Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne [Master Thread]
Dec 21, 2018, 9:52 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, southwest A List Preferred, American Platinum
Posts: 255
Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne [Master Thread]
I am going to be in the Miami area for business in January and decided to stay an extra 5 days. Usually stay at St Regis Bal Harbour but no availability. The Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne is available. Are they similar? Are the rooms and beach nice? Can you walk to restaurants and shopping like you can at the St Regis?
Jan 21, 2019, 1:24 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Gold and Current Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 280
Trip Report - Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne Miami
Checked in on points for a 3-night stay over MLK 2019. The resort is part of a larger development that also includes several condo buildings and a large tennis center. A long driveway with several twists and turns (and a gate house) delivers you to the Porte Cochere familiar to many of the Florida Ritz Carltons.
Initial impressions are that the resort could use a little TLC. The entry and lobby could use some touch up paint, the exterior could use a full coat of paint and some significant roof repairs (dozens of missing tiles etc). I’m guessing they still have some work to do to repair from the most recent hurricane. That said the rooms, guest floors, restaurants, etc. have all been recently renovated and, though it was not a true top-to-bottom reno it was clearly significant. Nice bright, airy, luxurious beach feel throughout the property without being over-the-top glitzy.
As noted we were on points and therefore had a low floor parking lot view reserved. We also arrived about 10:30am. We were given an upgraded high floor room upon arrival. Check in was great and friendly.
Room is nice and recently renovated as noted. Similar to comments above a little TLC would go a long way. Towel bar was loose, patio needed some paint touch up, etc. Overall a great room though - looks exactly like the website, fairly large, great fan. Only serious complaint would be that there’s only one sink, not two.
As for food the Lightkeepers restaurant is where we did most of our eating. It’s breakfast lunch and dinner (though note Sunday brunch can’t be done a la carte in the dining room - it’s a $90++ affair only that day). Great patio, lovely open-air bar and regular doses of live music or DJ depending on the day and hour. Can’t speak to the morning breakfast buffet but the a la carte breakfast was excellent. There’s also a coffee shop in the lobby that serves Starbucks-esque coffees and breakfast sandwiches, fruits, croissants, etc.
There are also a burger place called Dune adjacent to the adult pool, a Mexican place called cantina next to the kids pool, an ice cream joint called scoop next to the kids pool, and a lobby bar (inside only) called Rumbar. Mexican and burgers were great - didn’t try Scoop or Rumbar. Rumbar is a little dark inside and I think has more of a Cuban feel.
All the outlets are priced at a resort price point - higher than what you’d prefer - but I didn’t feel gouged except for the $90++ brunch on Sunday. The best deal on property is the Monday-Friday happy hour at the Lightkeepers bar... cheap bar bites and drinks from 5-8pm.
A couple other comments: the best part of the property is probably the separate adults and kids pools. They are far enough apart to where you can’t hear the other one. Each has good drink and towel service and are just steps to the beach. We went to the adults pool each day and loved it. The beach must have been hurt by the recent hurricane as it was pretty narrow and didn’t live up to the “best beach” comments I’d read on other forums.
Some have noted this is a conference heavy hotel. That seems accurate. There was a corporate conference while we were there... however, aside from one evening a dinner taking over the central patio, we didn’t really notice it. My experience is that it probably shouldn’t be too big a deal, but YMMV.
We were not charged a resort fee - I’m guessing due to the stay being on points (even though I was expecting to pay it). I actually wouldn’t have complained too hard because of the excellent towel service at the pool plus what has to be one of the best spa area service experiences I’ve ever had. $35 resort fee daily includes access to spa locker rooms, showers, jacuzzi, sauna, steam, and relaxation room. Omar is the staffer in this area and he treats everyone in the men’s area like a king. I went every day for a jacuzzi, sauna, steam ritual with cucumber eye treatment. Omar is the best employee in the hotel.
If you are a tennis player you’ll love this property. Ten courts in top notch condition and a $15/person/day fee covers unlimited time plus refreshments, towel service, and a can of balls. We played essentially every day while we were there. The fitness center is also very large, pleasant, and full of newly updated equipment.
Other asked about the local area. It is about a ten minute walk to the town outside the gates. There are a few restaurants and a grocery store - mostly a selection of strip malls. We only left the property once for a dinner at Novecento. This is an excellent Argentinian restaurant and it’s just a couple minutes walk beyond the property’s gate; they also have a nice patio.
We did have one issue with service during the stay. There was an unacceptable issue with housekeeping on the first evening of our stay. I immediately complained in person to the manager on duty at the front desk and, to her and the property’s credit, she took responsibility, apologized appropriately, and provided a $200 credit to our account to make it right. It was nice to see the management step up and do the right thing without any prodding.
To summarize I really only have a few minor quibbles with this property. A little TLC on the paint and maintenance would go a long way towards putting it towards the very top of the list. But overall it was an excellent stay and I’d recommend to anyone looking for the non-South Beach (read: more relaxing) vacation scene in Miami.
Initial impressions are that the resort could use a little TLC. The entry and lobby could use some touch up paint, the exterior could use a full coat of paint and some significant roof repairs (dozens of missing tiles etc). I’m guessing they still have some work to do to repair from the most recent hurricane. That said the rooms, guest floors, restaurants, etc. have all been recently renovated and, though it was not a true top-to-bottom reno it was clearly significant. Nice bright, airy, luxurious beach feel throughout the property without being over-the-top glitzy.
As noted we were on points and therefore had a low floor parking lot view reserved. We also arrived about 10:30am. We were given an upgraded high floor room upon arrival. Check in was great and friendly.
Room is nice and recently renovated as noted. Similar to comments above a little TLC would go a long way. Towel bar was loose, patio needed some paint touch up, etc. Overall a great room though - looks exactly like the website, fairly large, great fan. Only serious complaint would be that there’s only one sink, not two.
As for food the Lightkeepers restaurant is where we did most of our eating. It’s breakfast lunch and dinner (though note Sunday brunch can’t be done a la carte in the dining room - it’s a $90++ affair only that day). Great patio, lovely open-air bar and regular doses of live music or DJ depending on the day and hour. Can’t speak to the morning breakfast buffet but the a la carte breakfast was excellent. There’s also a coffee shop in the lobby that serves Starbucks-esque coffees and breakfast sandwiches, fruits, croissants, etc.
There are also a burger place called Dune adjacent to the adult pool, a Mexican place called cantina next to the kids pool, an ice cream joint called scoop next to the kids pool, and a lobby bar (inside only) called Rumbar. Mexican and burgers were great - didn’t try Scoop or Rumbar. Rumbar is a little dark inside and I think has more of a Cuban feel.
All the outlets are priced at a resort price point - higher than what you’d prefer - but I didn’t feel gouged except for the $90++ brunch on Sunday. The best deal on property is the Monday-Friday happy hour at the Lightkeepers bar... cheap bar bites and drinks from 5-8pm.
A couple other comments: the best part of the property is probably the separate adults and kids pools. They are far enough apart to where you can’t hear the other one. Each has good drink and towel service and are just steps to the beach. We went to the adults pool each day and loved it. The beach must have been hurt by the recent hurricane as it was pretty narrow and didn’t live up to the “best beach” comments I’d read on other forums.
Some have noted this is a conference heavy hotel. That seems accurate. There was a corporate conference while we were there... however, aside from one evening a dinner taking over the central patio, we didn’t really notice it. My experience is that it probably shouldn’t be too big a deal, but YMMV.
We were not charged a resort fee - I’m guessing due to the stay being on points (even though I was expecting to pay it). I actually wouldn’t have complained too hard because of the excellent towel service at the pool plus what has to be one of the best spa area service experiences I’ve ever had. $35 resort fee daily includes access to spa locker rooms, showers, jacuzzi, sauna, steam, and relaxation room. Omar is the staffer in this area and he treats everyone in the men’s area like a king. I went every day for a jacuzzi, sauna, steam ritual with cucumber eye treatment. Omar is the best employee in the hotel.
If you are a tennis player you’ll love this property. Ten courts in top notch condition and a $15/person/day fee covers unlimited time plus refreshments, towel service, and a can of balls. We played essentially every day while we were there. The fitness center is also very large, pleasant, and full of newly updated equipment.
Other asked about the local area. It is about a ten minute walk to the town outside the gates. There are a few restaurants and a grocery store - mostly a selection of strip malls. We only left the property once for a dinner at Novecento. This is an excellent Argentinian restaurant and it’s just a couple minutes walk beyond the property’s gate; they also have a nice patio.
We did have one issue with service during the stay. There was an unacceptable issue with housekeeping on the first evening of our stay. I immediately complained in person to the manager on duty at the front desk and, to her and the property’s credit, she took responsibility, apologized appropriately, and provided a $200 credit to our account to make it right. It was nice to see the management step up and do the right thing without any prodding.
To summarize I really only have a few minor quibbles with this property. A little TLC on the paint and maintenance would go a long way towards putting it towards the very top of the list. But overall it was an excellent stay and I’d recommend to anyone looking for the non-South Beach (read: more relaxing) vacation scene in Miami.
Jan 31, 2019, 8:53 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Gold and Current Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 280
Update - ten days later but no points credit posted from the incidentals from our stay. Followed up with Marriott Rewards this morning in an attempt to have the missing stay post to my account.
Sep 30, 2019, 9:14 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NC
Programs: AAConciergeKey/1MM, DL DM/2 MM, UA Gold,Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 11,962
Any updates at this hotel in terms of room decor and amenities for Titanium members or those that book Virtuoso rates?
Apr 18, 2021, 6:31 pm
#10
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Gold and Current Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 280
Trip Report April 2021
Stayed for three nights in April on a AAA rate - $479 Thursday and $629 Friday and Saturday nights. Overall the review is similar to my last stay in January 2019 - this is a good hotel that I really enjoy, but it needs some CapEx and maintenance TLC now more than ever.
We were here to celebrate a birthday and the staff did a great job putting decorations for us in the celebrant’s room. They handed instructions for early arrivals and room assignments correctly, and placed our portion of the party in an upgraded king room overlooking the ocean on the top floor (quite an upgrade considering our rate should have put us in a low floor parking lot view - I am Platinum). I like the room layout at this resort in the sense that they are pretty large and wide, and include a small fridge and kitchen area if you want them. The big downside is the bathroom doesn’t have a separate shower and there’s only one sink - big negatives.
But the bigger negative here is the same problem I noted in my review above 27 months ago, just worse now - an old hotel showing it’s age, and ownership clearly not investing in upkeep, maintenance, and capital expenditures. First off, the entire place needs a new coat of paint. Lots of missing roof tiles, shabby exterior, air vents falling out, panels loose in elevator, lights out in the lobby, mildew around hvac vents in hallways, stained carpets, doors that creak and desperately need paint, etc. I could go on but you get the picture. This hotel has to be 30 years old and it shows because they just aren’t keeping the place up. It’s unacceptable at the rates they charge. The cushions at burger bar Dune are gross. My frat house had cleaner couches.
That said, the hotel shines in other areas. Service here is not perfect, but it is head and shoulders above the sister property on South Beach. Servers remember your name and your drink. Front desk is friendly, proactive, great with upgrades and general care. The bellmen are terrific. Poolside was a little hit or miss, but some of the folks there were really outstanding. It’s clear that someone is getting across a good service message to the teams on the ground.
When we woke up the first morning to screaming children in the room next to us (which had a connecting door - to be clear they weren’t in our party) I knew we’d have to move rooms. The front desk was awesome, securing an even better room facing the adult pool and the ocean on a quiet corner of the hotel. Great stuff.
Some other highlights: Can’t say enough about the awesome adult pool here, and would assume that parents of children would say the same about the family pool. Both pools are large and provide the experience they respectively should. The food at all the outlets is really good. Lightkeepers in particular is a very good restaurant, but food was consistently excellent for every meal at all four locations. Bars were quick and beers were cold.
If you’re a tennis player I’d put the tennis facility up against any hotel tennis center. Awesome courts and service (I’d guess they have 12 clay courts plus paddle). Only downside would be the tennis clubhouse itself - it hasn’t been touched since the year it was built and man is it in rough shape.
The Ritz Key Biscayne is a great place to visit since you’re far enough from the action to truly relax at the hotel, but with plenty of things to do if you want to go off campus. Would highly recommend Ristorante Forchetta if you want great Italian just a fifteen min walk away. La Mar in Brickell is another highlight if you are really looking for a special occasion dinner - the patio setup is perfect and the food was killer.
Overall I still really enjoy this hotel and would go back... but I just wish they would start investing in the physical plant. A couple more years of this glaring neglect and I will have to stop visiting... they’ll need to take away the Ritz flag and call it a Sheraton. I guess time will tell.
We were here to celebrate a birthday and the staff did a great job putting decorations for us in the celebrant’s room. They handed instructions for early arrivals and room assignments correctly, and placed our portion of the party in an upgraded king room overlooking the ocean on the top floor (quite an upgrade considering our rate should have put us in a low floor parking lot view - I am Platinum). I like the room layout at this resort in the sense that they are pretty large and wide, and include a small fridge and kitchen area if you want them. The big downside is the bathroom doesn’t have a separate shower and there’s only one sink - big negatives.
But the bigger negative here is the same problem I noted in my review above 27 months ago, just worse now - an old hotel showing it’s age, and ownership clearly not investing in upkeep, maintenance, and capital expenditures. First off, the entire place needs a new coat of paint. Lots of missing roof tiles, shabby exterior, air vents falling out, panels loose in elevator, lights out in the lobby, mildew around hvac vents in hallways, stained carpets, doors that creak and desperately need paint, etc. I could go on but you get the picture. This hotel has to be 30 years old and it shows because they just aren’t keeping the place up. It’s unacceptable at the rates they charge. The cushions at burger bar Dune are gross. My frat house had cleaner couches.
That said, the hotel shines in other areas. Service here is not perfect, but it is head and shoulders above the sister property on South Beach. Servers remember your name and your drink. Front desk is friendly, proactive, great with upgrades and general care. The bellmen are terrific. Poolside was a little hit or miss, but some of the folks there were really outstanding. It’s clear that someone is getting across a good service message to the teams on the ground.
When we woke up the first morning to screaming children in the room next to us (which had a connecting door - to be clear they weren’t in our party) I knew we’d have to move rooms. The front desk was awesome, securing an even better room facing the adult pool and the ocean on a quiet corner of the hotel. Great stuff.
Some other highlights: Can’t say enough about the awesome adult pool here, and would assume that parents of children would say the same about the family pool. Both pools are large and provide the experience they respectively should. The food at all the outlets is really good. Lightkeepers in particular is a very good restaurant, but food was consistently excellent for every meal at all four locations. Bars were quick and beers were cold.
If you’re a tennis player I’d put the tennis facility up against any hotel tennis center. Awesome courts and service (I’d guess they have 12 clay courts plus paddle). Only downside would be the tennis clubhouse itself - it hasn’t been touched since the year it was built and man is it in rough shape.
The Ritz Key Biscayne is a great place to visit since you’re far enough from the action to truly relax at the hotel, but with plenty of things to do if you want to go off campus. Would highly recommend Ristorante Forchetta if you want great Italian just a fifteen min walk away. La Mar in Brickell is another highlight if you are really looking for a special occasion dinner - the patio setup is perfect and the food was killer.
Overall I still really enjoy this hotel and would go back... but I just wish they would start investing in the physical plant. A couple more years of this glaring neglect and I will have to stop visiting... they’ll need to take away the Ritz flag and call it a Sheraton. I guess time will tell.
Aug 31, 2021, 12:37 pm
#11
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Manhattan, Palm Beach Island, San Francisco, Boston, & Hong Kong
Programs: Lifetime United Global Services, Delta Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Ambassador, & Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,165
FYI, the Aston Martin Residences are marketing private yacht service to this Ritz and full access to all of their amenities complimentary for owners of condos there. It is said to be a perpetual agreement (though obviously nothing lasts forever). Not sure how much this will impact crowding/whatever but it’s definitely not going to help!
There are just under 400 condos at the Aston Martin Residence. Not sure what pied a terre rates are like in Miami but most of those are multi-bedroom. The building also (from what I’ve seen) seems to skew younger in terms of pre-construction sales.
There are just under 400 condos at the Aston Martin Residence. Not sure what pied a terre rates are like in Miami but most of those are multi-bedroom. The building also (from what I’ve seen) seems to skew younger in terms of pre-construction sales.
Aug 31, 2021, 3:57 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Gold and Current Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 280
FYI, the Aston Martin Residences are marketing private yacht service to this Ritz and full access to all of their amenities complimentary for owners of condos there. It is said to be a perpetual agreement (though obviously nothing lasts forever). Not sure how much this will impact crowding/whatever but it’s definitely not going to help!
There are just under 400 condos at the Aston Martin Residence. Not sure what pied a terre rates are like in Miami but most of those are multi-bedroom. The building also (from what I’ve seen) seems to skew younger in terms of pre-construction sales.
There are just under 400 condos at the Aston Martin Residence. Not sure what pied a terre rates are like in Miami but most of those are multi-bedroom. The building also (from what I’ve seen) seems to skew younger in terms of pre-construction sales.
Aug 31, 2021, 6:45 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Manhattan, Palm Beach Island, San Francisco, Boston, & Hong Kong
Programs: Lifetime United Global Services, Delta Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Ambassador, & Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,165
Yes, I can take a pic and upload back when I’m in NYC. I’m very confident this is happening though. They mentioned it at least two times during each tour/call I’be had with them. I don’t see how this is good for the hotel AND the condo residents. I wonder why the Ritz would agree to this
Jun 2, 2022, 8:02 pm
#15
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 687
staid here last summer and probably going back for the 4th. The rooms were great and most of the facilitates. The only things needing maintenance imo is the building itself and maybe the balcony and the tiniest hotel shower I’ve ever been in, so purely cosmetic. Overall loved the property and great use of points with the crazy rates.