33149 Travel Guide
Tags: Art Basel Hotels / Hotel Bars / Hotel Art / Miami Hotel Mambo / Ritz-Carlton Hotels / → All Tags
The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne Serves Art With a Side of Rum

Art galleries and wine go together like rum and cigars. But in Key Biscayne, they like to shake things up. So when the folks at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne decided to do something special for Art Basel, they decided to pair it with their Old Havana-style den, RUMBAR. That’s where the hotel is hosting a private pre-Art Basel cocktail soiree for artist Carlos Estevez on December 1st. It’s invitation only but if you happen to be a guest at the hotel we bet you can sweet-talk your way in.
The party marks the unveiling of the largest work Cuban artist Estevez has ever created—an 8-foot circular painting on canvas—so you should be able to find your way to the festivities without too much trouble. (You could also follow the sounds of RUMBAR’s resident Latin band Grupo Nostalgia, who will be jamming at the event.)
Tags: Miami Beach Hotel Reviews / Luxury Hotels / → All Tags
Miami Guidebook Piggyback: The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne
Travel writer Michael de Zayas is in Miami on an assignment--30 Miami hotels in 30 Miami nights. You will be able to find his detailed travel musings in Miami and Miami Beach books later this year. HotelChatter asked Michael to let us know his minute-by-minute thoughts on the Miami hotel scene during his guide book mission, which he will be doing over the next two weeks. During the fortnight, Michael will share with us every bed, maid, drink, pool, henhouse and outhouse that comprise the Grove, Gables, Sunny Isles, North Beach, South Beach and the Key Biscayne hotel scene in 2007. If you wish to ask him a question during his jaunt, shoot it our way.

I was going to report to you today on Casa Casuarina, the big black gate on 12th street that everyone takes photos of.
I had been informed that the gate occasionally opens, rare as Wonka's Chocolate Factory, and inside are 12 magical rooms. And yes, I was going to spend the night. The hotel is a member-driven machine, however, and a member, I was told via a dramatic last-minute text message to my phone, had booked all the rooms for the week. Sorry, Michael.
Sorry, dear reader.
Fortunately I had a backup plan - stay put. After all, I was quite wonderfully ensconced at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne. And I was feeling the happy being far from the siren calls of Miami Beach. I was feeling, you know, lazy. And this is a fine place to embrace that feeling.
More on the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne after the jump.
Tags: Hotels / → All Tags
Diamonds Are A Ritz Guests' Best Friend

We thought we'd heard it all... but apparently we haven't. Imagine lying down on your Ritz-Carlton bed, only to feel a lump under your pillow. A diamond necklace-like lump.
To celebrate being Miami's only AAA Five Diamond Resort, the Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne, a diamond necklace from SABBIA will be placed randomly under a guest's pillow. There will be one necklace every month from now till May (five diamonds, five months, get it?)
Each necklace will have 5 diamonds, and a blue sapphire-- the Ritz's signature color. The diamonds total one carat, and the necklace is valued at over $3,000! To win it all you do is book a room at the published rate. And if you know you aren't like the Princess And The Pea, do yourself a favor and check under the pillow.
Of the 50,000 properties that AAA evaluates each year, less than one-half of one percent earns the Five Diamond distinction. The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne is the only Miami property added to the list.
Related Stories:
· Guests May Find Diamonds in Guestrooms at The Ritz-Carlton [PR News Wire]
· The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne Named Miami's First and Only AAA Five Diamond Resort [Ritz-Carlton]
Tags: Hotel Hell / → All Tags
$400/night and you Clean Glasses in the Bathroom Sink?
[Editors Note: You know the drill...this is the story of just one guest, all experiences are different, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, Ritz, dude, what is up? Cleaning glasses in the bathroom sink? Maybe at the Days Inn, but for $400 a night replacing the glasses each day might be worthwhile. We are guessing this is an anomaly in your service...right? Listen to Hotel Maven lorgo's experience:]
I do not recommend this Ritz Carlton . The rooms are tiny, we were in a standard. Bath with one sink and tub with shower. Door into toilet area not at all workable. It was cold and we had no heat. I complained and it was not fixed. Maid was washing the bathroom glasses in our bathroom sink. I thought these were replaced daily and were provided by the kitchen. You know what is washed in the bathroom sinks. Not at all hygenic. Common hallways and rooms were freezing. Staff was friendly. At $400 a day I expected a lot more. There are no good views from the standard rooms.I won't even get into the crazy bar pricing. Food was OK.
Tags: Hotel Heaven / → All Tags
Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne Review: Living Up to its Name
Settled on a beautiful tropical island off the coast of Miami, the Ritz Carlton is a delight for any traveler. Whether an international VIP or someone who just wants to fly from the weekly grind, all of your desires will be fulfilled at this luxurious island resort.
Luxury does come with a price tag as you might well imagine. You can be sure that this hotel and its ammenties will cost a pretty penny but you can also be assured of their worth. With a reputation for impecable service and a location that rivals Fiji, even the most hard to please adventurers can be wowed. If your wallet allows it or you have a good credit history, the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne is your spot to enjoy South Florida.
From the cuisine to the backdrop, this hotel has been developed to perfection.

