The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami

I have stayed at several Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, St. Regis, and mainly Ritz-​Carlton Properties, primarily in the United States. All of these properties are all very nice, but this one is extra special. In fact, I think it might be the very best hotel I’ve ever stayed at. The service is incredibly attentive, even for a ritz. My mother had a bit of a scratchy throat; when she answered the door for the bellman, he caught on immediately. He finished putting our bags away and left. After a couple of minutes, he comes back with a pot of herbal tea that should help with her throat. The lady at the front desk could not accommodate a last minute early check in request of ours, so she treated us to Sunday brunch.
The décor is just as stunning. Every inch of every hallway is stunning. We stayed in the baker tower, which only had two rooms per floor. This property was just terrific.

Top notch place, the quality of food at the bistro restaurant in the hotel is amazing. And this comes from foodies ! The hotel atmosphere is so relaxing. Rooms with gorgeous with views overlooking the ocean are breathtaking ! You need to visit this place and have lunch at the bistro and taste the buratta and Tuna Tatar not to mention the mouth watering best steak ever skirt steak.

Awesome is all I can say… well worth the money… my boyfriend and I went for a little weekend getaway we did the couples massage 90 min of heaven, then headed to the beach laid back in the cabana having some dranks this is an experience of a lifetime the suite we stayed in was also very nice as well jacuzzi tub ocean view nothing better than waking up to the ocean

Service was really great. Loved the rooms and amenities. Recommend the spa — it is lovely. Visited during the slow season and it was quite pleasant. Can’t beat the views from the bathroom!

Debo decir q esperaba mas de este Brunch después de haber estado en el de Miami beach! No hay variedad y la verdad me pareció demasiado costoso para la comida q sirven, la presentación terrible de las estaciones. No recomiendo este lugar para nada

I am giving the brunch at Ritz-​Carlton in Bal Harbour one star, and that star is for the beautiful view from their patio, and because the manager realized that they couldn’t possibly charge for the kind of service and the quality of food that they offered us.
Upon arrival, there was no host or hostess to greet us at the restaurant, we had to wonder around, until we were able to get the attention of one of the staff members who actually dared to look at us and give us any attention. After, five minutes of wondering around, we finally found the hostess, who apologized profusely by saying: «it’s hard to be in two places at once.» –1 star.
We wanted to sit outside because the weather was beautiful, and the view is incredible, but it was a bit chilly. They didn’t offer us a heat lamp, we had to tell our waiter, whether we could use one of the heat lamps that were not being used. Finally, they brought the heat lamp next to our table, and it was on for about 2 minutes, and then it went out. Three servers walked by, not one of them looked at our table much less asked whether we wanted to have the heat lamp on. Finally, my date had to get up, go find another heat lamp that was actually working and brought it to our table. At this point 20 minutes had gone by, not drinks nor had water arrived at our table. Again, my date had to leave the table to fetch the manager to find out where our drinks were, and to see about the two non-​working heat lamps. At this point, my date returned with the manager in tow, two staff members to light up the lamps, and blankets. Still, no drinks, and now we are ½ hour into our visit. –2 stars.
Finally, we get our drinks — our waiter explains to us that we have the option of doing bottomless Mimosas or Bloody Maries for $ 22, per person, and we could lunch on the menu, or do their brunch buffet. Off we go to the buffet, and OMG… I thought, I was going to have to resuscitate my date, who is a foodie — me… meh…I just like to eat, and I’m not hard to please… I’ve been to Holyday Inns where their breakfast spread is more interesting and fresh that the brunch at «THE» Ritz-​Carlton. I could have done a better job at picking out pastries from Publix and setting them up on white table cloths. Paella, it was edible, but nothing I would say: «Oh, I want to go to the Ritz for their paella.» They had some kind of dried up read meat with mushroom at potatoes that had seen better days. The omelet station was nothing to write home about, very basic, the most exciting thing were the mushrooms. They had some kind of unappetizing dried up chicken waffle that any IHOP would have put to shame, as for fruits, watermelon, honeydew, and bananas… oh and yogurt out of a carton. It was awful, just awful! We went back to our table completely underwhelmed, at this point resigned to eat whatever was available. –1
We requested coffee with cream — ten minutes went by before we had our coffees, of course no cream. Again, my date had to leave the table and find the cream; at this point he had a conversation with the manager. Eventually, the cream was delivered to the table. I shouldn’t have to tell you to bring cream — this is the Ritz-​Carlton, you should automatically bring cream with your coffee service! –1
To add insult to injury, the manager did not speak to our waiter about check being comped, and the waiter presented us with a $ 184.00 check. Again, my date had to leave the table to go talk to the manager.
This is the Ritz-​Carlton, your service should be akin to that of the elves from Harry Potter, swift, efficient and non-​intrusive, I see you, but I don’t hear you, I’m thinking about my order and you are already taking it. My drink never goes stale, my water is always full, and when I leave my chair, and come back, my napkin should be neatly folded on my chair, and I have clean silver ware. If I’m wearing black, you are supposed to notice, and immediately offer me a black napkin… you follow me? This is the Ritz-​Carlton; I am paying for a brand name representative of world class hospitality.
This is sad because they are located on a beautiful property, and their facility is so beautiful, but their brunch is completely mismanaged. They were so ridiculous to ask us to make reservations, and they barely had any full tables, and their service was so subpar for not being busy at all.
This is not the Ritz that I knew and loved. If you noticed, I took away all of the stars available, unfortunately, I had to give one star back, so that I could write this review.
Ritz not so ritzy.

The worst service of any hotel I have ever been to!!! From the front desk to the concierge to the in-​suite dining, this place is a joke. I wouldn’t stay here if it was free!

Stayed for a couple nights at the beginning of August and for married on the beach. It was just us and the officiant, so we did use their wedding services.
We stayed in the premier deluxe ocean view room, 17^th floor, Atlantic tower.
We loved it. The rooms were great, the hotel was beautiful and had a nice vibe. The staff was amazing. The pool area was great. Not much to complain about. Wasn’t cheap, but you should be expecting to pay up when you’re booking a place like this.
This was off season and the hotel wasn’t busy at all. The pool area didn’t have many people and the restaurant was totally dead on a Sunday night.
The drinks and food at the pool bar were really good and the food at Mister Collins was really great. Had breakfast and dinner, at Mister Collins, both were great. Service was really slow though. We ordered breakfast room service one morning and that was fantastic. It was all expensive, but again, that was expected. We took Über to a local pizza place one night. (About $ 6 each way).
Spa service was good, but I will probably skip it next trip. No reason to pay double for an average massage.
The beach was average. I’m used to Sarasota beaches, so this didn’t interest me.
This place is not close to South Beach. If you want that kind of action, I would suggest something down there. We were trying to decide between One Bal or the W (South Beach). We decided on One Bal because we were looking for just a quite, chill time.
While the view was partially ocean, inlet and bridge, we still enjoyed it. The top to bottom glass windows were nice. The balconies were private and we liked that it was only two rooms per floor, per elevator. We even had the smaller room and loved the floor plan. Was perfect for just two.

This review is for the spa, not the hotel.
Although, first impression of the hotel is the way the door staff and lobby concierges treat you so kudos to both for their professionalism and courtesy.
They are top notch.
Now down to the spa.
Spa staff was courteous.
The therapists– Sophia and Gallina– wonderful.
Both asked the right questions and were preceptive, responsive and therapeutic.
The amenities– rainy day so no sense in going out on the terrace. The waiting area is divided up into semi-​private co-​ed cabanas.
The sauna and steam room were good. Shower was ok.
The 4 star review is more for the staff than the amenities.
I hope they build new showers that are more spa and less gym.
I would still recommend to a friend because the treatment and hospitality were excellent.

So, we got to stay here by mistake… initially we had booked another hotel for 5 nights in a third party website and we received the confirmation twice. The night we arrived we were told they had just received a communication for us from the website apologizing as they couldn’t secure a room for us, and they had made reservations for us in another hotel… that wasn’t cool, as we had spent half of the day traveling and with our 2 and a half year old son…
so, anyway, now think we actually paid in advanced for the room, about 200 dollars the night, I understand this rooms go for at least 400 bucks… so we were very pleased for the deal we got at the end… of course after the misunderstanding of changing hotels at last minute… so here is what I thing about this hotel…
the room we received was the biggest and the nicest we have been to… actually it wasn’t a room, it was an 1 bedroom 1 ½ bathroom apartment; there was a living/​dinning room with a super nice kitchen with even washer and dryer in room… the master bathroom had (as mentioned before) a TV in the mirror in it… i don’t really understand the functionality of if as it is not in front of the toilet and it is ~ 45 degrees from the tub… anyway, I think it’s cool…
The concierge, the front desk, the valet parking people, the beach/​pool people… everyone is very attentive and they really strive to make you feel you are the most important person in there… we didn’t go to the in site restaurant but for getting the complimentary ice cream for children… if I would just stop there (plus the fact we paid half the price for the room), I would have given them 5 stars… now why I gave them just 4 stars:
1) we found tinny ants in the kitchen/​dinning area… for a 4 ½−5 star hotel that shouldn’t happen
2) it wasn’t completely kids friendly (apart from the ice cream)… however this is not their fault, just our preference
3) one of the nights (at 4am!!!) the fire alarm went on and 5 minutes later they said it was a false alarm through the speakers (after that I couldn’t really sleep well the rest of the night)… also not their fault I guess
4) the last day, the wireless internet stopped working and when I call, they told me they were doing some upgrades and it would work until the next day
5) the beach: very nice but some seaweed in the shoreline
So, final words, overall a very good experience, we had a great time, and I would come back in the future ;)

We stayed here for two night weekend getaway. Great spot for relaxing, pool, beach. Rooms are very nice, I think they have been upgraded from some of the previous reviews I read. And the beds are VERY comfortable, exquisite bed linens and comforter. Bell staff gout of their way to assist, remember your name, and truly want to extend service. Same w pool staff.
We barely left resort. Walked down beach path to st Regis for drink and apps at their pool. Saw 6 paparazzi «hiding» in trees along path trying to get pix of Sophia vergara w zoom lens. Felt bad for celebs for a sec– what a life.
Back to one bal harbour– food in mr Collins was great. We had an outstanding dinner, I felt bad because it is just not busy but the food was really good! She had Branzini, I had a filet mignon cooked perfectly. Met the chef, desserts were delicious and really creative.
I will definitely come back here but u won’t have the south beach experience. It is quiet.

Sadly the spa was already booked for both Saturday and Sunday but we spent the day by the pool and that was amazing all in itself!
We live in Miami but wanted to get away for the celebration of our 5 years together. This was a surprise from my bf! He found ONE searching online and when we arrived it was more than I could have dreamt of. Were all about value and this was a better choice than something overrated like the Fountainbleu I would say.
The rooms are suites with a full bar and seating area. We got the view of the ocean but also the inlet and if you look back you see south beach. So nice! Definitely a place to go to relax. Just has that ambiance.
The restaurant was very good when we got here Friday night. We say at the bar first and the bartender josh made a pretty good dirty martini– so good I had 2. This was followed by a great dinner (halibut and tuna) and just ended the night so well.
Next morning we ate at the restaurant for breakfast and they have complimentary bagles and cereal and such but to get eggs and bacon you do have to pay. I tried to order a ham and cheese omelet but what came back seemed to be veggies and bacon.
We spent Saturday all day lounging and poolside and at the beach. It was a great day just relaxing and spending some great quality time together:)
The next night at dinner we went around 9:30 and the service was pretty slow although the area was kind of empty. The food was mediocre and seemed like it was thrown in the microwave before served. My bf got the snapper which was super fishy and dry. I got some ravioli lobster thing that was chewy and I spent the rest of the night sick :(not the best experience there.
We went back this morning for breakfast again and I really didn’t enjoy my burnt bacon. What chef places burnt bacon on a plate and thinks the meal is ready to be served? Just not very impressed.
The spa was booked for the weekend but… We drew the loveliest bath (make sure to put the curtains down because yea people can see in!) … We rented a movie Saturday night and just had the best time.
Now were about to check out and I’m sad to leave. I wish we could stay but that’s what makes it so great to come back to!

this review is for the hotel not the spa.
I read the reviews before staying here and frankly didn’t know what to expect. In general, i have very high standards for hotels. Now that i’m here i must say I am shocked at the lower star reviews and felt compelled to review based on my experience. The room is top notch. this is an ocean view suite. Very nice appointments throughout and a balcony on two sides.
Décor is very, very nicely done. The artwork is the nicest in room art work i’ve ever experienced. The artwork throughout the hotel is outstanding. Whoever picked the art work as well as the designer did an outstanding job.
I’ve had a few technical glitches in the room but a quick phone call has solved all issues.
I saw other reviewers complaining about bedding, etc. I’ve got a great king size bed with Frette sheets. no complaints here.
As for the kitchen. wolf stove, espresso machine, miele dishwasher. I could move in.
The mini bar. Usually mini bars are horrible imho. This mini bar is really tempting with great selections as well as healthy selections and a pretty well stocked sub zero refrigerator.
I would definitely stay here again. Oh, and breakfast is included.

Worst experience ever. I made a reservation for the pool side cabanas, went there, paid for it and then they kicked me out because they give priority to hotel guests. The manager even told me that he would call security. Very rude and unprofessional service.

I came here for Spa Month. Enjoyed the $ 99 Massage with Foot Scrub — very good — solid 5 stars.
I had a male therapist who was strong and well qualified. He use a couple hot stones on my back at the end of his back massage and scrubbed my feet at the end of service.
The facility itself is gorgeous. The treatment rooms facing the water are sublime.
Everything was tranquil and clean. I got to use the pool after my service. Enjoyed it all.

Spent five nights here from August 17 to 22.
PROS: All the common areas are beautiful and very clean. Staff was very polite. The room was nicely appointed with beautiful views of the ocean and intercostal. Floor to ceiling glass windows. Semi-​private elevator. The resort has several «towers» where there are two resort suites per floor. The elevator opens on each floor to a small foyer where there are two suites. This made it for a very private and quiet suite. No waiting around for elevators either. Nice European buffet breakfast at Mr. Collins. If you want to relax and be away from the craziness of South Beach, this is probably a good place for you.
CONS: Very expensive valet parking. Too many taxes. Not a good location. You have to drive everywhere. Their poor location alone should be reason enough for them not to charge for parking as you absolutely need a car here. No bar in the resort except for Mr. Collins which was not open late. So if you are a night owl, there is nothing here for you to do and you are stuck without a car. The mattress was extremely uncomfortable. One Unilocal review said they saw bedbugs in their bed, so the first thing i did upon entering the room was strip the bed and check for bugs. No bugs, but i discovered the mattress was all ripped! Also, the sheets were a little worn out. They really need to invest in updating the bedding. The rain shower in the bathroom would have been nice if I could have used it. When I tried using it the whole bathroom turned into a bathtub as the glass shower doors were not properly sealed. So I had to take a shower using the handheld shower. Not a five star experience! In addition, the bathroom amenities were these huge bottles which I guess were refilled when each guest left (yes there was a sign saying that if you took the bottles home with you, there would be an additional charge). Therefore, reusing someone’s toiletries seems a little unsanitary to me. It’s hard to imagine the board of health actually allows this. The beach also has no lifeguard and was EXTREMELY dirty! Seaweed, plastic bottles, and all kinds of other trash. The beach attendants were also on the lazy side. They never came around with ice cold water or towels as I have experienced in other resorts.
All in all, for $ 500+ a night, this was definitely not a good value. Would i stay here again? Maybe, because this was a relaxing place and I had a car to drive around. However, I want to stay at Acqualina next time I am in the area. I checked it out. The resort was beautiful, beach was clean, much better location, and they had a nice bar, two restaurants (one o them being Il Mulino New York where i had dinner one night), and a café.

Amazing!

This review is strictly for the spa. **Do not spend your money here.** I spent some time behind the scenes at this spa for a work project. If you like a thoroughly clean facility (not just on the surface), wax that has not been double dipped, clean implements touching your skin then stay away! Dont say i didnt warn you.

i have not stayed at this hotel… but feel very confident giving 5 stars based on their movies on the beach!
this is one of the coolest things ive ever done in miami and i wish more places would host similar events.
watching a movie on the beach (yes the actual sand) on comfortable couches with plush pillows and blankets. munching on popcorn and i even saw some people who brought their own small coolers with what i imagine to be wine and cheese inside.
a perfect date night and best of all its all free!

Stayed here for a romantic weekend. At first look rooms appeared nice. Tight sleeping area but spacious and well appointed bathroom. But, if you pay extra and get upgraded to an ocean suite, you shouldn’t see a causeway directly out your window. But the biggest problem is I saw bed bugs on our last night there. I FREAKED OUT! Couldn’t sleep, and promise never to return. washed all our clothes in bleach and chucked out the luggage. Restaurant attracts sleazy Hialeah types at night and Euro trash for breakfast.
Can’t wait for the St. Regis to open!

Modern luxurious accomodations in a way only elegant Bal Harbour can deliver.
The property, and the building itself, appears to be a dual condo-​hotel arrangement, though a dedicated elevator is reserved for hotel guests. Parking is valet only.
The expanse of their swimming pool and cabana area is quite generous. There’s, of course, a bar and day-​time towel service for guests and residents. Their fitness center is very well equiped, well-​lighted, spacious and, of course, boasts a view of the ocean.
The size of the jetway-​facing room is spacious and its layout smart; it is furnished tastefully with a motif towards darken wood and glass. The shower is certainly special — it’s a bare-​all outward-​facing glass stall (with automatic curtains should you decline the opportunity for exhibition).
South Beach is approximately 20 minutes away southbound via the A1A. No matter — I have no quarrels with keeping away families with noisy children in tow and bus loads of squawking tourists. Bal Harbour offers a retreat from that cursed area of the city; here you shall find peace and quiet in upscale environs.