My daughter and I went to the Ritz in Naples for a getaway. The hotel was wonderul. The pool was heavenly. The grounds beautiful. Great exercise room. Truly a five star hotel.

My family decided to take a trip to the RC Naples in April of 2004 for a week. I had heard nothing but great things about the resort, but i still didn't know what to expect when i arrived there. If I had had any expectations, I'm sure they would have been exceeded. I have stayed at many, many resorts and hotels and I can safely say that the RC Naples was the best travel experience I have had. The rooms were fantastic. We had two ajoining rooms, one being an absoultely incredible suite. Each room had a balcony which looked directly over the palm trees and the Gulf of Mexico. The bathrooms were all marble and were gigantic. Also, the staff sent many complimetary gifts to our rooms such as chocolate sculptures, cookies, and drinks (and of course the chocolates next to the pillows before going to sleep). The restaurants right there at the resort were wonderful. The Grill served the very best steaks I have eaten, along with service beyond compare. Complete with the best wine list I have ever seen (and yes, I'm only 15) and the de-boning of the fish right at your table, the Grill was as good as it gets. Gumbo Limbo is a bar and grill directly on the beach where you can find an assortment of great beach foods like the coconut shrimp which were my favorite. Also, the bar there is magnificent. Gumbo Limbo is the best place to watch the spectacular sunsets over the gulf which seems to turn into a celebration every night. Everything about the resort is great, yet the best thing about the resort is the beach. The white sand gulf beach is enormous, providing evryone with plenty of space. Beach attendants on the beach will set up your lounge chairs and umbrellas with a snap of your finger (and were very nice people by the way). You can always order food or drink on the beach as attendants pass by regularly. The assortment of watersports is great. My brother and I took sea kayaks out every day of our stay, which was alot of fun because the beach lacks strong currents but the water was choppy as we went farther out, making it a fun ride. Also, the parasailing was magnificent and easy to schedule. The water was just the right temperature and very clear. porpoises regularly swam by, most often around sunset. It was a wonderful site. All in all, the best beach I have come across. the pool area was also wonderful. Golf was great too, as guests can play at Tiburon or practice on their spectacular facilities. A complimentary shuttle runs every 30 minutes between Tiburon and the RC beach resort which was very nice. The staff at the Ritz was great. We made many new friends before we left, including one particular waiter who sent us wine and a wonderful choclate and coconut sculpture on our last night. The Ritz Carlton was absolutely spectacular and a returnh trip is already planned.

This is a magnificent hotel, but found them way under-staffed for the summer crowd. (Mostly Floridians for long weekeds). Give yourself a good 20 to 30 minutes to get your car from the valet. I've been there in season, mid-season and off-season and the car valet is a mob scene all the way! When we arrived we found that one of the pools (I believe there are only two) was closed because a child deficated in it. Everyone was crammed around the only available pool. There wasn't a chaise lounge to be had. The pool was closed the following day as well. The sound of screaming children was enough to make you feel as though you were at "Camp Ritz Carlton". I don't think I've ever seen so many children in a hotel at one time. We wanted a quiet vacation, but found it impossible during the day with the S-C-R-E-A-M-I-N-G kiddies! Service was not up-to-par, to say the least. The hotel was short-staffed and admitted that they weren't expecting so many guests...Hello? Wouldn't you think they'd know how many guests were scheduled to stay? The spa is very beautiful. We had several treatments. However, when it came time to take a shower at the Spa and get ready for dinner, there was no HOT Water!!! I couldn't believe it!

The guest rooms are just o.k., the beds are extremely comfortable as are the exquisite linens. The bathrooms are very small. The balconies are also quite small with no more than 2 to 2 1/2 feet of depth.

I have stayed at this particular Ritz Carlton at least three times prior to this most recent stay. I don't know what all the fuss is about, it's very beautiful but way too crowded (no matter what time of year) and have yet to find the service impeccable. Why have I stayed there so often if I'm not that thrilled with it? It's the Ritz and it doesn't cost me anything! I'm going back to Naples in a few weeks and am going to try the Registry. I heard the rooms are a bit more spacious, appointed better and the bathroom is to die for! I am sure it is not as elegant, the beach is a distance, but I just can't bring myself (or my husband) to stay at the Ritz again. P.S. The best kept 'very expensive' secret in Southeast Florida is the hotel on Fisher Island, off Miami. Fabulous Spa, Staff, Food, magnificent!!!!...simply my favorite place to stay and to die for! That's booked for New Years. The Ritz in Naples is not the 1st class Hotel I used to stay at years ago.