The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale

The Ritz Carlton Ft. Lauderdale, FL/USA, seems less posh than the buzzing RC South Beach, and less cozy family-style elegant than the newly refurbished RC Key Biscayne, but I felt nevertheless welcome after a long long flight from BER/MUC to MIA and a long limo ride from the airport to my hotel. Check-in was smooth and friendly, plus: I got a nice upgrade, an oceanfront residential suite on the 16th floor: Two big rooms – living room and sleeping room, a huge bathroom with jacuzzi tub, shower, wc, and an extra wc, a dining table + chairs, 2 huge tv monitors, several couches and easy chairs, and a full kitchenette – with nespresso machine, smoothie maker, toaster, micro wave, oven, fridge, and all the equipment you’d need to cook and dine. But then, more than I needed or used during my short stay, especially since I had access to the club lounge, where I could enjoy breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and desserts. One of the best features of my grand and beautiful suite – which seemed to have at least 80 sqm – was the huge double balcony, with an extraordinary view to the Atlantic, the pool and the beach, and its deckchairs, chairs and table. I felt tempted to spend the next weeks here. I loved lying in the huge king bed (2.40 x 2.40 m), balcony doors open, and listen to the waves crashing on the sand. A beautiful sound, indeed.
Another praise refers to the swimming pool – a huge deck on the 7th floor outdoors, with – again - a nice view to the beach (and beach access, of course), the fitness room, which is very well equipped, and the spa, which I did not try out, but which seemed nice and offers lots of services. Ritz Carlton hotels are – as far as the furniture style & bathrooms are concerned – a bit old-fashioned in their style, I’d say based on my experience of different properties of this chain in the USA, but I guess that this is meant to remember the elegance of another era. And different from other hotels or hotel chains, which try to preserve the aura of the past, Ritz Carlton offers enough sockets and USB connections in the room to charge the equipment we are all carrying with us these days. I am pretty sure that I will be back at the Ritz Carlton Ft Lauderdale, should the occasion arise. Although I was a bit disappointed by the Club Lounge, this time. The Club is an extra feat that the Ritz offers for a considerable extra amount of money. Whereas the Club in Fort Lauderdale has all those delicious meals five times a day plus snacks & non-alcoholic beverages all day (from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) you find at the other properties – I’ve stayed at Miami South Beach, Orlando Grande Lakes and Key Biscayne, among others – this one actually lacks the warmth and presence of the other lounges. I missed the warm welcome I received at the other lounges. In Fort Lauderdale all I got upon entering the club – the first day, but also the days after – was a polite nod in passing, and several times – especially in the morning – no club manager was present or reachable at all. So, if I book the Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale again, I’ll probably reserve without the Club extra.

Bottom Line Up Front: Would stay here again
Check-in: Normally if I check-in ahead of the designated check-in time when staying at a Ritz property, I am always accommodated. However, we had to wait until the designated time to check in which did take away some of the hospitality that I normally expect.
Room: we were upgraded and the room that we received was well appointed. However the noise level was surprisingly high! We were able to hear other guests walking past our door as well as in the next room. The walls are thin! First Ritz property that I have visited where this has been the case.
Gym: Well equipped and was never overly crowded.
Pool Area and Food: Evidently there are opportunities to purchase a one day pass to lounge at the pool. This makes the pool area very crowded for guests. I encountered a number of individuals that either had a one day pass or was just 'squatting' because they had just gotten off a cruise. This of course meant that pool chairs were not available and once we were able to get chairs, the service was definitely lacking!! Not to mention that the food was horrible. We sent back our tacos because they were cold and this is the first time that we could tell that they just put them in a microwave and sent the SAME tacos back to us. The shells were hard and they were soft tacos!! This was very disappointing! Normally the food item is remade completely.
Spa: Overall, nice accommodations and great snacks! However, it is small so there is no dedicated whirlpool but there is a steam room and sauna.
Overall, I would stay here again. I must say that there is a lovely aroma throughout the hotel. When you visit other hotels who don't pay as much attention to how guests comprehensively experience their accommodations (sight, smell and touch) you appreciate when a hotel makes sure to address each one.

The best part of staying at the Ritz Carlton Ft Lauderdale was the staff.The hotel itself is sub par for a Ritz Carlton.The rooms while kept clean could use a renovation as well as the public areas.The location is good, the beach is very very busy with a nice pool area. The price that they are charging is out of sight for what you are receiving. Also buyer beware the hotel is extremely inflexable if you are looking for any special favors or if a Blizzard arrives in NY. If you happen to get an inter coastal room be prepared for a 9 AM wake up construction call Monday to Friday.

Have stayed here before, it’s not bad, but I was a bit disappointed this time around. I can’t give five stars honestly.

I want to recognize Oscar Smith for the incredible job he did helping organize a very special weekend for the two of us at The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale.

Oscar was attentive, responsive, and genuinely invested in making sure every detail was just right. He coordinated everything seamlessly, from timed deliveries to concierge requests, and made the entire experience feel effortless.

The service throughout the hotel was impeccable. From the Burlock Coast restaurant staff to the Spa team, the valet team, and the concierge team, everyone went above and beyond. The food at Burlock Coast was absolutely delicious, and our two massage therapists at the Spa were outstanding. Their skill and professionalism truly elevated the entire experience.

Thanks to Oscar and the exceptional staff, the weekend was smooth, thoughtful, and truly memorable for the two of us. We will definitely be back again.

-P & L

The Ritz Carlton Ft Lauderdale did not disappoint. Great location, rooms, service and amenities. Everyone is super friendly, professional and accommodating. Don't miss free Gelato. Also coffee provided in morning was terrific. They also have nespresso machines in room.
The pool level (and bar)was overlooking the beach which was great for quite retreat.
Thumbs up!!

Went solo for a long weekend to recharge. The hotel was packed for Valentines Day and Presidents Day weekend. At check in I asked for a quiet waterfront suite far away from the pool. I was told they were limited rooms but they would try. I was put on the 9th floor directly facing the pool and it was pretty noisy. Everyone at the hotel was VERY nice and hospitable except one guy by the pool who helped with seats/towels- I believe his name was Matt? He told me there was a 15 min rule in effect, so if i left my chair for more than 15 minutes i would essentially be kicked out of my chair. I didnt hear him say that to anyone else, though it’s possible he may have. He kind of had edge when he said it. I had intended to tip him (and im a big tipper) when i stopped back at my room but saw no need after losing my seat.
I did in fact leave my chair for a spa treatment and I came back to him telling me with a smirk that i no longer had my seat (and he had my belongings at the stand). Not impressive that i’m spending money at the spa and losing my seat. Ive actually never had that happen at this caliber hotel…. And i didn’t go back to the pool for the rest of the trip.

That said there were some excellent people I want to mention: Travis at the spa gave me an outstanding massage. I am blanking on the name of the bartender by the pool who was absolutely lovely.
Service was slow for breakfast each morning but I didnt mind since i knew its a busy time and i wasnt on a schedule.
Rooms were clean and comfy. I am picky re that sort of thing.
Beach was pretty but across the street and crowded.
All in all— i wouldnt go back. At this price point Ive been to a ton of places that have given better service and felt much more higher end

Very beautiful suite with two balconies and the hotel is nice. Pool area is inviting and some lovely beach views. Friendly staff. Need a better breakfast cafe/coffee shop and limited services across the street at the beach, however, the beach is great! Would definitely stay again.

Spent ~$8k over 2 nights at Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale for my wife's 50th birthday, including $1,700 spa day. Spa staff aggressively confronted group poolside for return of robes (cold weather), roughly handled belongings (dropped phone in hot tub), refused ID, no apology—Carlos dismissed rudely. Zero follow-up despite elite status/survey/emails to GM; manager call said issue was "somewhere in the middle" and offered insulting $500 credit.

Where do I start. I am not even sure this really is a Ritz Carlton. Maybe a dupe and I didn't notice it was the "Ritzz Karlton." Terrible stay. Small stuff first - wasn't offered a glass of sparkling at check in. Was told I had club level/lounge access and was given an hours & info sheet. Thought maybe this was an upgrade or something. Tried to use the key to get in and nope. Called down oops. Too bad so sad. Entered room and a melted bucket of ice greeted us with a warm bottle of sparkling. Went to bed and the next morning all hell broke loose. Requested a high floor for reasons like we experienced during this stay - Got a room overlooking the AC units and the Marriott parking garage next door. If that was all it would be fine but they were doing construction and literally looking into our room. Could not use balcony. Hammering and using a high-pitched sander. And again, if that was all I would be extremely annoyed but not devastated. However, it was the total lack of response and professionalism as a hospitality company, not just a hotel, that set me off. There was no Gold nor Standards from the front desk, or management. I was offered a chance to move to a smaller room (we had three people) or same room a few floors above the noise that you could still hear from that room, or an owner room and....pay more! Not once did anyone come to the room to see what we were dealing with for themselves. I just got told hey, we don't have control over it. Well....last I check you are a Marriott in nice clothes. The work was at the Marriott next door. Don't BS me. Even if you didn't have control over it, you had control over what you could do to make up for it. No one cared. I even offered a solution. Since we could not get peace in the room and had to be out of it, let me access the club lounge for respite. The answer was sorry, that will cost you, we charge for that. I finally had to go in person to the front desk, show video and pictures of the debacle outside our room and I was to be told to be quiet and then they tried to intimidate me with two security goons. Didn't work. I asked for the General Manager and maybe this explains a lot.....He was missing. On a sold-out weekend during season and a national championship game down the road, the GEN MGR WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND OR REACHED. The response from management was pathetic and unprofessional. I have been to over half if not more of the RC properties. From Ed Staros' Naples flagship and the rest of the U.S., to a half dozen out of the country. I will say the one thing RC FTL did well was disappoint.
BTW - the pool was a letdown. Small. Sun only until 2pm because the building blocks it. Then a mad dash to the chairs by the rail for the last 30 min of sun. Doors says open dawn to dusk. Where I am from that means sunrise to sunset. Not 9am to 6pm or how ever long you could last in the shade. Oh and it's already small but 1/3 is reserved for unit owners?
We had breakfast included with our package. Went to the restaurant the first morning and was greeted by three hostesses standing around and had to wait because the servers were overwhelmed and understaffed. But they had three hostesses...Took forever to get a server and order. Food was meh. We didn't eat there again.
Lastly robes in the room are like rough tiny used Kleenex, and these were NOT RC beds or linens. Lastly the valet should put a water bottle in the car or at least ask when you depart.
All of these things are failures of attention to detail that you expect at the RC and we have received at every other RC for the most part. Instead, we got a heaping helping of attitude from EVERYONE at and behind that front desk and the little office they hide in behind it. Our experience will not have us back and I will go out of my way to make sure everyone knows RC FTL means Failure To Lead by the management.

Hotel is completely inflexible on changing dates. “We stick to our policy with no exceptions.” This despite my wanting to change to a longer stay later and needing to change because of the massive storm we’re expecting and airline advisories not to travel on Sunday. In many decades of luxury hotel travel, this is the first time a hotel won’t let me change dates when there’s an extenuating circumstance. What’s wild is that hotels where I have no status are reasonable, but this Ritz, where I have lifetime Plat status, tells me to pound sand. So they got me for a night and lost my business forever.

This location is not Ritz Carlton caliber. Main Lobby had no paper towels in men’s and ladies room. One morning at 9:45 they said the kitchen was backed up and that we had to wait 20 minutes. They wouldn’t offer us coffee or a drink at the bar while we wait so we left and went to another hotel. The hotel felt more like a glorified Marriot. We felt like they put the name on a hotel that was previously there. Very dissapointing. We were shocked. On a good note the staff was great!

Front Desk managers Glenny and Dalton helped to provide an amazing week at the beach. My Oceanfront suite was spacious, clean, well-appointed and comfortable. To the man who commented on the resort fee, that’s pretty standard and the property does not permit non-guests entry on the beach. I saw people that were not guests being turned away regularly. This is a solid property and the team is outstanding. The rooms have spacious living, bedrooms and bathrooms with Dyptique amenities. If you can get a higher floor with an ocean view, that’s a great start. The service level here was outstanding and it is one of the only properties that has a bridge from the pool deck to the beach so you can avoid crossing a1a at the street level. If you need a sound relax on the beach, this is it! I was truly impressed by how well this property worked together to create a welcoming, upscale, fun and relaxing environment. I will be back.

Endroit sombre et non accueillant

I stayed at this hotel and asked the team to help me with a surprise cake for my family. They went above and beyond to deliver a memorable experience on short notice. Jelyssa and Sam went out of their way to provide good customer service. The hotel is in a beautiful location along the beach in Ft. Lauderdale. I enjoyed the well equipped gym here. It was a great stay overall.

The worst experience I had in my life. During my stay we had 2 separate fire alarms, the first one at 3.05 am and 5 days later the second at 7.00 pm where we had to leave the room reached the stairs then the security tell us false alarm, you can go back to your room.
The club lounge is the worst I have been to ,better to eat at fast food restaurants then the club lounge, they charge you resort fees every day that covers the chair and umbrella in the mean time they rent them to the outsiders( not Guest) , I was denied entry because they did not have chair or umbrella available in the mean time I am paying for it unbelievable.
The building has 3 elevators most of times while I was there did not work or one of them is working and you have to wait 30 minutes to reach your room.
This hotel is too far from being luxury or worth the money, if next stay will be offered to me for free I will reject that offer, I will never stay in this hotel again,
The front desk director is the rudest person I have ever met or seen in my life.
I don’t recommend you this property, Motel 6 is much better

We stayed three nights in a beautiful ocean-view room overlooking their 7th floor pool area. It was spacious with an excellent bed and beautiful bathroom. Check-in was easy and friendly. We did have a few issues. The concierge first night did not seem very knowledgeable and got our dinner reservation wrong. She didn't want to call while we waiting, never left us a confirmation, and when we confirmed with the restaurant, she had booked the wrong evening. We asked another concierge the next day for directions to walk to a shopping area. He left out the fact that "right after the bridge" was actually a mile or more after the bridge. It would have been fine with a car, but not so good walking. Also, although the service in the restaurant for breakfast was very good, the food was mediocre. For the price, we would have hoped for a bit better.

My wife and I had purchased tickets for the Fort Lauderdale Winterfest Boat Parade and were looking to stay at a nice hotel in close proximity to the event.

The Ritz Carlton emerged as the optimal selection.

The hotel featured a stunning marble lobby entrance.

Additionally, it was adorned for the Christmas season.

The staff was exceptionally courteous and accommodating from the moment we arrived.

Beyond the expansive lobby entrance, there are several shops and Burlock, which is a sizable restaurant and bar.

Moreover, there is a lovely pool and spa located on the 7th floor, along with a walkway leading to the beach across the street.

Our room was tastefully updated and included a lanai that offered a captivating view of the pool and ocean.

It is an excellent choice for anyone visiting Fort Lauderdale.