we visited this hotel for 4 nights in december 2004 under the fall island getaway package which included breakfast for 2 (otherwise $22/head +tax/tip), valet parking (otherwise $24), and fitness centre access - we paid $249 a night. this was incredible value given the facility and service. the hotel is about 3 years old and located on a great soft sand beach. there was an army of staff who were very attentive. in our time there the hotel went from very low occupany to high occupancy and we didn't notice any change in the level of service.

there is no other option for parking - $24 + tax for valet unless included in a package.

the basic room we stayed in was very adequate - pretty much a standard hotel room size with a balcony, with a very large bathroom - separate tub, shower and toilet stall. marble counter. very comfortable bed with high end cotton sheets and comforter. there was a fridge in the room as part of the minibar.

if you want ice - it's kind of hidden - there are no ice machines but there is at the south end of the hall with no label on it - which is the door to the service elevators - there there is a cooler always stocked with ice which the restaurant staff will access if you call in room service for ice.

the ritzcarolton shares the general area beside it with a condo community called "grand bay" - two large condo towers which have their own beach area beside the ritz carltons. the grounds are immaculate and landscaped with a very nice pool and grounds for events and weddings. there is a large tennis facility connected with the hotel.

the beach is very nice - soft sand - too cold for us to go in given the time of year, but took long walks in both direction direction - very few shells - there was a lot of seaweed on one day - hotel staff said it depended on how high the winds were- they cleaned it every morning

the spa faciliates were tumbled marble - spa, sauna, steamroom plus a very large treatment area - apparently one of the miami area's
we had 2 massages there which were ok, but not fantastic - there was a mandatory 20% service charge on the bill for a tip. the prices are typical high end spa treatment prices - $105 for a basic 50 minute massage.

key biscayne is a short drive from the south end of miami where the I95 ends and turns into the 1A before coconut grove, you head off to a causeway for about a 10 minute drive. it was about 45 minutes from the fort lauderdale airport but there can be bad traffic on the I95 depending on the time of day. there is a toll of $1 going towards key biscayne.
key biscayne is predominantly a spanish area (a hotel staff reported that 50% of the key's residents speak spanish from south america who come up on holiday or live there. there are numerous condo/time shares on the beach, and a massive public beach and crandon park - beach and golf course. it does not feel like florida but more like mexico, very uncommercial and non-touristy due to lack of fast food chains or any degree of retail stores.

there is a small winndixie a 3 minute drive from the hotel - it is walkable but would take 20-25 min since the resort is a bit of ways in from the main street. we got basic rooms supplies such as soft drinks, water and snacks there. there is also a drugstore near the grocery store. there are several restaurants also nearby as an alternative to the hotel restaurants which are very nice but expensive.

i believe the normal rate for this hotel is in the $300-400 usd range for a basic room and goes up from there. if you can get a package for lower like we did including the breakfast and valet , there is no way you would want to stay in lauderdale or miami paying $200 to $250 which are typical for a 4 star hotel there. this is a very high end hotel with very well trained and attentive staff. we would definitely go back.

We stayed on the club level which is well worth the extra $100.00 for 5 meals a day and unlimited beverages. The service was by far the best we have ever experienced anywhere in the world. There was nothing the help would not do for us. We will go back there again and again. The hotel is beautiful and the pools are great. This is a very kid friendly place. They even have toys at the pool and great nanny service. A must!!!

My husband, two year old daughter and I spent 5 nights at the Ritz Carlton in early December 2004 and had a spectacular time. The service is impeccable and the staff exemplified manners which I would be proud for my daughter to emulate. Although the lobby is formal and beautifully appointed, the staff was extremely friendly to my daughter and did not mind when she jumped about. They had a Christmas tree decorated entirely with teddy bears which my daughter loved and always had free water and apples to enjoy. They even gave my daughter a gift of a small teddy bear on the day we arrived.
The pool is absolutely magnificent overlooking a beautiful white, soft sand beach. The pool started at 0 feet so it was perfect for my daughter to walk in and play. (The pool only went up to 5 feet so it might not be adequate for serious swimmers). My husband enjoyed the gym and the spa looked beautiful although we did not partake in any of their services. The beach was beautiful and the water was surprisingly warm with gentle waves. There is a playground on the beach at the property and a big public playground across the street from the hotel.
The housekeeping was great, complete with turn-down service and chocolates. I appreciated the small packets of woolite to wash out the bathing suits and the baby shampoo and lotion. Our room was nice, although not that big, but the bathroom was lavish and included a separate shower stall and tub. The balcony was very nice. My daughter had a wooden crib with nice linens and it was the first vacation that she did not end up in bed with us.
Our stay did not include the complimentary breakfast or parking (although I have heard that these deals are available, which otherwise was $21 per person for breakfast and $25 for parking), so we went out of the hotel for breakfast. It is difficult to find breakfast outside of the hotel (we were under-impressed with the Donut Gallery...it is a greasy spoon with just counter service) and ended up driving the 15 minutes to Coconut Grove and had lovely breakfasts, eggs, pancakes, toast, fruit (for under $25 for 3 of us) at the Green Street Cafe at Coconut Grove. It is next to Senor Frogs and down the street from the Cheesecake Factory (great kid friendly places). We also ate at Sushi Siam on Key Biscayne that we really enjoyed.
Usually we shop and sitesee while in Florida but the three of us were so content between the pool and the beach that we all just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves (It didn't hurt that it was 83 degrees and sunny with gently breezes).
Any request you have at the hotel is met by the staff replying "My pleasure"...well it was my pleasure to stay there and we hope to be returning next year. My daughter is still telling people that it was "the perfect hotel for her" and it was for us as well.

The resort and service were outstanding. Can't wait to go back for our anniversary next year. The Spa and Aria restaurant were excellent too.The beach, however, isn't that great but everything else here makes up for it!