The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami

On special occasions my wife and I will book a weekend at a Ritz Carlton hotel. Over the past few years we have been to a few, Montreal - an absolute favorite, St. Petersburg FL, also great, and this past weekend, the Ritz Carlton in Coconut Grove, Miami. The best I can say about the hotel itself, is disappointing. Ritz Carlton is part of the Marriott group and this particular location has a Marriott corporate vibe to it, not the charming boutique feeling of the other two. As a Marriott Bonvoy member I am offered upgrades when available at their properties. Sometimes that means a modestly better room, other times a big score with a junior suite or something I would never book in the first place. We were offered a "city view" room on an upper floor and were told it was a three category upgrade to the standard room we booked. The room was nice enough, not particularly impressive with a view of two adjacent buildings with just enough space between them for a seagull to fly to the beach a few blocks away. I started to wonder what the lowest category we booked might look like. About the room. The standards we experienced during other Ritz Carlton visits, was, well, missing here in Coconut Grove. It started with little things, one robe in the closet for a two person reservation, none of those slippers you usually find in upscale hotels, OK, that may seem like nit-picking but the bigger issues were low quality scratchy linens on the bed and a way too soft, lumpy uncomfortable mattress. The "city view" description of the room was inadequate, it was also the "prominent road noise" room from the traffic below. Something the desk clerk could have warned us about before placing us in that room. If the lumpy mattress didn't keep me awake, the trucks and busses roaring down the road through the night did. While all of these things were annoying, there was one thing that left me dumbfounded. We forgot a charging cable for our phone and called the desk to see if they had one. While many hotels do, this one didn't. The person at the desk told me they did have charging stations with all the necessary cables in the lobby with a charge of $2.00 for 20 minutes. I said "Wait, you charge your guests to use electricity in the lobby ... at a Ritz Carlton?" Like I said, dumbfounded. While I understand that these hotels are owned by various people or groups operating under the Ritz Carlton moniker, they set their own rates and fees. If you are charging a lowest regular rate of $1,039 a night - for the lowest catagory room, do you really have to ding your guests $2.00 for 20 minutes of phone charging? Man, that's just cheap. After my lengthly diatribe I do want to emphasize one thing. The staff at the hotel is great, they absolutely responded immediately to almost any request. Everyone helpful, courteous and friendly, rising to the Ritz Carlton standard and above.

The hotel is a very beautiful resort located in a convenient spot in Coconut Grove to reach the local ocean front and the shopping areas by walking within a few minutes. The staff is very friendly and pro-active to serve your needs. Check-in process was smooth and with a personal touch. Our room had a good size and a very spacious bath room, everything you would expect from a Ritz Carlton property. The pool has a nice size with several comfortable sun beds. Unfortunately the weather was too chilly to use it, but the area looked very nice and freshly renovated. When booking this resort please be aware that on the opposite site of the street is currently a construction going on (JAN 2025) which can be heard inside the room from ca. 8:00am until late afternoon. Check with the staff to receive a room not facing the construction site. Thanks to the whole team for our relaxing stay - we are looking forward to come back!

As someone who has stayed at multiple Ritz-Carlton properties across the country—including Denver, Key Biscayne, New York City, and Los Angeles—the Coconut Grove location was disappointing in comparison. At $700–$800 per night, I expected the same high standards synonymous with the brand, but unfortunately, this property fell short in several areas. The check-in experience was particularly lackluster. The front desk staff appeared very young, likely in their early 20s, and lacked the professionalism and warmth I’ve come to expect from Ritz-Carlton employees. They seemed aloof, inattentive, and at times outright rude, leaving a poor first impression. The pool area was another letdown. For a property in Miami, known for its vibrant luxury hotels, the pool felt bland and uninspired. The decor and overall atmosphere lacked the elegance and attention to detail I’ve seen at other Ritz locations. The room itself was a mixed experience. While the bathroom was stylish, with sleek white marble that stood out, the room door was ill-fitted to the frame, which felt sloppy for a hotel of this caliber. The rest of the room was adequate but didn’t have the luxurious feel I associate with the Ritz-Carlton brand. Overall, while my stay was okay, this property is leagues behind its counterparts in terms of service, ambiance, and attention to detail. For the price, I would recommend considering other Miami luxury options, as this was the weakest Ritz experience I’ve had to date.