The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

Rated a 3 out of 5 since we stayed 6 nights during the week of July 4th, 2024. This was our second time at the hotel, and we returned because we loved the relaxed ambiance and welcoming atmosphere. We purposely booked during this week at this hotel to decompress. We had rented a car to drive into Fernandina Beach as well, since we enjoyed the casual vibes, shops and the Salty Pelican restaurant. The first few days were exactly what we had hoped for. Friendly staff in the halls, pool attendants with welcoming conversation, excellent meals at the restaurants and lovely spa employees. Calling down to the valet to have our car brought around worked well. Love the open spaces for kids to play just off the outdoor dining area, Our son is older now, but what a great layout for parents to be able to sit and relax while watching the kids play ping pong and mini golf. We talked about whether we should stay at the hotel for the 4th Barbecue or go into town. Sounded like a lot of fun activities, especially for kids. The later afternoon of July 3, we started to notice a change. People in lines in the lobby to check in and more people sitting and waiting. The desk and valets were overwhelmed. The day of the 4th, I got breakfast sandwiches and coffee from the coffee shop (truly excellent selection!) and headed out to the pool to read the paper on my tablet. My husband had gone out ahead of me to get chairs set up and when I brought our things out, he let me know that he had gotten on the wait list for pool chairs. ??? Walking out to the pool, I passed LONG lines of kids and hot parents waiting for the one face painter and one person to twist balloons. The pool attendants suggested that there might be chairs out at the beach. We walked out to the beach, got set up with chairs and an umbrella, excellent morning. In the early afternoon, we packed up at the beach; husband went back to the room for a nap, I was hoping for some pool time. The pool attendant let me know that there was a chair available in the "overflow" area. ??? This was a raised concrete area with few umbrellas for any shade and older mesh lounge chairs that did not meet Ritz Carleton standards. Totally understand having an extra area for larger hotel capacity, but would expect that any chairs and umbrellas pulled out of storage would match the comfort of the existing pool area. Also, towels were hard to come by at this point. It really appeared that the hotel pool area, cabanas, pool bar, etc were tremendously over crowded. I also saw families going in and out through a side gate, in back of the hot tub area and restrooms, so it appeared that more than just hotel guests were invited for the big 4th of July celebration. Condos next to hotel? July 5th morning was much more typical. I was talking with a couple at the pool, hot tub area. They had planned to host friends at the Ritz for the long weekend, but were checking out due to the chaos of the 4th. It was their first time staying at the loc

I recently visited this spa two days, back to back , and I wanted to share my experience regarding the service I received. I was so disappointed. I have been auditing businesses for years and I enjoy it. So, when I go somewhere I can't help but critique it and notate the entire experience inside my head. Something similar to what I would do had I been hired to be there. When you work hard to save your money for a high quality experience, that's exactly what you should be getting. It’s what I expected from this name. When it isn't, silent alarms begin to sound. You can only take so much before it’s ruined and you have to say something. I appreciate Diamond standards and that is why I chose this spa. I have visited many Ritz Carlton Properties, including this one, on numerous occasions. Yet, this was the only time where I noticed a significant amount of flaws in both, the customer service and the facility maintenance. There are many areas where improvements have to be made, to meet the high standards associated with a 5-diamond rated spa. 1. Customer Service: It’s essential for a luxury spa to provide impeccable customer service. The lack of warmth and attentiveness during these two days were concerning. Attendants should be readily available to assist guests. The negative attitude from some employees were disappointing. Guests deserve a pleasant and welcoming environment. Quality amenities like beverages should be consistently available/delivered. They should always have an attendant to walk you back, assign you a locker, and make sure you have everything you need…. Especially if you’re pre-ordered something. 2.Attention to detail The facility should regularly be checked and maintained, (at least every 15 minutes) but they were not. Trash bins and laundry bins were overflowing. There was trash piled on the tea table in one room and discarded yogurt containers caused an odor, like rotten fruit or dirty feet, in the other room. It was very unpleasant. The showers were all dirty (other than one handicap stall) for over an hour before I finally said something to Ms. Bernadette. The wet lounge smelled musky/moldy. There was not an adequate amount of bottled water throughout the entire facility. It was very sad that they had no fruit infused water. A couple of places you could find the distilled water, but it is nasty and a known fact that it is not healthy or to be trusted. Each day I had to ask for eucalyptus spray even though they’re supposed to spray the steam room, but since they don’t properly maintain the facility, it doesn’t get done. 3. Treatment Quality: While the treatments themselves were satisfactory, they fell short of the exceptional experiences I’ve had at other 5-diamond spas. I expected a more personalized approach and a deeper understanding of my specific needs. I wanted to enjoy every bit of the time I paid for. Sadly, I did not. The therapist came to ask an hour before our appointment if we wanted to be seen earl

There are aspects of this place that I truly enjoy but others that are disappointing. We arrived here in July for 3 nights stay after leaving the Waldorf in Orlando. Upon arrival there were major gaps beginning with the fact there wasn’t anyone there to take my car and I had to go to the front desk and wait. Upon checking into the hotel I was told my lifetime platinum status wasn’t eligible for an upgrade because they can sell those rooms. Then I got to my room and was surprised by the absolute negative condition, which I will show in my pictures attached. There was water damage from the shower on the wall, discolored walls from damage, hand prints on the glass, hair on the bed and in the shower, food pieces on the patio and stains. This is an $800+ per night room. The staff wasn’t friendly, whatsoever when I discussed the issues. What I do love is the hotel lobby sushi bar, the smoked old fashions, the pool area and how attentive they are in making sure you’re comfortable and the poolside service. The poolside chairs are very nice and the exercise room is excellent. I will say when I had dinner at the lobby bar sushi and three old fashions for me and two glasses of wine and Asian for my wife the waitress said “ I didn’t realize you were going to sit here so long”. That’s after I gave her over a $100 tip. The friendliness between this hotel and other high end, especially the Waldorf was noticeable. All in all, the property has positives to offer but it was a real let down.

My husband and I stayed at the Ritz the weekend of July 5th to celebrate our anniversary. We had the most amazing weekend! The hotel room and resort were gorgeous and immaculate. We enjoyed the beach and pool every day. The staff was so helpful and friendly. We had dinner one night at Salt which was delicious and loved the BBQ event put on by the Ritz over the weekend as well. We can’t wait to go back!

We stayed at this hotel for a week to attend a conference, and our experience was quite disappointing for what is claimed to be a 5-star establishment. First, the valet-only parking option is a major inconvenience. If you have a 7:00 pm dinner reservation, you should start waiting for your car by 6:00 pm. The valet system is completely inefficient and fails to meet guests' needs. The hotel shows many signs of deterioration and is not as clean as it should be for a 5-star hotel. The bathroom linens had stains, and the pool towels were very dirty with numerous stains. Housekeeping did not meet the standards of a 5-star service. On two out of the five nights we stayed, our bathroom amenities were not refilled. As previous reviews mentioned, the staff were not very friendly. One incident involved a housekeeper potentially throwing away my son's souvenir cup. We reported this through the hotel app, but no one responded until we sent multiple reminders. When we finally received a response, the gentleman handling it said they would look it up in the lost and found section. Are you kidding me? Additionally, as a 5-star hotel, we had a great amount of expectation. The hotel listed an indoor swimming pool as one of its amenities, but there was no indoor swimming pool available. Only a small outdoor pool and one hot tub were offered, which was quite disappointing. On a positive note, the gym room was nicely designed and the equipment was very new. Despite the issues with dirty pool towels, the beach staff were very friendly, willing to help, and had a great attitude. Overall, our experience did not live up to the 5-star rating, and I would not recommend this hotel based on our stay.

What a delightful Sunday Afternoon Tea experience on the outdoor terrace at Coast Restaurant. We started with a creative array of sweet and savory treats served on tiered trays. Then, a choice of our own tea blend steeped in individual tea pots. We spent a leisurely 2 hours on a beautiful fall day feeling very much like VIP's at a fancy London tea! Excellent service throughout from our waiter, Chris. The perfect start to our girlfriend trip. Highly recommended.

Service was great! Staff was personable and responsive to requests. Would definitely stay again but would not spend the extra for club level unless you will utilize the reserved beach chairs. Club level is similar to Marriott club lounges where food quality is ok not great and drink service is relaxed and not their only task. Club is open all day but very limited staff and likely won’t see anyone until evening. Not worth the extra cash in my opinion

We went there a week leading up to the car show and it was a blast! I want to tip my hat to our representative who made the reservation and to the managers who welcomed us when we got there. They gave us access to the club and I am begging for an invite back! We believe the RC with the club service rivals the 4-S but we love 4S too. I rate this club at the top of the ones we have been to with a big nod to Kapalua. it's a close call. We would love to get back in touch with the sales team and set something up again!

The best hotel on Amelia Island! Located on the Atlantic Ocean with a beautiful pool and pool bar we frequently visit this Ritz because of its location and great restaurants. The rooms are comfy and beautiful. The two restaurants with views of the ocean and even the lobby bar are excellent. My favorite spot is the lobby bar for the freshest sushi on the island. Love it!!