Just returned from a 4 day stay at the Ritz Carlton Palm Beach. I must say this is one of Ritz Carltons nicer properties and the room renovations are wonderful. We found the service to be execptional and the people to be warm and friendly. The only down side of the whole trip was the "elevated noise levels". (more on that later)

We stayed in a Resort View room on a Summer Escape package (3rd night free + 50$ f&b credit). The room was beautiful, new bedding, comfortable bed, flat screen tv, mable bath. Bathroom amenities were Bulgari and were plentiful. They seemed to be replenished daily.

Our room was not ready upon arrival (Noon), but we were more than happy to have lunch and stay at the pool while we waited. Our rooms were ready at 4pm, but unfortunately the cribs we requested were not in the room. When you have 2 infants that haven't slept in 5 hours, you know how important those cribs are. 45 minutes later the cribs were delivered. The cribs are like little metal jails, but we made due. They also came with room child proofing kits (night light, outlet covers, bath spout cover) which was a nice surprise.

When I booked our trip I was advised that there were "elevated noise levels" at the hotel because of the construction of the spa. I figured we'd hear cranes and other outdoor construction while we were at the pool - so I didn't think we'd be bothered by that.

What I came to learn was that "elevated noise levels" for us meant sawing and drilling in the rooms directly above ours! This went on for the entire trip, from about 8 am to after 5 pm. We were offered another room, but we also told that the construction would be over on Friday, so we didn't change rooms because moving a family of 5 half way across a hotel is a major pain. Especially if the construction is over. Well, it wasn't over and it continued through the weekend. The manager told us that this was the first time in 2 years that there was construction on the weekend, and appologized and offered us a credit on our rooms. While the credit was nice, it didn't make up for the lack of sleep our children had (they couldn't nap with all the racket!) and their lack of sleep of course meant crabby kids and lack of sleep for the parents as well. The hotel should advise people on what elevated noise levels really means.

As for the rest of the hotel, the food at Breeze (outside by the pool) is good and reasonably priced. Yes, its expensive, but I have definitely seen more expensive food at other hotels. Our lunch bill was usually around 30$ for 2 adults.

We also had a small issue with the dinner restaurant Angle. We made reservations and were advised that the dress is "resort casual". When we arrived for dinner we were told that it was "resort casual" but no shorts. Unfortunately my husband did not bring pants on this short trip, so we were left at 7:30 pm with no dinner reservation and had to scramble. Again, the hotel should make it clear what the dress code is at Angle.

As far as the hotel location, its pretty much in the middle of no where - which for us was ok. But a rental car is definitely needed to get to Palm Beach or other towns. We had dinner at CityPlace in West Palm Beach twice, and on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach once. I'd definitely recommend Atlantic Avenue for anyone looking to do some art or boutique shopping, the street is filled with great little shops and restaurants and seemed to be the most active place we saw while we were there. We went up to Worth Avenue to shop one day, but it was dead. Most of the stores have closed for the slow summer season.

For anyone who works out, also be advised that the hotel fitness center is closed. You need to use the gym across the street. We found that the gym was not really up to Ritz standards, but was utilitarian and usable. Just bring your own water & headphones.

Overall it was a good trip and the Ritz Carlton is a beautiful property. The people and overall service are what you expect from a Ritz. It was just the small operational things that didn't seem to work at this property, they didn't set expectations correctly, and couldn't really make things "right". I would recommend ensuring that your room is not in a tower with room construction.

We stayed here for a wedding and could not have been more disappointed with our stay. Things started off badly when we came off a red-eye flight and tried to have a very early check-in. We usually do not have expectations to be able to do this however, when we had called earlier in the week to confirm our reservation, we asked if this would be possible. The woman on the phone said it should be no problem whatsoever. Upon arrival though, it was entirely different story. We were told that we would have to wait at least five hours for our room to be ready. Thus, we had to check our bags with the bellhop. When my husband tried tipping the bellhop he realized he only had twenty-dollar bills. So, we first asked the front desk for change. We were inquired "what for?" and then they were unable to provide change. We then walked over to the restaurant to make change and were inquired again what the change was for. The staff made us feel lowly for not being able to tip with $20 bills.
Finally, when we were able to check into our room, we had requested one king bed but was given two doubles. Being so exhausted, we could not muster the energy to complain.

We thought the bad service was over once we checked in but we found more things unacceptable for a five star hotel. Our shampoos/soap were never re-stocked and we had to chase down a staffperson to get more. Our rooms were not cleaned until we called down at 6pm to ask for service. And the shower temperature never stayed constant.

The only nice part of the weekend was the wedding itself. The staff people working in that area were very nice and accomodating.

We spent a long weekend at the Ritz Carlton -- two adults and two "tweens".

Room: Our room had a great view and was well appointed. The room was generous (not humongous, but we weren't on top of each other). The bathroom was roomy: two sinks, shower and separate bath tub and the toilet area had its own door for privacy. A nice set up when you have four people sharing a room! The terrace was nice and we had a lovely view of the pool/ocean/beach. It was pleasant to sit outside and relax. The room was renovated. The beds were comfortable and the room had modern amenities like a flat sceen TV. For those who bring laptops, the in room safe is large enough to hold a laptop.

Facilities: The lobby is lovely. They serve (complimentary) iced tea by the reception desk in the afternoon. High tea is served in parts of the lobby. The lobby bar was nice. I highly recommend the mango mojito. The two pools were quite nice. They weren't overcrowded, but we weren't there at the height of tourist season either. We ate only at the restaurant by the pool. The food was good and it was reaonably priced and convenient. The hotel is right on the beach and the Ritz provides chaise lounges, umbrellas, etc. Valet parking works fine if you remember to call ahead. While the hotel says 20 minutes, we found that most times 10 minutes was more than enough notice to get the car.

Service: The staff were all courteous and prompt. No issues to report. We arrived around 2 pm, but there was no early check in (and this was not a particularly busy time of year). Keep that in mind if you plan to arrive before 4 pm.

Location/nearby amenities: There's not a lot to do/see in this neck of the woods. There is a restaurant just up the beach that is open for breakfast and lunch. Across the street is a small strip mall with a small grocery store, an ice cream store, misc retail stores and some restaurants. We ate ice cream and grabbed coffee/croissants at the grocery store (there is a place to sit), but did not eat at any of the full service restaurants. We had dinner in Lake Worth one night. The food was fine, but I did not find the town that interesting. We went to Palm Beach (Cityplace) a couple of times and we did not go back.. It's probably about a 15 minute drive, but there is a much bigger selection of restaurants, along with all the shopping you can imagine. The drive is nice. You pass lots of beautiful homes.

All in all, we had a nice relaxing getaway. The Ritz was perfect for our stay. We got a great deal (stay 2 get the 3rd night free), so that may affect our perception of the value of the experience.

We stayed at the Ritz Palm Beach for about a week in 2005.

The hotel is very nice and the staff equally nice. The restaurants were very good, albeit expensive, and the wine lists were great but overpriced.

We enjoyed the pool more than the beach. The pool is very nice, but extremely quite. The service staff in the pool area was very nice but a little slow - even when the pool isn't busy.

This is definitely a Ritz-Carlton and you know it as soon as you enter the lobby. (Kind of strange as the front of the hotel is quite boring and drab...) Beautiful lobby and comfortable rooms.

We will stay there again.