The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

We just completed a 5 night stay over the Labor Day holiday weekend. The biggest positive was the excellent programming for kids. There were many great, complimentary activities like face painting, balloon artists, laser tag, and even nature talks with live reptiles. The family activities were truly top-notch and easily the highlight of our stay. Unfortunately, that's where the positives ended. This property feels like a Ritz-Carlton in name only. During 3 of the 5 days we were there, the pool was out of towels. One day, I ended up walking to the beach area, which surprisingly had plenty of towels available, but I had to practically beg to take a few back to the pool because I was told those towels were "for the beach only," even though they were the exact same towels. To their credit, I was refunded the resort fee for those three days after I complained, but the overall experience left me with a strong impression of unnecessary stinginess. The same applied to the beach chair policy. My wife, daughter, and I asked for three beach chairs and were told rooms are limited to two chairs. This was on a Monday afternoon when both the hotel and beach were nearly empty. I was honestly shocked that such a request couldn't be accommodated. Beyond the service issues, the property is showing significant wear and tear. I had one Housekeeping was also inconsistent. We arrived to find hair in the bathtub that clearly wasn't ours. On our second day, our room received only a very superficial cleaning and the bathroom had not been cleaned at all. After I messaged the hotel, someone did return to address the issue, but it shouldn't have happened in the first place. You could also tell the pool and beach areas were understaffed and the employees were overworked. Many appeared to be college-aged seasonal staff, and many looked miserable and disengaged. While I don't fault the individual employees, the lack of staffing showed in the overall guest experience and contributed to an atmosphere that felt far removed from the level of service I'd expect at a Ritz. Overall, I won't be returning. While the kids' programming was exceptional, it wasn't enough to justify the $1k+ rates being charged. For a luxury property, the service, maintenance, and overall guest experience fell well short of expectations.

I rarely write reviews but I was shocked at the service me and a group of friends experienced here over the long weekend. The property in general is in some need of some serious upgrades…even though it has experienced reservations. Main things we experiences is mildewed showers, towels that were nowhere to be found several days where the stays reply was “our laundry service sucks”, drinks that took 45 minutes to arrive…if they even arrived, a sports bar that didn’t play the Florida game, mediocre food all around, and what felt like a serious understaffed team. I’ve stayed here several times and I will never be back. This is a courtyard marriott masked as a Ritz. Save your money and rent an airbnb which is what several locals told us when we told them where we’re staying. Very disappointed.

I am shocked to be at a Ritz at a silly price point with a sad, mildewed shower curtain. The photos on the site are terribly misleading, showing a sparkly walk in shower. Perhaps I just got unlucky and have the one room they forgot to renovate but I was stunned to walk in and see the state of the bathroom. Fortunately I am only here for 2 nights but this is a huge skip for me next time I’m in the area.

This was our second time to the Ritz Amelia Island and it was better than the first. As a Titanium member, I was able to use my suite night awards to upgrade to an ocean front suite, which was amazing. Lots of space and great views, the family absolutely loved it! We were celebrating our babymoon and Nora from guest relations made it extra special with sparking apple cider, treats, and a small toy brought to the room. Since this beach is relatively quiet, it was very peaceful. Having lunch and drinks brought out to you on the beach is always a plus and service was great! After thatwe, played at the pool, which wasn't too crowded. We ate breakfast buffet each morning, which doesn't disappoint. We had dinner at both Coast and Tidewater (both very kid friendly) and the food was good. During our time there, they had a special event leading up the fourth, which included setting up a game room (with laser tag), which the kids really enjoyed. Overall, wonderful stay and can't wait to be back!

The facilities at all Ritz-Carlton Resorts are generally very nice. I was somewhat disappointed with the service at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island however. We stay a Ritz properties quite often with the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota being our favorite. The service in Sarasota stands head and shoulders above that of Amelia Island. We typically will book or upgrade to Club level, in the case of Amelia Island, it's simply not worth the cost. Other than Stephanie, the Club level attendant on the morning shifts (which went out of her way to attend to guests and make sure they were happy), the rests of the staff gave off the vibe that they wanted you to leave. Food selections were generally empty with staff not showing any interest in restocking. Club level at Amelia Island also includes a "Club Beach area", which I still don't understand what it provided. Getting a drink at Amelia Island while at the beach is like chasing a unicorn. I tried and tried and finally gave up and walked up the beach to the bar. I did manage to track down one attendant at one point and she made it a point repeatedly to let me know that drinks here in the "Club area" were not free. I responded that I wasn't expecting anything for free and could I please have a menu.......... crickets, she never came back. The valet was another issue. We called down ahead of time for our vehicle and yet had to wait in the valet area for nearly 45 minutes. Again, very disappointed. If you're a Ritz-Carlton fan like we are, do yourself a favor and choose another property with better management.