spgplat21

It's all subjective, but I think the St. Regis is a step above the hotels you've mentioned and rates have typically reflected as much. But I would say all of those places are in a great location this time of year and likely to be packed as well. The St. Regis (along with most high-end Florida resorts) has always been very busy between January and March during my past visits and this year may be even more packed with fewer people traveling internationally and south Florida being one of the top domestic destinations right now.

You can nitpick location, but I think the beach situation and being right across from the shops at Bal Harbour give the St. Regis a location edge against those other hotels for anyone not looking to partake in South Beach restaurants and nightlife (and I would assume fewer people are interested in those aspects of Miami right now). If I were paying cash rates and rates were similar I'd pick the Four Seasons down the street, but if you're looking for a luxury beach vacation in the US and want to use points or get benefits from Marriott status, you would be hard pressed to find many better places.

I don't know what's going on with current service levels and I wouldn't be excited about being in a packed hotel at the moment, but this resort is typically great. Standard rooms are pretty large and they all have ocean views. The family pool can get too crowded, but the adult pool is wonderful and the beach service is some of the best I've experienced in the US.

Overall, there just aren't that many places that can compete this time of year, especially on points bookings or for people with Marriott status. If you haven't been, it's worth a visit. I've been a little disappointed on my last few visits just because the hotel isn't quite as good as it used to be and upgrades have gotten much stingier, but I've recommended it to friends that have never been and they absolutely loved it. I also keep coming back and will likely return again early next year, because even with the drop off, it's still hard to beat for me.

svo242

Ahh I just saw they reopened Atlantikós and the St. Regis Bar is now open every day...I'm so torn whether or not to return in April! It does help that I can apply SNAs here and can't at the Ritz Sarasota...

cfabar1

How likely is it to get 4 PM late checkout as a platinum at this property?

svo242

Just my two cents, but they weren’t that great about it pre-pandemic (even as titanium in August), and recent reviews show they’re quite strict about checkout post-covid. In fact, they changed official checkout time from 12pm to 11am :/

SoCalNorCal

We are here now. It’s our first time to the St Regis Bal Harbour and man am I disappointed.

- no acknowledgment of my ambassador status at check in.
- staff is pretty cold, not friendly, and not too helpful
- the room is the biggest disappointment of all. It’s really warn and dated. The fixtures in the bathroom are falling off. The refrigerator is filthy. The room smells like cigarettes that have been covered up with air freshener. And the phone didn’t work when we checked in. I had to walk downstairs and ask for someone to come up to repair it because they weren’t responding to my requests on the Marriott App.

Another note, the hotel advertises a House Car available on a first come first serve basis (Escalade & Bentley). They have canceled these services due to covid.

It’s a bummer. Honestly I would have been happier at the Residence Inn down the street at a massive cost savings.

Ryno1234

Wife and I had long weekend last fall here during covid. I agree with your first two points SPOT ON. I actually had the ambassador team reach out to the hotel in advance. AND I have a good friend who is a VP with Marriott who also reached out to the GM on our behalf(he even BCCd me on the email so it was sent) and we got ZERO recognition at any point during our stay. Staff seemed to be totally disinterested.

as for the room: our room was fantastic! it wasn't an upgrade, but it was clean, roomy, modern etc. We were on a high floor about half way back so our view was partial ocean front, but we loved the balcony. The adult pool had weekend waiter service, but it was really slow. The gym was nice but was way too crowded. We did like the relative ease of beach access. And the restaurants and shops within walking distance were very convenient. we didn't try the cars.

We would look for an alternate property if we went back to the area any time soon.

svo242

Ahh reviews like the above make me nervous about my upcoming stay...I can deal with some service mishaps but a room in that condition is unacceptable in this price (or point) range, IMO.

cfabar1

Wow.... we were thinking of doing a couple day stay this Summer, but this does not sound encouraging......

DCADavis

These recent reviews and the e-mail below from the hotel have me rethinking this visit. Currently have a FHR booking for the majority of our stay, but the wife decided to use a horde of Bonvoy points to add a day on the front end. May just go to Eau Palm Beach now.

"We would like to thank you again for booking your stay at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, and very much look forward to hosting you.
In the event that you need to cancel your reservation, you will receive a full refund if you cancel seven days prior to your anticipated arrival. If you cancel your reservation fewer than seven days before your anticipated arrival or if you do not arrive for your reservation, the hotel will charge the equivalent of one night, a total of $1,244.00, to the credit card used when making the reservation. Any Marriott Bonvoy points used for the reservation will be refunded to your Bonvoy account.
Should you depart early during your stay, an early departure charge of one night's room rate will be assessed to the credit card used when making the reservation. Any Marriott Bonvoy points invested in the remaining nights will be refunded to your Bonvoy account.
If you have any questions regarding this cancelation policy or your stay in general, please feel free to reach out to me.
We look forward to welcoming you to our iconic resort at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort."

friedablass

Any suggestions for a comparable property to this one in the Sunshine State? I agree with the previous couple of posters that it's time to move my business elsewhere.

TBRIC

I have found the RC Naples to be really nice. You won’t get any bargains here either with points or dollars, but an excellent vacation spot. (I’m referring to the one on the beach - there is also a golf resort which I haven’t stayed at)

cfabar1

I’m inclined to try the Miami Beach Edition if you want to stay in Miami....

Otherwise there are many other legendary hotels in South Florida - The Breakers Palm Beach comes to mind for example. THe problem I have is, given the price, I expect the stay to be just about perfect. I’m not sure I’m going to get that. Maybe Marriott Palm Beach/Singer Island?

The Ritz Bal Harbour is nearby, but as a Platinum or above, I am generally leery of staying at Ritz Carltons due to the lack of benefits.

svo242

I personally was not a fan of the Breakers - great grounds, but small, old rooms and crowded amenities. I am still debating between this property and Ritz Sarasota - beach club looks great there, but not sure the hotel is at the same level as the StR.

cfabar1

Ritz Sarasota is a property I was considering for a while. I just hate the idea of being a "second class citizen" at RC properties... No lounge access, no breakfast, etc. It really rubs me the wrong way....

friedablass

Same here. This is a grievance that is constantly being aired regarding RC properties and I don't know why why there isn't anything that can be done about it.

On the other hand though, it doesn't seem like this particular St Regis is very forthcoming with elite benefits either other than what they're forced to do, nor do they seem to be interested in giving their guests a memorable or as perfect as possible stay.