Reppin Manalapan in the WPB
Written: Dec 22 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: New rooms and lobby area, serenity pool, HDTV in Room
Cons: required valet, shrinking beach, construction
The Bottom Line: The Ritz WPB is a dependable luxury hotel located right on the ocean. If you want to be on the beach, you can't do much better than staying here.
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| daperlman's Full Review: Ritz Carlton Palm Beach |
So you are going to West Palm and the Don is already using your favorite bedroom at Mar-a-Lago... and Rush Limbaugh has stunk up his mansion with cigar smoke. You need a hotel! And since you won't be enjoying their private beaches, you'll be facing a narrow choice of where to stay. For one thing, there are just not a lot of choices. There are no Starwood properties (gasp!) and on top of that there are only a few areas with nice hotels in WPB. Basically you've got the Airport, then a few nice places in shopping areas and there is Palm Beach Gardens where there is a PGA resort. But if you are like me you want to be on the beach -so you will be taking a stroll down South Ocean where you'll find a bunch of hotels including the Four Seasons and The Ritz Carlton. Strangely, the Ritz is located in Manalapan (even though you can see the "entering" and "leaving Manalapan" signs from the parking lot). Anyway The Ritz Carlton Hotel and Resort is situated ocean front. Their pool area, and several rooms, have a full view of the tiny beach and the Atlantic. This location is conveniently located on the beach and a few blocks from Lake Worth (where you can find entertainment, dining, and shopping).
The Hotel
The Hotel looks and smells like many parts of it were recently redone. It is a pleasant improvement from what I remembered when visiting 3-4 years ago. Having seen many Ritz Hotels in bigger cities, the lobby, bar and dining areas of this one seemed a bit small in comparison. However it is what you would expect at a Ritz - grand and glamorous. The rooms come standard with wireless Internet which was about average speed. This particular hotel had a very confusing location for the elevators. They were surprisingly far and many turns away from the front. I was often escorted to it in a drunken stooper :). This brings me to my next point, the staff here was friendly and attentive. The front desk was flexible with the reservation and room assignment and the concierge was top notch. When he made reservations for us we got excellent treatment and often free deserts. While I despise having to valet my car, the valet service was good. They had a wedding there and they, along with the bar staff, did a great job of balancing the event with the needs of their other guests.
The room I had was an ocean view standard room. I was pleasantly surprised with it. Although it was fairly small (418 sq feet), it was well appointed. Most importantly, it had a 37" LCD screen tv with HD channels (which is huge during football season) and a great little terrace with a pleasant view of the ocean and main pool area. Having a few early wake ups, I appreciated the comfy bed and a dependable quality alarm clock. Each room also has a closet with plenty of space, a safe and a full body mirror. The walls, carpet and furniture were in great shape and although it was a small touch, I appreciated the multiple (emergency hangover) bottles of water they left me. Maid service was quick and thorough (you leave the room, it is immediately made up). My one knock on the room/service has to do with a few random mi- ups. I found an expensive breakfast sitting there after a round of golf (which was strange, since I didn't order it ... and left the do not disturb sign on my door). I also got someone else's' drunken voice-mails?? Comparing the quality of the room itself to the nearby Four Seasons, the Ritz is much nicer and newer. The same can be said for the lobby area. When you get a room here (at least in the near future) you'll want to request one far away from the construction. Ideal location would be a terrace room near the serenity pool area. During my stay, I was not bothered by noise or construction.
The Facilities
The Spa/Fitness center is pretty average. It is about the size I expected, but the fitness equipment and room itself could use an upgrade. There are two pool areas that sit Ocean Front. The main pool area is spacious and includes an outdoor bar/ restaurant with a festive drink menu and yellow gazpacho. The main pool area is larger then the smaller (adults only) pool and includes a good sized whirlpool. However, the smaller serenity pool area also has drink service and provides a nice break from the action. In general the "beach" in that area is so small that it is easy to overlook, so it is important that hotels and resorts build oceanfront lounge areas like the Ritz for a comfortable beach experience. From what I have heard though, the Breakers resort / pool area dwarfs the Ritz. The crowd at the hotel was much less dull and pretentious than I expected, and the pool and bar were usually busy enough that there was always a nice and fun atmosphere. My one knock on the bar was their TV was having issues - which is a huge party foul during football season. Also it was easy to run up an expensive tab at the pool or bar (drinks are overpriced). While I was there the lobby smelled like gingerbread (due to the gingerbread house and cookies they made) - which I enjoyed. They could use a better business center, the one they had made me claustrophobic.
Verdict
If you are not looking for a full blown resort (like the Breakers), the Ritz WPB delivers what you have come to expect from the luxury hotel - and a great beach experience.
Recommended:
Yes
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daperlman
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Reviews written: 51
Trusted by: 7 members
About Me:
Mission: Find recipe for Nabisco Space Foodsticks. Foil conspiracy responsible for disappearance of Foodsticks.
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