompt, which I later found out was extremely rare to find anywhere in the Greater Miami area. I booked pretty much the smallest room you can get (4th floor, no view) but even the small rooms here are nice. The decor is very light, bright and clean and the bathrooms, which are almost as large as the room itself is decked out in marble and has a separate soaking tub and shower. Very nice. The gym, while small and looking like it was placed in a temporary spot, has new cardio machines and weights and is the hotel's best kept secret. The pool area is also nice....take a swim in the pool and enjoy the architecture. However, the one thing that was a bit annoying was that you had to go through the fancy lobby bar and restaurant to go to the pool...and bring your own drinks and food to the beach because if the service was lacking anywhere at the hotel it was there...its like they put their staff in-training there. While still good, since this Ritz is new, the operation dosen't run as smoothly, as say the Ritz Carlton at Naples. Parking is EXTREMELY expensive, $25 a day, but in a place like Miami Beach it didn't really surprise me. Valet service was friendly and prompt. I was surprised by all the other reviewers complaining that this is a "family resort" when I saw hardly any kids. The Loews down the street was far more crowded and family-oriented. While its not as trendy and hip as the Delano or Shore Club, I'll take a hotel that has nicely appointed rooms and good service anyday over bad service, tiny rooms, and constant crowds!
Great Hotel, Service; very kid-friendly
by TripAdvisor Member Blue7870
We had a wonderful stay at the Ritz with our two kids, ages 2 and 4. The staff was very friendly and the service was excellent. They even sent up stuffed animals for the girls! The lobby is gorgeous, the food is great, the pool and bathrooms are a lot bigger than anything else on South Beach. Within walking distance to practically everything.
There were definitely a lot of people with kids at the pool...no problem for us, since we were among them, but I can see where that might annoy someone who didn't have children and wanted to relax. (In that case: go to the beach...or try the National!!)
A great stay at a great hotel...we will definitely go back as soon as possible!!!!
Great service, location
by TripAdvisor Member novacc20
Stayed at this Ritz in mid-Aug. '04. My room (deluxe king) was large with a huge bathroom. The separate shower was enough to fit 4 people in it! My room had a balcony with 2 chaise lounges, a table with 2 chairs, and nice view of the swimming pool and beach. Agree with over reviewers that the pool is loaded with kids but the beach is not. Overall fabulous service at the hotel; the employees were always attentive and eager to please. Fitness center, while small, has all new machines, plenty of towels, and FREE bottles of water. Hotel location is great - you can walk to the shops and restaurants on Lincoln Rd., and even walk down Ocean Drive along the beach to more restaurants and hip hotels/bars.
Only complaint is that a few weeks after my stay a $3.00 charge appeared on my credit card; when I called billing I was told it was for the honor bar but I never consumed anything from the honor bar. The woman offered to reverse the charge immediately, but I was irritated that they even tried to pull that stunt.
Nice Change for Attitude-Laden South Beach
by A TripAdvisor Member
Maybe not what I would expect from a Ritz Carlton somewhere else but for South Beach it more than exceeded expectations. The rooms are roomy by any standards, the lobby and pool area are very nice and the service is excellent (just a little slow pool-side but no SoBe attitude). Also, I found drinks and food prices to be much more reasonable than the Delano. Definitely the place to stay in SoBe if you’re looking for a nice mix of Ritz Carlton pampering coupled with SoBe’s hip ness.
Not great for a ritz carlton
by A TripAdvisor Member
Here for a conference. Average room. Above average beds.
Superficially friendly (lots of hellos), but no "guide to the hotel" book or a way to work out what's available.
Good location.
I wouldn't stay here paying my own money.
Not what you'd expect from a Ritz-Carlton.
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Marlins vs Reds 6/9/2008 (Junior hits #600!)
The Jewish Museum of Florida
South Beach Miami
Forum Posts
Question about Florida>Miami
by monicamu
We will be traveling to Miami in April for a week and really want to splurge on the hotel. The most important things to us are service, location(on the beach). We have tentatively booked at the Ritz in Key Biscayne/and Ritz South beach. but are worried about the service due to some postings on the internet...
Last time we went in July we stayed at the Bal Harbour Hotel and the service was realllly bad. When I ordered something from the staff it felt like they were giving it to me for free.
Would love any thoughts....Thanks for your time!
Re: Question about Florida>Miami
by Traveler223
You may also want to check out the Delano... as well as Loews.
Re: Question about Florida>Miami
by balisunshine
Try the Mandarin Orientle
