Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,728
While I have never stayed at that Ritz, I have stayed a couple of times at the Harbor Beach Marriott.
I guess the answer might depend on a couple of things. Do you want a hotel right on the beach? The Harbor Beach Marriott is right on the beach and a fairly nice area of the beach at that. I don't think the Ritz is right on the beach. I know the pool at the Harbor Beach is very nice, but I would guess that the Ritz would have a fairly nice one as well. Do you want to stay in Fort Lauderdale or Miami? Most of the rooms at the Harbor Beach are normal sized rooms, though it is possible you could score a room upgrade. Most Ritz hotels tend to have larger rooms with more or upscale amenities. So is that important?
My personal opinion is that the Harbor Beach Marriott is one of the nicest Marriotts I have ever stayed at. When I travel to the Fort Lauderdale area, I try my hardest to stay there. But I prefer Fort Lauderdale to Miami and love the beach access.
I suspect that either will be very nice and will probably work for you.