10 Questions To Ask When Booking A Hotel Room

You don’t want your great vacation memories obliterated by unexpected costs, or an experience that didn’t quite meet your standards erasing your good will. There are things you can know in advance about your accommodations. Here are 10 questions to ask when booking a hotel room.

Does the price reflect all fees and taxes?

There might be resort fees, cleaning fees, booking fees and other pesky hidden fees and taxes. Ask if the price you are quoted includes all of those. If it doesn’t, ask if you can have the added fees waived.

Is parking included?

Many hotels leave out the little fact that when you arrive, parking will cost you $30 per night, and there is nowhere else to park for miles. Ask if parking is included. If it is not, ask if the hotel is offering any vouchers on free or discounted parking.

Is Wi-Fi included for free?

Sometimes when you ask if Wi-Fi is included, the representative “included” instead of “available” available, and answer “yes.” Make sure to ask if it is for free. If it is not free, ask if they can give you a voucher for complimentary Wi-Fi. Tell them you won’t book a room that doesn’t come with complimentary Wi-Fi.

What better rate can you offer me?

As soon as you say this, the representative knows you are not willing to pay the price quoted. They’ll never say, “That’s the best we can do” if it means you walk away. There are usually promotions or special deals for Costco members, AAA members, and members of certain credit cards. Just ask.

Do you know that the hotel across the street is charging less?

Let them know that you know their competition can give you a better rate. They usually depend on you not having checked the competition. Even if it’s not true, you should still say the hotel across the street is offering you a better rate — the representative you’re speaking with doesn’t know what sort of personal deal you may have made.

Is the hotel family friendly?

If you’re traveling with a family and want the answer to be yes, then definitely ask this! You want to make sure there are kids’ menus, lifeguards on duty, cribs available and so on. If you want a quiet, grownup getaway, this is an important question to ask so that you avoid a resort full of screaming children.

Does the room have a private balcony with seating?

Many hotels will say the room comes with a balcony and what they mean is a two-foot ledge that you are not allowed to step onto. It just makes the hotel look good to passers by on the street. Make sure you can actually sit on the balcony.

Where in the hotel is the room located?

If it’s near the elevator, or the entrance to the pool area, you might hear a lot of commotion day and night. You also don’t want a room next to a maintenance closet where the cleaning staff could be convening and talking at all hours, or near the kitchen.

Can the public use the swimming pool?

Some large resorts offer public access to their swimming pools for a fee. But if you don’t want to be fighting for lounge chairs and a few feet of personal space in the pool, make sure your hotel reserves its pool for guests only.

Can we walk to restaurants and shopping?

A hotel might list on its website that it is only two miles from dining and shopping. But sometimes, those two miles are nothing but highway, or rugged land, or tons of construction, forcing you to stay at the hotel or take cabs everywhere. Ask explicitly if it is safe and convenient to walk to shopping and dining.

 

10 Best Marriott Hotels In Florida

Dec 26 2022, 6:55 am

Which Marriott Bonvoy Resort is the best in Florida, including Miami, Orlando, and Naples, for location, beach, club lounge, and pool? We have outlined the overall winners, followed by reviewing each hotel separately below.

Wherever you decide to stay, book via our luxury travel concierge. We offer free upgrades, free breakfasts, and free perks at hotels, including Four Seasons, Aman, Belmond, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, InterContinental, and more. You also get your usual Marriott Bonvoy, Hyatt, Hilton, and other loyalty points and status benefits when you book with our concierge.

Ritz-Carlton and JW are two of the most luxury Bonvoy brands hence the skew towards these hotels. JW Marriotts can also be found in destinations like Miami. Because the JW Marriott Miami is a city hotel, we don’t rate it as a resort hence its exclusion.

The Marriott hotel portfolio includes The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, Westin, W Hotels, EDITION, Sheraton, and the Four Points by Sheraton, as well as Marriotts, JW Marriotts, Courtyard by Marriott, and more. Executive lounge access is a perk afforded to top-level Platinum Elite members. Another brilliant luxury hotel option in Florida is the Four Seasons and we have picked the best Four Seasons Disney vs Surfside vs Miami vs Palm Beach.

You can redeem points at all of the Marriott Bonvoy properties or pay for your booking and earn them, but remember to use our luxury travel concierge as we can offer you special benefits or deals at all these hotels, whilst enabling you to benefit from your status and collect your usual points. It costs nothing to ask us for a quote, and we will be able to help you squeeze some extra value from your stay.

Our winners are:

Best for the beach: Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort. This property has a beautiful white sand beach with sunset views. The runner up would be Ritz-Carlton Miami Beach, which also has a great and stylish beach club

Best for a pool: Ritz-Carlton Naples. This pool is large and tropical, with water slides. The Ritz-Carlton Orlando has a “meh” pool, but the next door JW Marriott property has a fun lazy river which you can access from this Ritz-Carlton

Best for restaurants: This is a tough one. We love the sunset views from many of the restaurants at the Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach, but the Miami Beach resort offers great restaurants too. Avoid the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne in the school holidays as their restaurants can be full of kids

Best for club lounges: Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort for the views and extensive food offering, although the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort offers a more intimate lounge with equally good food

Best for nightlife: The Ritz-Carlton South Beach

Best for golf: Ritz-Carlton Naples Golf Resort

Best for style: Ritz-Carlton South Beach

Best for sunrise: Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale

Best for sunset: Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort

Best overall for everything: Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort

Best for value: Ritz-Carlton Naples Golf Resort as you can use the facilities of the above resort for about half the price, so it is much cheaper

1. Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach

There are two Ritz-Carlton’s in Naples, both are excellent, and both have club lounges. The Ritz-Carlton Naples Golf Resort is ten minutes away by car or resort shuttle from The Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach, and Naples beach is the best option if you can stretch to the room rate. Whichever resort you choose, the shuttle between the resorts means you can enjoy all the amenities of each resort, so you won’t miss out on one by choosing the other.

Marvel at the stunning views from one of the private balconies at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, with three miles of immaculate beach to explore. Here on the Gulf of Mexico, guests are pampered with championship golf, a Best of the Best award-winning family program, a world-class spa, two swimming pools, an array of beach activities, and seven distinctive restaurants. Each of the resort’s 450 guestrooms and suites offers Frette linens and a private balcony for stunning Gulf views. As for the golf, tee off on the Tiburon Golf Course, designed by Greg Norman. The 51,000-square-foot spa is a welcome retreat with 33 treatment rooms.

Both Ritz-Carlton Naples resorts offer family pools. The Beach Resort is more crowded as it is so much larger but has the beach where you can enjoy a beach cabana, which comes with a snack basket, suntan lotion, aloe vera gel, magazines, an ice bucket, and fruit. A nice touch at the Beach Resort is a poolside glassblower on weekends to assist guests in making a special keepsake, and the pool has a waterslide and tropical surroundings.

Pros of the Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort include:

Stunning Gulf of Mexico views from your room

Gorgeous beach reached by a wooden walkway

Super pool with water slides for the kids

Excellent spa and fitness centre with its many exercise classes

Drop-off, supervised kids’ club for those aged 5 through 12 years & children’s scavenger hunt. Excellent activities are included in half and full-day sessions. Animal education with real-life animals along with snacks and crafts to take home are all included

For teens there is a video game room at the Beach Resort

Beautiful sunsets

By booking via our luxury travel concierge and you get the following benefits for free at the The Ritz-Carlton, Naples:

Upgrade on arrival (subject to availability)

Daily full breakfast, for up to two in room guests

$100 USD Spa Services credit, to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)

Early check-in / late check-out (subject to availability)

Complimentary Wi-Fi

2. The Ritz-Carlton South Beach

The Ritz-Carlton South Beach is an oceanfront luxury hotel inside a historic property designed by Morris Lapidus in the heart of the Art Deco District. It features a wonderful swimming pool, a stunning art collection, a modern spa, and an excellent Spanish restaurant Tatel.

This historic building is stunning and looks like an ocean liner with glistening windows and balconies reminiscent of a ship’s deck. The grand lobby also resembles a cruise liner’s interior and has a dimly lit bar in the rear. The overall aesthetic is glamorous.

Rooms are super stylish and again are themed on a liner with a palette of creams and aquamarine. Lots of high-end leather mixes with dark hardwood making the rooms feel ultra-luxury. Large marble bathrooms have rainfall showers and bathtubs. This adds to a perfectly comfortable and very traditional hotel room. Room tip: Book a room with a balcony with an ocean or partial ocean view.

The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach club lounge is located on the 10th floor and is reserved for Ritz-Carlton Club Level guests, only those staying in rooms on the ninth and 10th floors. The renovation in around 2017 reimagined the space to create more of a social, lobby-lounge feel encouraging interactive experiences with guests.

There are five daily food presentations featuring select dishes off the menu of Bistro One LR, the hotel’s flagship restaurant, and biweekly cooking demonstrations from chef du cuisine Luis Quant and pastry chef John Martinez.

A mixologist prepares seasonal cocktails for guests at a weekly Cocktail Action Station. Other events, such as trunk shows, Espa product presentations, and wine and Champagne tastings from select vineyards, are also included if you have club lounge access.

Worth knowing: The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach implements a $28 USD per room, per night resort fee. Services and amenities included in the fee are Complimentary 5Mb wireless Internet access for up to 5 devices in guest rooms, lobby, and most common areas, beach chairs and umbrellas, and beach Activities, including boogie boards, skimboards, beach paddle tennis, bocce ball, and cornhole court, one-hour daily fitness class, 24-hour access to the fitness center.

3. The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne: Review

Just 9 miles/ 14 km from the main Miami airport, this tropical island oasis is set on the eastern shore of a unique island that offers guests a tranquil haven, surrounded by golden sands (if thin and seaweedy – see below), gentle waters, and towering palms. With a décor inspired by West Indies Colonial design, the 12-acre oceanfront resort captures the beauty of its waterfront setting with floor-to-ceiling lobby windows that offer the first dramatic glimpse of palm gardens and the Atlantic Ocean.

450 guest rooms, including 37 suites, 64 Ritz-Carlton Club level rooms, and suites, each overlooks either the water or gardens. All guestrooms and suites welcome guests with feather beds and down comforters, Frette linens, and comfortable, Caribbean-inspired furnishings.

This hotel is not in central Miami and is instead 20-30 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Miami Beach, so if you’re looking for nightlife, you may find this hotel on the quiet side. The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne attracts families in the holiday season, so expect very busy restaurants and communal areas. You can escape the madness in the adults-only pool, but be aware that the whole hotel is a bit crazy, particularly on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.

The beach is somewhat disappointing, narrow, and full of seaweed, and golfing options are also limited. Crandon Park nearby is a very nice but overpriced municipal course full of quite bad golfers costing around $160 USD per round.

The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne club lounge gets excellent reviews and offers food presentations daily, breakfast, lunch, mid-day snacks and fine selections of wines, liqueurs, beers and non-alcoholic beverages. There is complimentary wireless in-room Internet access for Club guests along with the pressing of two garments pressed daily.

This exclusive lounge is on the 9th floor and features an endless array of beverage and culinary offerings throughout the day, coupled with the finest personal service. Views from the lounge and adjacent Club Level guest rooms boast stunning panoramas of Key Biscayne and Biscayne Bay.

We highly recommend booking a room on the Club floor. It will almost undoubtedly work out cheaper than booking a standard room as you have all your meals catered for, for free, and the food in the lounge is excellent. A full breakfast buffet is served daily. Sandwiches are provided for lunch and heavy hors-d’oeuvres for the early evening (lobster, crab, and other delicious offerings). You may choose to eat all your meals there and certainly use it for breakfast and snacks, and alcoholic drinks are available 24/7. You can choose from wine, Champagne, beer, spirits, and a selection of non-alcoholic beverages are available throughout the day.

Kids are welcome here. There is a dedicated kids’ room in the lounge, fully stocked with classic board games, TV entertainment, puzzles, and more, along with glass candy jars filled with various delectable delights like the Executive Pastry Chef’s delicious cookies.

The lounge is marginally superior when comparing the lounge and property to the Ritz-Carlton in Naples. Still, the beach and the golf and the sheer busyness of this hotel let it down compared to other Ritz-Carlton’s in Florida.

4. The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami: Review

This is the smallest Ritz-Carlton in Miami, with just 124 rooms. The ocean inspires from nearly every corner of The Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour, which is surrounded by water on the very northern tip of Miami Beach. The Ritz-Carlton hotel doesn’t have a club lounge or floor, but it is a great luxury hotel choice in this part of Miami.

They say: Whether visitors are seeking a quiet retreat from the everyday or looking for a unique destination for a wedding or event, this coastal sanctuary is the perfect setting.

Located near both Miami International and Fort Lauderdale International airports, the waterfront hotel offers a desirable address in the heart of the city’s most exclusive, Bal Harbour. From art and outdoor adventure to shopping and professional sports, visitors can explore top attractions just moments away. Those who prefer a leisure-intensive agenda can spend lazy days at the beautiful pool or take in the beach scene from floor-to-ceiling windows and the private terrace of their luxury guest room.”

Within the hotel is the 10,000-square-foot waterfront Exhale Bal Harbour spa and fitness studio with state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength-training equipment, personal training, and group exercise classes. Two Tesla charging stations, Two restaurants: Artisan Beach House and Water’s Edge featuring poolside alfresco dining and an elevated outdoor pool and private luxury cabanas overlooking the Atlantic Ocean along with beach lounge chairs and beds, umbrellas, and cabanas available for rent. There is no club lounge here, but this hotel remains another excellent choice in Miami.

5. The Ritz-Carlton, Orlando, Grande Lakes

The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Orlando is a great luxury hotel choice. It is located in the Grande Lakes part of the city, within a short free shuttle ride to Disney and Universal (included with the resort fee of $35 USD per day). The resort fee also includes Wi-Fi, phone calls, the driving range, some kids’ activities, access to and floaties at the JW Marriott lazy river, and shuttle transport to Disney and SeaWorld (reservation required at least 24 hours in advance) and one-hour bike rental.

The hotel is next door to the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. It’s about a 20-minute drive from Orlando Airport (MCO), and parking fees are around $40 USD per night if you have driven to the hotel.

I would choose this hotel because it offers luxury nearby the theme parks and an excellent club lounge. It also has three wonderful pools, a Ritz-Carlton Spa, a Greg Norman-designed golf course, and 11 dining options. You can also use the lazy river next door at the JW Marriott, which kids and the young at heart will love. The Ritz-Carlton Spa is also not to be missed, with its 40 treatment rooms, salon, private heated lap pool, and healthy spa café. Of note, the JW Marriott does not have a club lounge. Hence, you do better booking into a Club Room at the Ritz-Carlton and then taking advantage of the magnificent lazy river at the JW Marriott during your stay whilst retaining access to the RC club lounge.

The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes is ideal for families, providing convenient access to nearby Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios attractions; plus, the Ritz Kids program is a favorite, and special excursions like kayaking, fishing instruction, and eco-tours allow for adventures while remaining in this 500-acre resort.

The highlight for me here is the pool, both here and next door at the JW Marriott with their lazy river and the incredible views of the resort holiday fireworks from the club lounge balcony.

The club lounge is on the 14th floor and is classic in design with orange and cream tones, mainly orange soft furnishings and creamy marbles. The long thin room is shuttered to one side with windows. The buffet here is delicious and filling. You can take a tour via the video on the Ritz-Carlton website.

6. JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes

JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes is one of our top picks in Orlando and is situated right next door to the Ritz-Carlton, which we reviewed above. This tropical landscaped Orlando resort provides transfer service to local theme parks, including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld. Guests will enjoy an on-site golf course, a lazy river, and an outdoor pool. Walt Disney World Resort is 15.9 km from the property.

A flat-screen cable TV, iPod docking station, and free bottled water are included in all JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes guest rooms. Each marble bathroom includes a separate shower and bath with bathrobes.

An extensive fitness center is on-site, and the Ritz-Carlton Spa, which offers massages and body scrubs. This Orlando Grande Lakes JW Marriott also offers tennis courts, volleyball, and express check-in and check-out. Guests can schedule guided fly fishing excursions, golf, or kayak eco-tours of Shingle Creek directly with the hotel.

Primo, by Melissa Kelly, is an organic Italian restaurant featuring ingredients from an on-site vegetable garden. Citron, An American Brasserie, offers Contemporary American cuisine with nightly specials and wine selection. A poolside bar is available as well.

SeaWorld Orlando is 4.8 km from the property. Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes is 19.3 km from Orlando International Airport, and the lazy river is pictured above.

7. Ritz-Carlton Naples Golf Resort

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, is a 4-star, 5-diamond resort that features two championship golf courses, 3 award-winning restaurants, and rooms with 37-inch flat-screen TVs. The Gulf of Mexico Coast is 10 minutes away. Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort Naples’s Tiburón Golf Course boasts a 36-hole course and provides free putting lessons. Guests have free access to the outdoor pool, 4 tennis courts, and a well-equipped gym.

Every elegant room offers a spacious work desk and a private balcony with resort or golf course views. The marble bathrooms include spa toiletries and bathrobes.

In fact, the Ritz Golf Resort rates tend to be around half the Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort, and their family suites are incredibly comfortable. This may be because of the room size. A large, club-level suite at the Golf Resort is around the same size as a guest room with two double beds at the Beach Resort.

8. Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge in Fort Lauderdale

The Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale offers easily the best club lounge on Fort Lauderdale. This is our top choice for club lounges and hotels in Fort Lauderdale until the new Four Seasons opens, which will then take the top spot.

The hotel itself is located on the oceanfront, with the beach across a two-lane road fronting the hotel. You can reach it via a sky bridge, which will take you directly from the hotel’s 3rd floor to the public beach. The pool is on the hotel’s 7th-floor pool and is surrounded by loungers and palms. The rooms aren’t noteworthy but do all have a balcony.

The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge is an ultra-exclusive space open to guests at The Ritz-Carlton, who book the Club Experience. The lounge is luxurious, with marble floors and large sofas.

The food here is excellent and varies depending on the time of day. It includes fresh fruit, cheese platters, hot hors d’oeuvres, freshly baked cookies, as well as breakfast, lunch, and dinner items. We think that the lounge is well worth the expense as it adds another dimension to the experience of being at the hotel. The lounge is equipped with a separate sitting area with a large flat-screen television and DVDs for children who might want to watch a movie along with computer stations.

9. JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort

This sprawling Gulf-front resort is nestled on the edge of the Everglades’ tangled mangroves, just south of Naples on Marco Island. The JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort fronts a white stretch of sand with three on-site pools, including a fun mini splash area for kids with a twisting waterslide.

The Spa by JW is one of the best in Florida. For the rest of the family, you can take sailing and shelling trips by catamaran and guided WaveRunner tours into the spectacular backwaters of the nearby Ten Thousand Islands, which are part of the Everglades. This hotel even has a bowling alley.

10. W Fort Lauderdale

This newly renovated hotel, the W Ft. Lauderdale, is a huge, trendy hotel nestled on the beachfront on the corner of Bayshore Drive. Four hundred thirty modern rooms and residential units connect with infinity pools, and every night, live DJs make the hotel feel like an upscale club instead of a luxury hotel.

Worth noting even when paying with Bonvoy points, guests are still required to pay the $25 USD resort fee. The fee includes a beach chair, umbrella, Wi-Fi, two complimentary bicycle rentals of four hours each, and access to a daily fitness course.

This hotel does not have a club lounge but does have live DJ events, so you wouldn’t want to use the lounge if you have come for the nightlife. If you travel with your family, I would opt for the Marriott or the Ritz-Carlton Bonvoy hotels.

Yes, the W is conveniently located a 10-minute walk from Ft. Lauderdale Beach, with an outdoor mall featuring a wide range of boutique shops, restaurants, and entertainment, so ideal for younger guests and couples, but the lack of a lounge and the funky vibe and trendy pool area were less appropriate for a younger family.