The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

We just returned from our first ever trip to Amelia Island and had a wonderful stay at the Ritz. It was a points redemption (330k points for 5 nights), and I am Titanium. Apologies for the long review, but I wanted to share as much info as I could. Overall, our stay was incredible, and I would highly recommend the property and the island itself. Let’s start with the positives: + JENNIFER is by far the best concierge I have ever come across in all of my years of traveling. She truly understands customer service and how far a kind gesture can go in getting repeat business. She should be running the place, and I hope she gets all the recognition she deserves. From coordinating a surprise Sweet 16 party for my daughter to putting together gifts for my graduating senior to booking golf tee times to making dinner recommendations, she went well above and beyond anything that was expected. + THE BEACH was great. Soft sand. Wooden slats to walk on. Plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas. They also didn’t mind us bringing our own drinks down. We splurged on a bed/canopy, and it was amazing. + COAST was awesome for breakfast buffet. Easily the best breakfast buffet I have experienced within the United States. + SALT had a great bar and bartender. Didn’t eat there because we had 2 teenagers with us. + COFFEE SHOP was wonderful for a morning pick-me-up or snack on the go. They even comped our entire order on my daughter’s birthday! + ELEVATORS were incredibly fast and almost always ready and waiting for us. + COQUINA nachos were a big it with the kids. The adults liked the street tacos other than the tortillas which weren’t even warmed up (the judges on Chopped would have been disappointed) + GOLF on property at the Golf Club of Amelia Island as well as at the Amelia River Club (public) and Little Sandy (10-hole course at the Omni) was great. + OVERALL SERVICE from just about everyone was great. The valets and front desk staff in particular were great. In terms of front desk, Kara was awesome and waiting for us when we arrived, and a lovely woman whose name began with an “S” (forgot her name) upgraded us to an ocean view room. + BALCONY was big and had the most amazing sunrise views. + CRAIGCAT TOUR (booked through hotel) was something fun and different. Learned a lot about the area, saw some dolphins and a gator, and collected some great shells. + BOATHOUSE RESTAURANT (in town) was a great meal with live music. + The hotel was incredibly CLEAN. + SHOWER PRESSURE was great. Here’s some minor constructive feedback: - INCONSISTENCY. I inquired about the replacement amenity (for Wi-Fi) prior to my arrival and was told it would be a $20 daily credit. When I checked in, the associate was unaware of the policy which I showed her on my phone. I was then told the next say that the Ritz is not a “participating hotel.” At breakfast, I was comped one day because of my status, but the other days we were told it was up to the discretion of the server. When we asked the server about it, she told us that they don’t offer free breakfast, but they did give points. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but they do need to get their stories straight. - The first two concierges (Michele & Susie) I engaged with prior to arrival told me they had made reservations or said they would, but never did. I reached out to the GM and let him know what happened and how great Jennifer was. He came across as dismissive, but oh well. - The menu at the beach is very limited. - $50 daily resort fee + $40 daily parking fee is quite a bit. - Shower kept clogging (happens at beach resorts) and phone kept losing charge even after being replaced (again, not a huge deal). Overall, it was a great stay. We will be back!

We very much enjoyed our time at this Ritz property. The beach is beautiful, but I do wish that they would have had chairs out which I don’t think they do until March. Everybody was so nice… Shout out to Winter at the front desk who was just so lovely!! She was kind, helpful, and just a pleasure! And Blake and Chris in coastal restaurant were so nice too!! I do wish the casual restaurant weren’t so bright and loud. Overall, I thought it was a beautiful, relaxing Ritz. The ocean view room was nice but pretty small. This is an older Ritz so I imagine that it will be renovated shortly. But all in all, it’s what you would expect from a Ritz.., many of which seem very similar in terms of what you can expect in terms of service and property.

Just got back from a fabulous five-day stay at the Ritz. One word: Outstanding. The service was truly top notch. The facilities are beautiful and impeccable. And the food was amazing. The tasting menu at SALT was out of this world delicious. Huge thanks to our waitress Olga. Also enjoyed a lovely dinner at COAST. The tacos and mango margaritas from COQUINA were super yummy and I can't recommend them enough. I ate them every day. Would like to shout out a thank you to Heather and Flore who took care of us poolside. Also enjoyed a very good massage at the spa. Will definitely be back!

It's always a great experience at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island! I've stayed at this location a few times, and most of the times, I've opted for the Club Level. I've also helped arrange a private event with cars in the "Ocean Front Lawn" area. A very, very special thank you to Kathy Jeffers, Assistant Club Manager for making me feel at home for this weekends visit! Everyone at the Club Level I interacted with, including Jenny, Marvin, Gregory, and Latoya, were wonderful to interact with! A very special thank you to Krystle, Guest Services Manager, and Tasso from the valet team, for enjoying some time in the Mercedes-AMG SL 55 as part of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience Partner Program. Kystle was recently named Five Star Leader of the Quarter a couple of days ago. Congratulations, Krystle! I also want to thank Susie at the Concierge for providing excellent guidance and assistance! Letecia “Letty” is always a delight to interact with upon check-in! It’s always a pleasure to order a glass of custom, house-infused bourbon blends served daily during “First Call” at the Lobby Bar, served by Cody! Thanks Letty & Cody! There are so many options to do and experience, it's hard to get to them all in a day or two. I recommend staying at least a few days. Relax, enjoy yourself. Create memories. This is one of those resorts where it pays to plan your trip as well as you can, perhaps around business meetings or visiting friends in town. A couple of my favorite things is available at no additional fee, the 8 a.m. Nature Walk Embark on a one-hour guided walk led by the resort Naturalist to explore the natural environment and identify plant and animal species surrounding the resort, and the Family Beach Bonfire, Fridays and Saturdays 7 p.m.–9 p.m. Before you arrive, be sure to look up some other restaurants and sight-seeing opportunities in Fernandina Beach, a small town on Amelia Island. If you enjoy an adult beverage, it's always a pleasure to order a glass of custom, house-infused bourbon blends served daily during “First Call” at the Lobby Bar; and they also offer fantastic food, such as their famous sushi offerings!

We met friends there for lunch. We are outside by the pool. Such a beautiful view and the food was excellent. From the time we arrived until the time we departed it was all first class. We stopped in one of the shops and were greeted with a smile and friendly, not pushy, service