The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

We came to The Lobby Bar and it did not disappoint. Sheena was our server and she was amazing. We ate like kings! The nigiri and dumplings were delicious, and the sweet potato cheesecake was unexpectedly delightful. I was not expecting it to taste so good!I'm glad we decided to eat in. It's nice to eat in a hotel restaurant where the food is good and the service is excellent.

I am partial to this Ritz Carlton property as I was born and raised in Amelia Island and watched this property being built. I also have visited as a guest throughout the years for different reasons, both personally and professionally . My sons grew up going to the Christmas celebrations at this property! We found ourselves here last week for an annual award trip for my husband. His company chooses different Ritz Carltons in both the US and Caribbean each year and this was the second time they booked Amelia Island. This trip was scheduled for last October but postponed due to the hurricanes. Needless to say, it was cold! However, we had a great time. The staff made the best of the weather and welcomed us all!This resort is oceanfront and in good weather, the multiple pool options and the beach are awesome! You can rent private cabanas poolside, beach chairs and umbrellas on the beach, and get food and drinks delivered to you without moving in either place. There are at least five food restaurants and multiple bars. The valet, bellman and front desk are excellent! We loved drinks in the lobby lounge each evening and they also offer a sushi menu that people say is great. Carson rocked as our server there! Our favorite spots for food are Tidewater Grill and Coquina. Tidewater has great casual food and lots of TVs for the sports lovers. Coquina is great for outdoor sunny weather dining. We also love getting room service breakfast to eat on the balcony in the morning. We indulged in a 100 minute couples massage in the newly renovated spa. Unfortunately due to the weather, we could not take advantage of hanging out there all day as we would have liked. You definitely should take advantage of getting a spa treatment and enjoying the adult only spa areas there. The rooms are a bit dated. This was our one down side this last trip as the room did not cleaned without a call for such. Our oceanfront room was at an angle also and not directly oceanfront. They do offer lots of activities for families and if you have not visited Amelia Island before, you should. It's a very quaint, safe, beach spot.

I'll preface by saying my wife and I travel often with our daughter. We've been to 5 star resorts by Auberge and loved it. We've stayed at mid-range hotels like Canopy by Hilton and enjoyed ourselves. While we love the experience of a mid-to-higher end chain like Autograph Collection, we also can definitely feel at home at a Hampton Inn. This was our first Ritz-Carlton stay, and it did not measure up to an Auberge or Autograph Collection, which are both relatively comparable price-wise with a Ritz. Honestly, it really didn't measure up to some Canopy Hiltons we've been to.Room: 3/5. Decent mini fridge set-up with a comfortable bed and a nice balcony. Deducted points because the shower was outdated as the shower head in our room looked like it was falling apart (Room 605 for reference). The TV also had audio issues.Food: 1/5. This was the biggest disappointment. The pool bar had good tacos and snacks and the staff there was among the friendliest and nicest. The Coast restaurant was the nicer of the other two spots, and I'd put it on par with a Seasons 52 chain restaurant in terms of ambiance with the food quality of an airport lounge. One guest -- who i was not traveling with -- got food poisoning from the salmon while we were there. Their other restaurant was more casual -- like a Fudruckers in a slower part of town -- and it was as remarkable as the description I just provided.Amenities: 4/5. The pool is spacious and heated to 80° all year long. The gym and spa were also both nice. Hospitality: 4/5. I want to make clear that this review really has nothing to do with the staff and their level of professional hospitality. We had one issue at the end where the concierge decided that she couldn't figure out how to print our prepaid shipping label, and was instead offering to charge us to ship the package to our home -- at a cost -- instead of the package's actual destination. We had this resolved, but it was an issue at checkout.Overall Vibe: 2/5. The property itself feels really corporate. I get that they probably cater to a lot of older boomers who want to golf and seek out the vibes of a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, but for the rest of us, it doesn't quite live up to the modern 5 star luxury experience. One clear example is that several areas -- particularly between the spa and pool -- smell like unwashed butt. Again, going back to Autograph Collection Hotels, they pump a signature fragrance throughout the properties -- indoor and out -- to really transport you. Overall, not a great impression.

The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the food was good (I was there for a conference).However... The property is not well maintained nor especially clean. The parking garage was terrible. The trash cans were never emptied in the three days I was there, and the stairwells were a mess. The room was better, but only a little. The light over the desk area was broken and there was something red splattered on the bathroom door. Hopefully not blood.And I hate resort fees that are sprung on guest at check in. The amount ($50/day) isn't that big a deal. It is the principle of the thing. Don't add a non optional charge, just include it in the price, since it is part of the price -there is no option to say no. It is just shady business.

***4.5 Stars***Visited last August and enjoyed our 3 night stay at the Ritz in Amelia Island. I have family in Savannah, so we split the week between Savannah and Amelia island. It was my first time staying at a Ritz, so it was nice as anticipated, but it also felt relaxed and unpretentious as well. We were treated with sparkling wine, fruit plate and cookies with our kids' names on them which was impressive. We traveled with a 7 month and 3 year old, so we didn't really get to experience all the on-site dining options.We stayed at the Club level, so basically used the Club like an All Inclusive Resort. I think it's worthwhile with kids and infants to book club level. Unlimited access to juices and snacks for the kiddos and also ice coffees, beer and wine for the adults. We mainly had all our meals at the Club lounge. I believe they have a kids club for older kids, but we just did our own thing. Definitely a family friendly hotel.We enjoyed the beach area which was deep and filled with soft sand. It's fairly secluded and spaced out. Good beach service as far as I remember.

I had a very pleasant stay at this hotel. It's the fanciest place I've ever stayed and thus expensive for the whole experience.The staff was all very kind, warm, and welcoming. This is definitely noticeable and affects your perception of the place in a positive manner.The hotel was very clean. Of note was the wonderful shower and I still can't figure out how the mirror would never get fogged up. The bed was very comfortable. I enjoyed the balcony and it's view of the lawn and ocean. Getting the chocolates when they turned down the bed was a nice surprise.I will say the hot tub wasn't very hot during the day when I was in it. Not sure if the people who were in it had requested that or if it's a daily thing. I also kind of expected the toilet paper to be better quality, not the normal cheap hotel stuff. Wonderful food at the restaurant I ate at. Beautiful wedding venue. Clean gym. Beach access.

100% recommended! The experience at The Ritz Carlton was exceptional from the moment we arrived until the end of our stay. We celebrated my birthday there, and it was truly amazing. We dined at several locations within the hotel, and the service everywhere was outstanding. However, there was one minor hiccup at Tidewater where we were presented with our bill twice, which made us feel a bit unwelcome, as if Karen our server wanted us to leave...we laughed it off and took our pizza to go. Despite this, the rest of our stay more than made up for the brief discomfort. We enjoyed a couples massage, the saunas and steam rooms. We spent the entire day relaxing by the pool, which was pure bliss. We will be back with our family.

The room and hospitality is really good. The spa was horrible.. The lobby bar was not good. The Valet is nice. Lots of mixed feelings and emotions about this place. I have a full review of the Spa hereCheck out this review of The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island on Tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34218-d235544-r968199817-The_Ritz_Carlton_Amelia_Island-Fernandina_Beach_Amelia_Island_Florida.htmlhttps://youtu.be/7PpP752JR-w?si=emMr_tlXDV22QI2k

Beautiful property with wonderful service and a friendly staff. Excellent restaurants on site, vibrant lobby bar with live music most days we were there and delicious sushi.

The Ritz is a special place with a magical staff! We got a bite at the lobby bar and Ellen was such a gracious host. The sushi was fresh and the drinks were tasty. Ellen made sure we all had a fantastic time. Perfect place to visit for a day trip if you are close by. They also had great shops within the hotel. Will be coming back soon!