The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Reviews

The best and tbe Baggage lead Hans is the king of customer service

Beautiful place and we'll kept grounds! Great location and the valet guys were so helpful and nice!

Excellent service, fancy food, great customer service.

The Ritz is great, the service is awesome. All the staff are super friendly and helpful.

We sat out on the patio and had a few drinks and apps. Our service was prompt and courteous and we will definitely be back!!!

Disappointing, mediocre service. We were sorely disappointed tonight as we tried to celebrate our daughters 12th birthday at the Ritz Carlton Sarasota. This bad experience was in stark contrast to our visit here in October 2016 for my son's birthday. I had made a reservation and told them we were coming for a birthday dinner. We received a very rude reception being curtly told that our birthday balloons were not welcome and they could not seat us. I told the lady that I had not known that balloons were disallowed because when we came in October it wasn't a problem. In fact in October the valet carried the balloons and cake into the hotel for us, our cake was whisked away to the pastry kitchen and it was white glove service from beginning to end, but not today. Second I said that I had told them we had a birthday that evening. She told me I should have asked whether I could bring balloons - again I said it never crossed my mind because we had brought balloons to that very restaurant before. It felt like being reprimanded. We felt very unwelcome. Even before that we had to carry the cake from the car and it sat on the table until we asked the waitress to please take it to the back so it would not be in the way of our appetizers.

We ordered and as soon as the food was set down the waitress asked how the food was - well we had barely started eating so we said positive things because it certainly looked good. However my piocino was over cooked. The shrimp was tough and the fish was like pieces of rubber. The fish should break apart when pierced but it was like skewering a piece of meat and chewy. Wait a minute, where was I? The Ritz Carlton? This was very disappointing. My son had ordered the same dish and his shrimp were tough although his fish fell apart when pierced. I had ordered this dish before - in October 2016 - and it had been mouth watering. We looked and waited in vain for our waitress. After 30 minutes or more my husband went in search of the head waitress. She came over but her apologies were defensive saying, "it depends which fish we have fresh today" to which I answered, "well my sons fish is much softer although his shrimp are also tough.'

Time for the cake? Well no one offered us any coffee or tea. Also, the waitress did not come and ask me if it was now a good time for the cake and we could have sang happy birthday, she just brought it with candles already lit, some not lit, and some falling over... this was a $60 cake! We had no time to take pictures (I tried and got some blurry shaky photos) and we were very distracted in trying to save the falling candles. In October the pastry chef herself came and offered to cut the cake to which we had replied no we want to and she handed my daughter the knife to cut my sons cake making the occasion special. Instead she took it away and cut it and then instead of offering the birthday girl the first piece she offered it to me. EShe was about to serve my son and I said no serve the birthday girl (who will never be 12 again) FIRST. Nevertheless the birthday cake (which we had brought with us, not made by the Ritz) was a scrumptious carrot cake that would have gone wonderfully with a nice cup of tea or espresso if we had been served some. Again we looked around and waited in vain for our waitress...until my husband, again, got up and got the head waitress. My husband was fed up of all the inconsistencies and said to me, "let's just make tea at home' - but who wants to eat cake twice? It defeats the purpose. By this time the children were tired and we just wanted to leave. Time to go, the still open cake box was set on the table and left there for us to take - a far cry from October when the cake box was closed with fresh tape and again carried and loaded into the back of our car. We felt cheated out of a nice evening. They still let us pay for the meal. ...and this was the Ritz Carlton. Jack Dusty is not a separate entity, it is part and parcel of the Ritz brand. Apologies just won't do.

Exceptional service, impeccable attention to details
I would highly recommend it to travelers around the globe.

Excellent hotel and experience all the way around. From the valet, to the front desk and all of the helpers... to the pool staff, beach and restaurant staff, everyone was exceptional. We have been here 3 times by ourselves and this time decided to take our two young kids with us and everyone has been overly accommodating, helpful and kind. Edgar who works at the restaurant at the hotel is so sweet and wonderful, Rachel at the pool at the beach club went above and beyond, and Jesse at the beach was always on top of everything and treated us family. I can t recommend this hotel enough!!

After enjoying many wonderful afternoons for tea in the Lobby and exceptional evenings for dinner at both the Ca d Zan Bar and the Vernona Dining Room at what used to be a lovely hotel I had the unfortunate experience of dining at the newly renovated restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota. All I can say is that their new General Manager must have come from Motel 6 is he thinks there is anything appropriate with their redo for a Ritz-Carlton Inappropriate, incongruous, ill-conceived, disgusting all come to mind. If it isn t bad enough that they ruined a perfectly beautiful hotel dessert came on a baking pan in a pint Mason jar at the Ritz-Carlton! the Cracker Barrel does better than that! Even if the Ritz was a place for cute there isn t anything appealing about dessert in a Mason jar. I read in the newspaper that they were creating casual elegance with Mason jars? What they have done just doesn t fit the place inside or out. Their GM should go back home to Hawaii maybe the gullible there would accept his idea of the New Gold Standard and the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Ritz! I threw away my copy of Mr. Michelli s book The New Gold Standard this afternoon just more meaningless corporate hogwash.

I won t be going back and I would encourage you to NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR YOUR MONEY!

Room is clean and comfortable. Hotel is in good location.
Beach club is separate and although only a few miles away may take 45 minutes to drive due to major traffic congestion.
Gym is too small for the number of hotel guests and RC residents and similar issue at Beach Club which is also crowded and not big enough for number of people trying to use it.
Spa is dated and old.
Valet parki g was not consistent and it could take 20+ minutes to get car. This was a real pain and would put me off returning.

Recommend. Sat outside on the patio. Food was very good and service was very excellent. Prices are reasonable.

Drinks and dinner at the bar is fantastic. A popular place in town, especially on the weekends.

I attend the Ritz for a wedding. I was the maid of honor of the wedding and spent almost the whole day at the facility. The workers there were very kind. Another guest was yelling at our wedding party while we were taking pictures, and the hotel security responded promptly. Overall, a very nice hotel.

A very nice Ritz-Carlton on the bay. Quick ride over to Lido Beach. They actually have a beach resort, too, and they run shuttles up to 10pm. Great little tiki beach bar. The service is top notch. Hans was amazing and was quick to offer insider suggestions to Sarasota and surrounding beaches. We had an amazing stay.

Great experience. All staff made sure everything was good and right.

Excellence in all areas. Services are always outstanding 5/5.

Super nice hotel. With a very nice restaurant and super cute gift shop! A+

Rain took out the outside cash register at an event, yet the management and staff kept serving drinks to the guests and working around the issue. I must commend them on their level of service.

CHECK YOUR BILL! Recently I stayed here for one night. It was generally a nice hotel. My stay was supposed to be exempt of certain fees because of my work. I showed the correct paperwork at check-in like always but the following day, after I left town by bill was still overcharging me. Over the next several days, I called over five times and emailed the form twice to the hotel. It was pointless, they refused to correct the charges. I contacted Marriott headquarters and was told I would receive a response within five days. I never heard back. I plan to find a new hotel chain to be loyal to. Marriott dropped the ball on this one at multiple levels.

My family is wrapping up a majestic week at the Ritz Carlton Sarasota. Where to begin? The service and hospitality was world class from the moment we arrived to our departing moments. The front desk and concierge were always at the ready and helped us navigate all that Sarasota / Siesta Key and the surrounding area has to offer.

The Club Level experience was an absolute game changer. Over the course of just one week, this elite hospitality crew on the 8th Floor (Jordan, Sydney. Masha, Anna, et al) literally got to know my wife and kids wants and needs inside and out. By Sunday, we were literally like family.

The Ritz Beach Club was also dreamy. From the daily shuttle driver to each of our servers, we were constantly looked after and made to feel at ease. In a perfect world, this is what vacation should be like for everyone, everywhere.

You know it s a great. trip when you re already planning your return before you leave the premise. A humble thanks to all those Ritz Team Members we encountered and who work behind the scenes to offer this extraordinary level of service.

See you soon!

- Paul / Amber / Henry / Claire

Was only there for a meeting this time, but I have stayed here a few times before. It's a Ritz-Carlton, folks...they do it right. Beautiful hotel, the most comfortable bed ever created by humans, and wonderfully friendly and accommodating staff.

Great customer service is delivered from top to bottom. Great experience. Bennett Eppinger is a great sales associate. Highly recommend Bennett.

Hotel pool is nice but you can also take the hotel shuttle (free) out to the private beach club where they have an additional pool. Beach club pool is good for kids and they have toys for the kids to play with.

Great service, beautiful building & grounds, and delicious food.

Top level hotel. Good location downtown. Excellent rooms. Great bar and restaurant.

The best hotel I have ever been in my life. Spectacular place. Room, food, facilities and facilities, all in very high standard

Excellent service, food quality and quantity, price $$$, free valet parking, beautiful views

Excellent Service and Stay. We will be back soon. Dillion at the front desk was exceptional. He is a true example of what great service means to a guest. Well done.

Had lunch here & Food is delicious...the rating is for the food & drinks. 4 - 5 stars for the food!

Beautiful property, comfortable and elegant suites, grounds are impeccable and we'll kept. Lobby is beautiful...pool area lovely. Even down to the lobby bathrooms outside of the banquet space, spotless clean and private... Best of Sarasota!! 5 stars!!

Love Jack Dustys food. Delicious. Serving staff is very accommodating

This hotel went above and beyond for a staycation for my son and I. From check in to exit it was first class all the way!

It was by far the best experience we had! The kids didn't want to leave, they liked it so much! Highest quality customer service makes it very friendly, comfortable and unforgettable place to stay. Cannot wait to go back some day!

Nice hotel but room (304) had some dust on the toilets door and our mugs were dirty, dry coffee was into mugs near nesspresso machine. The fitness center is great, the restaurant is good and the overal team is excellent.

By far one of Classern Quartet's favorite venues! There's the special Ritz Beach side and the Ritz Sarasota. The court yards are the perfect place for a wedding ceremony!

Absolutely Beautiful Hotel and the entire Staff was wonderful!

The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota is very classy, just a couple miles away they have a beach tiki bar.

Great service, great food, beautiful place to stay.

Very Nice ! Perfect location to downtown.Amazing views. The service is outstanding.

The Ritz-Carlton is the only hotel of its kind. There is nothing like the service you receive at the Ritz and anyone who has stayed knows this. I've traveled a lot and stayed in hundreds of hotels and I have to say there has been more amazing architecture, but as far as "the Ritz Experience" in Customer Service. NOTHING matches it.

This review is for the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota. I live in Sarasota but as a Businessman/Entrepreneur there are often times you feel 'stuck' or 'overwhelmed'. Those who have put in the work and ran a business over 5-10 years full time; you know that feeling and you also know yourself and what needs to happen to get you out of that 'rut'. --> For me, it was the Ritz. During my stuck periods I'd get a room at the Ritz with double beds as I'd always go with my assistant/President of one of our operating companies. I'd get Club level and we would stay at the Ritz for 2-3 days and not leave (hence "Club Level") as its a beautiful place to work as well as unlimited snacks, food, drinks, etc. --- Yes, I understand this is a "EXPENSIVE" way to get 'un-stuck' - but fact is it worked.... Club level at the time is about $650/night w/ tax. But it was for major decisions and planning for one of our larger operating companies that was a 8+ figure business (Over $10,000,000). Sometimes, its the cost that helps as ironically one of the times I was stressing about our cashflow as I'm about to spend $1,500 for a hotel when we had a office less than a mile down street in Downtown Sarasota.... But the fact that I paid so much, made me get the work done that was needed to be completed or I'd feel worse as I'd feel I wasted that money and its one thing wasting $1,500 for a beautiful weekend romantic trip --> but for a WORK trip - its a lot to waste...... It worked EVERY-TIME. Now, I don't need to do that anymore. I do have multiple locations I can work from which helps me run different businesses and wear different hats of each.....

The Ritz-Carlton Spa is AMAZING and since I"m on the topic of business - the Ritz Spa is a GREAT example of what a true luxury brand does and is how a true brand should be ran. Thats why the Ritz name is one of the best - if not the best. If you have never been to a Ritz-Carlton Spa. DO IT! Its a experience unlike anything else and again, I've been to many spa's.

**Ritz-Carlton Spa TIP: You must make a reservation. Ensure you make the reservation in the morning or mid-day as how it works is that you get access to "the spa grounds" and all the amities of the spa for the entire day. Trust me, there is A LOT to do. The mens and women's area is separate - each having special waiting rooms, snacks, drinks, saunas, spas, showers, whirlpools/fountain of youth, etc. etc. - You come together so you can wait together in another large room which its all very dim lighting and relaxing music. Its a very peaceful place to hang out and talk quietly, there is a private balcony that you can order food (I posted pictures from this location which is pictures of the public spa patio seating).... Its nice as it's all 100% separate from the rest of the Ritz Carlton. -- The Ritz in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/Orlando/Etc. each have separate full pools for spa members only along with so much more. I think its a experience everyone should have and its a great business example of how all the *little* things they do to go above and beyond and it works! They obviously don't compete on price which is often a loosing business strategy; they compete on luxury and customer service and they do a AMAZING job. I learned more at the Ritz hotel and Ritz Spa that I did in my entire College MBA Degree.

This is a great place to stay... Beautiful rooms and furnishings. Concierge will take care of all your needs!! The pool is divine. Love this place

The motel is beautiful! Our experience was wonderful! Our only complaint is the seat service in the restaurant. Just think the two gals sitting people at tables could have been a lot nicer and at least tried to accommodate us.

Very nice extremely helpful staff all the things you would expect from a five-star hotel highly recommend this is a place to stay recommend bring some cash it's nice to Tipton staff very beautiful place. It's really everything you could ask for in a hotel. For what you get it's reasonably priced.I did hear somebody giving a staff member a hard time please don't do that when they're trying so hard. I would go back there a hundred times.

Club level was well worth it. The service was too notch and the room was beyond comfortable. The cleaning staff and turn down service went above and beyond, very kind and personable.

Classy as all Ritz are. We love it eating outside. Food is always excellent and servers are professional and not snobby. Nobody at that Ritz is.

Absolutely fabulous that's why we came back 2 years in a row from Christmas to New Year's post