The Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale is one of the older luxury hotels located along the beach. When it was built the options in the area were lackluster, however since then, the hotel has been surrounded by new comparable properties including the Four Seasons and thew new(ish) Conrad. How does the Ritz Carolton hold up?

Review Context

I review hotels based on how they are advertised. The Ritz Carlton FLL advertises itself as a 5-star luxury hotel and I will be assessing it based off that.

Location

 The location of the Ritz could not be better for those looking for easy access to the beach. The hotel sits literally across the street from San Sebastian beach, a popular LGBTQ, but one can easily walk to areas without the gays for something quieter. I am gay and would prefer somewhere quieter myself 😊.

Booking

The Ritz is quite expensive, rates are as high as 1,000 USD a night in peak season which of course is when we visited. However, I have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card. The card costs a whopping $650 dollars a year but offers such great value that I just can’t seem to cancel it.

• $300 in dining credits a year. Can be used at any restaurant anywhere.
• Marriott Platinum Status (free breakfast and lounge access at most properties)
• 1 free night a year at a Marriott property

I used my free night for our room. The room would have cost us $1,000 dollars, but with the card, it was free. Plus, my 300-dollar dining credits a year…that $650 is a steal, along with many other perks I did not even list.

Checking In

When I stay at 5-star hotels, I expect a bit of oomph. In Thailand I got out of my car and experienced amazing service whether it was porters taking all our bags, beautiful fresh flowers everywhere, comfortable check-in tables and ample snacks and water to keep us refreshed…

At the Ritz FLL, no one opened the door for us, no one took our bags, we waited on line to check-in like we were at a Courtyard Marriott, and we received a free bottle of water. None of these things are terrible in of itself, and I understand this is a first-world critique, but at a five-star hotel I expect more.

The lobby also was tired and desperately needing a refresh. It felt more like a convention hall than a luxury hotel

Room

We were upgraded to a Junior Suite (with my platinum status due to my credit card above) which worked out great as Marius got a pull-out couch instead of the floor (jk, we would have gotten him a cot) .The room was spacious with a lot of natural light and a lovely downtown FLL view. I told the hotel we prioritized a larger room over ocean views as FLL beach is loud and we were about to be on a cruise for a week and would have plenty of sea views.

It was weird that we had this massive balcony with 2 pathetic chairs. This would be fine at the Hampton Inn, but I expect better from the Ritz. The bathroom was large but dated.

Food

Burlocks Coast is the Ritz Carlton’s all-day dining, and it is a wonderful restaurant. Matt and I frequently ate here when we lived in FLL, and the food and views are always on point. Food along FLL beach is meh, but you will always do well here.

Service

If I was judging the Ritz as a four-star hotel then I would be totally happy with the service. Everyone was quite nice and did their job pretty well. However, this is a five-star hotel and there were just too many slips. For example, by the pool the attendants were not particularly helpful in finding a chair nor did they get me a towel. I am pretty sure in the Maldives; my butler would have literally carried me to a well-prepared lounger if I asked. The service we encountered throughout the property was just missing that extra oomph I would expect for $1,000 a night.

Final Thoughts

Here is the problem. Unless you want to spend more to stay at the Four Seasons, the reality is the hotel scene along FLL beach is lackluster. The Ritz is dated and can use some service enhancements, but the hotel is quite nice for the area. I would never spend $1,000 a night on this, but it was a terrific use of my free night from my credit card. If being steps from the beach is important to you then I think this property has much to offer compared to its competitors nearby.  Our room was nice, the beds were comfortable, and the food is always excellent at Burlocks.

****/5

Bon Voyage,

Email: andrew.reiser@fora.travel

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Website: Andrew Reiser Fora

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