The Ritz-Carlton St Thomas - St. Thomas, USVI

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This is my favorite spot! Visited: March 2007 Posted by hmosack We have been vacationing at this hotel before it was even called the Ritz Carlton (Grand Palazzo). We have come back every year with and without children. We have become friends with many of the employees and cab drivers (Kelly and Big Pants). I have seen many changes and updates done to the property, and I am always impressed! The staff seems to listen to what the people want and try to deliver. The beach was fabulous and well taken care of...the kids did sand art every day (with Ashley), and still talk about it and what they will make next time. We don't usually dine in the hotel that much because the island has great restaurants - Agave Terrace and Blue Moon. Yes, cab rides are pricey. Our favorite thing to do was to take the Lady Lynsey out for the sunset cruise to St. John, and we ate at Morgan's Mango. Captain Mickey and his crew, Patrick and Steve, were above and beyond fabulous! We sailed five times this trip, and the kids never tired of it! My kids are extremely active (9, 11 and 12), and they amaze me how well they adjust to the laid back atmosphere. It is not Disney, Beaches all-inclusive or Atlantis, and if you are looking for that - this is not your place. They do not have slides or kiddy rides. I think of it as more adult friendly...quiet, relaxing. Water sports are great and included! They also have newly renovated rooms, with a beachy feeling. They also have marble floors, which I prefer over carpet when you are at the beach. There is nothing worse than smelly carpet. They also have comfy down beds, flat screens, and a small sports bar that I discovered this last trip. All the food was terrific. It is not a cheap place, but when you stay at a Ritz Carlton, you know what you will get and at what price. I will frequent this establishment every chance I get! I have my eye on one of the vacation clubs now! 27 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was a dream escape. Visited: December 2006 Posted by sophialillianstella Our stay at the Ritz-Carlton on St. Thomas was without question one of the most spectaculour escapes of our lives. From the moment we stepped out of the cab onto the grounds, it was magical with a giant Christmas tree that marvelled anything I had ever seen before on an island. It was the very thing that greeted the guests. Magical! The suites were exceptional, and the restaurants were diverse -from fresh lobster to hot dogs by the pool. At night, we requested songs by the live band. The trade winds mixed with the smell of fresh mangos stayed true to the Ritz way of life...slowing the world down and gently making it revolve around us! I don't want to just go back, I want to take up residence on the magnificent island getaway. Stellar performance by all the staff and rave reviews! 6 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was nice, but not spectacular. Visited: September 2004 Posted by nokilissa We just returned from the Ritz, St. Thomas and out of curiousity decided to check out other reviews of it. I was a bit surprised by the "fantastic" opinions of others. My husband and I stayed for five nights with our ten-month-old son and found it pleasant, but not much else. The food was adequate and overpriced, the service often slow, room service never got it together enough to figure out that our infant needed to be in bed by 8 or 8:30. (Perhaps because two weddings were scheduled during the weekend of our stay, staffing was tight.) Our first room was extremely noisy with no view whatsoever - and I mean none. We could see the pink brick wall of the Ritz Club below us. They did graciously move us because I let them know that our son had been awakened from his nap twice due to the noise level at this lower level room. Rooms are a big part of a stay for me, and these rooms were fine. The bathrooms were nice, but a bit odd. There was no privacy, due to a slatted toilet door and no bathroom door, with very poor lighting. The huge shelved closet which was nice. The pillows were terrible, they appeared to be the size and softness of small sofa pillows, and the bed was nothing to shout at. (I always look forward to one of those "magic" mattress experiences one often gets at luxury hotels - this didn't meet the mark by a long shot). I know hotels in the Caribbean usually have tiled floors in the rooms, and these were lovely limestone squares, but I prefer carpet. And it was pretty hard and cold on our little one's knees. We didn't mind the steps everywhere, even when we had the stroller and needed to hoist it up and down three flights of stairs. We were prepared for this and we liked the exercise - I think our son got a kick out of it. The rum punch greeting - pretty standard at a resort of this caliber - was certainly a nice touch, as was the "my pleasure" one always receives in response to a request. The pool was lovely and we particularly liked the gentle, child-friendly slope into the pool on the shallow end. The beach was disappointing and the small poolside cafe, which served lunch and drinks during the day was overpriced ($10 for a none too potent drink) and without a view to speak of. Taxi rides to and from Charlotte Amalie were costly and frequent, because, frankly, we were a bit bored. I hope I don't sound like a cranky, impossible to please traveler, because I am not. I am often pleased to the point of joy at hotels and resorts at which we have stayed in the past. This just wasn't one of them. 20 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was amazing - an ideal honeymoon! Visited: November 2003 Posted by jrogers70 We decided to spend the last half of our honeymoon at The Ritz/St. Thomas and could not have been more satisfied with this resort. It was an outstanding property - top notch all around and a great place to relax and be pampered. We reserved an oceanview, club level room and were fortunate to be upgraded to a suite. It was extremely nice (two ocean view balconies, seperate living area, etc). Overall, it was a grade A+. I can't say enough about the club level and service (greeted by name, personal concierge, etc.). Food and drink were great and variety was better than I expected. Without question, it was worth the extra cost. A+ The pool areas were both very nice. It ws of standard Ritz quality and service. A The service we received was outstanding, as expected. Upon arrival we were greeted with with champagne and strawberries in our room. The staff used every interaction to impress - not just help us. It was all in the details. A+ There was a small, protected beach that had a great view of St. John. It was fine for getting sun and relaxing, but not much more. I would give it a "B" or "C". Although The Ritz was expensive, it was worth every dollar for us. If you want a first class resort, The Ritz delivers as expected. I tried hard to think of complaints and we came up with only two small ones: 1. We didn't love St. Thomas - we loved Virgin Gorda, St. John and Tortola. 2. The beach at the Ritz was average at best. I hope everyone's stay is as good as ours was. We will definitely be going back! 7 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was a great service-oriented resort. Visited: November 2003 Posted by donngordon I just got back from eight days at this great resort. We, too, stayed on the club level and felt the extra amenities were worth the extra cost. As always, the Ritz staff was extremely pleasant and always trying to please. In a few minor cases there was not too much follow up, resulting in some requests being made twice. The rooms, and beach were superb. I agree that the restaurants left a little to be desired. The prices were high and only the Great Bay Dining Room was worth it. There was construction on two new buildings at one end of the property which could be noisy for guests staying on that side. The property was also quite spread out and going from one end to the other could be a hike. Overall, this property was not as good as the Ritz, Rose Hall, in Jamaica, but we felt it was a reasonable value and would consider returning. 6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Fantastic! We are always pleased with Ritz Carlton. Visited: October 2003 Posted by bwilliams My husband and I have become true Ritz Carlton followers. This resort was breathtaking. The grounds, the staff, the rooms were all top notch. We were absolutely spoiled staying on the "Club Level" with our own concierge and five food presentations daily. It was just $100 more per day with unlimited wine, beer and a tasteful buffet all day long to nibble on. The one drawback at this resort would be the restaurants-not terrible, but not "Ritz" caliber. We found two places off the resort that were wonderful: Old Stone Inn and Ramono's. We will be going back ASAP! 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? For the best of the best, stay here. Visited: July 2003 Posted by rayandanastasia I was married here in July. All I can say is that the Ritz-Carlton really outdid themselves. They took such good care of my 14 friends/family members who stayed here to share our special day with us. The rooms were unbelieveable. I loved having carpet, most Caribbean resorts have tile floors because it is easier to clean, but not the Ritz. The bathrooms were so nice, the sinks were large enough to store your toothbrush and some personal items without problems. The food was top notch. Everything was "their pleasure". It was not pretentious at all. I would go back in a New York minute. It was worth every penny. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The Ritz provided luxury and then some! Visited: July 2003 Posted by pmarra We had a fabulous time. The service at the Ritz was first-rate. We were here with our children to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. The staff was great. The room was beautiful. We had left the hotel we were supposed to stay at, as it was a disaster, and the Ritz was the only place that could help us. They even upgraded us to a suite upon our arrival, with one and a half baths, marble tile, a living room, an ocean view and a large balcony. The staff surprised us with chilled champagne and chocolate covered strawberries on the day of our anniversary. And when we arrived back to our room after dinner that evening, there were rose petals on the floor leading to the bed, and then rose petals in the shape of a heart on the bed, with chocolates in the middle. It was very nice. We would like to thank them for a wonderful vacation! 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was fantastic. Visited: July 2003 Posted by mtaylor1 We've stayed at a lot of five-star resorts, and the Ritz is our favorite. Everything you need is here. And as always, it's "their pleasure" to take care of you - everyone from the weed-eater folks to the management. The spa is outstanding, though it gets somewhat crowded in the mornings between 8:00 am - ll:00 am. Each treadmill has a towel, bottled water, and community fruit basket. Weights are okay, but need more variety and maybe a larger area. There is a great view of the bay as you run on the treadmill, though. Prices, as expected, are very expensive. Hamburgers are $15; grilled cheese - $7; drinks at least $9; and the buffet breakfast is $21 each. Pizza for five is $119, and snorkel gear is $10 for a half day. They charge you for everything but service, and quality is immpecable. Taxi from Ritz to CA is $9 per person, each way - about the same rate for most restaurants. Taxis (vans) are everywhere. We got a cabbie fellow named Americus to give us a two-hour tour of the entire island. This guy is a gem (former Dep Chief of Police). He knew politics, income, taxes, history, demographics - just everything. He charged us $65 and took us to town to do some quick shopping. Anyway, when you tell the cabbies/retailers you're at the Ritz, they perk up and seem to pay a little more attention to you. In the cabs, you're either going uphill or downhill at 7 Gs - much like Coney Island. Wow, what a ride! The ferry to St. John is $3 each way. Each person can bring back six bottles of booze duty/tax free. Customs didn't really check anything. They have great watches and a huge selection of gold, diamonds, and tanzanite. You need a cab to get to any of the 300 bays. Magen's Bay is scenic but it's one large bath tub. Go to Trunk to see fish, rocks, coral, etc. During shopping, we were encouraged several times by retailers to leave once the shops closed. We saw some shady people, but they didn't bother or hassle us. 5 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Our stay at the Ritz Carlton was our best family vacation ever. Visited: April 2003 Posted by accucarejen We stayed in a one-bedroom suite which was more than adequate for the four of us. We were greeted with a rum punch and promptly escorted to our room. The walk from our oceanfront suite to the main hotel lobby was a bit of a hike, however, the grounds were beautiful. The food was good but expensive. Having stayed in many exclusive hotels, this was by far the finest. We felt like we were on a first class vacation. Be sure to attend the manager's cocktail party. Go for it, the stay is memorable. The only few negatives would be you are not near any other hotels and the vast layout of the hotel grounds. Views from our room were breathtaking. Try the Lady Lindsey. We enjoyed the Ritz Carlton so much, we are headed to their resort in Jamaica in April 2004. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A beautiful place to vacation, but don't get married here! Visited: April 2003 Posted by spilich We loved the Ritz so much, my fiancee and I decided to come back next year to get married there. They were very nice, but once we got back stateside, the catering office really couldn't be bothered speak to us let alone return a phone call. After stringing us along for a while, they finally told us that they would let us book a weekend, but they would pick the actual day of the wedding (thursday, friday, or saturday) a few months before. Now, I don't have to be Einstien to realize that if they can charge me the same price for thursday and sell saturday to the next guy that comes along, there's no way I'm getting married on saturday. Anyway, I'm getting hitched at the Westin in St. John - an equally nice hotel on a much nicer island but with (Imagine this?) a catering office that knows the meaning of service. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I felt like a princess! Visited: September 2002 Posted by jmatzat We were on our honeymoon and decided to "splurge". This resort was stunning. They had very nice rooms, an awesome bathroom, which was very clean. The grounds were gorgeous. The food was good, and the service was fabulous - upon our arrival we were upgraded into a ocean-view room. I was not impressed, however with the island of St. Thomas and probably will never return. It is too bad they cannot move this resort to St. John or Virgin Gorda. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was a very relaxing and enjoyable vacation. Visited: August 2002 Posted by annino999 We spent six days at the Ritz on St. Thomas this past August. It was our first time on St. Thomas. We were very pleased with the Ritz Carlton. We were greeted in the lobby with fresh cold tropical drinks (don’t try and check in before 3:00 pm, your room won’t be ready). The rooms were spacious and nicely decorated. They had large bathrooms with all the amenities (robes, slippers, lotions, razors, toothbrushes and toothpaste). They had an endless pool surrounded by nicely padded lounge chairs with umbrellas. They had plenty of chairs and umbrellas on the beach as well. The ocean was clear and calm, and you could snorkel right off the beach. The staff offered fresh fruit to everyone on the beach and by the pool daily. There were three restaurants on the premises. They offered casual outdoor dining by the pool (sandwiches, salads, snacks, etc.), which was open from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm. They also had a casual, open-air indoor dining room that was open for breakfast (buffet or a la cart) and dinner, and a formal dining room. Room service was also good if you just felt like staying in and renting a movie. The hotel was kid-friendly. My boys (ages 11 and 13) had a wonderful time and met several other boys their age at the pool. The new section of the hotel had just opened when we were here, so we had access to both pools. The only down side of the hotel was that it was on the other side of the island from Charlotte Amalie. The Ritz arranged for a private taxi for us from the airport which was great, and we highly recommend it if you don’t have a car. The cost was $65 each way. The taxis charged per person and per bag. So, it cost about $120 for 4 people to get back and forth from town. So, I recommend renting a car or jeep for a few days to get around. The service at the Ritz was slow at times, not always up to what you would expect from a Ritz. The Ritz was also near the small town of Red Hook, which had some great little restaurants and delis. You can also catch the ferry in Red Hook to St. John (ferry only takes 15-20 minutes and costs $3-6 per person). The ferry drops you off in Cruz Bay where you can walk to several restaurants and bars. Overall, it was a very nice vacation. St. Thomas didn’t compare to Hawaii, but it had its own unique charm. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? An excellent resort. Visited: June 2002 Posted by prishc We stayed here for our honeymoon in June of 2002. The resort was excellent. Our only complaint was that the main restaurant was closed every night we were here. Perhaps they closed it down in June when there were not as many people here. The open air restaurant was excellent, nonetheless. The beach was nice, but small. The snorkeling off the beach was also nice. If you go, make sure you take a cruise on the Lady Lynsey. We went on a dinner/snorkeling cruise and it was only us and another couple. The food was great and so was the crew. The captain even e-mailed us a picture he took with his digital camera. The food was not cheap, but it was the Ritz. If you want a nice, laid back resort, I would highly recommend it. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was such a wonderful place! Visited: June 2002 Posted by standenclaire I have not long returned from a wonderful week's holiday at the resort of St. Thomas. On the first night there, I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton and I was amazed at how wonderful the hotel and the staff were. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We received excellent service. They offered new rooms! Visited: June 2002 Posted by krus We just returned from a wonderful week at the Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas. This was our third visit to the property, and I believe our best! Our rooms were recently renovated (all new furnishings, carpet, draperies, even new terrace furniture), and the service during our stay was outstanding. Typically, service lags in the summer months, but we found all of the employees to be friendly and helpful - especially to our 5 and 6 year old girls. The Ritz also just opened their "Club"... a new facility for home ownership. It was beautiful! We were also informed that the new spa will be opening late this year...just in time for a winter getaway. We will definitely be back! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Our ten-year anniversary was so great we went back! Visited: May 2002 Posted by boylemea We were married in Maui in 1992. We wanted to celebrate our 10 years in a tropical paradise that was within a three-hour plane flight. The Ritz in St. Thomas was perfect! It was on the other side of the island away from the cruise crowds, and it was secluded and romantic. Our first evening, we took a sunset sail and it was perfect. We went during the month of February (high season), so it was expensive. We rented a jeep to explore the island. We did not see the BVI during our first trip, so we decdied to go back. We went in August, and the room rates were awesome! We used the Ritz as our base, we rented a car, this time not a jeep but a cheap compact. It was great because we could lock our stuff if we left the car. We took the car over to St. John and toured the island. The other side of St. John had great views of the BVI. We also took the Breakaway day drip on a 50-foot boat to tour the BVIs, it was wonderful. The best advantage the Ritz had was that it had an awesome pool! They had great sunset sails, and it was close to Red Hook so you could take advantage of the ferries to St. John and the BVIs. St. Thomas also had great wines, lots of Turley and big glasses! Enjoy! The service was better in February than August, but the savings were worth the lack of attention. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Beautiful rooms and grounds, but a small beach. Visited: January 2002 Posted by douglas The recently renovated rooms were typical Ritz-Carlton luxury (although not very tropical). This spread-out resort put some rooms far from the main building. But the grounds were very beautiful, and shuttle service was available (or just walk 10 minutes). The food was excellent, but pricy. Our only real complaint was that the beach was small and, at peak times, we were always within a few feet of other guests. It was more like a crowded cruise ship deck than a relaxing Caribbean beach. New construction of condos may make the situation worse. I would definitely return in off season, but I'm less enthusiastic to fight the crowds at peak Christmas Holiday time. To put our rating in context--we normally stay at Ritz Carltons, Four Seasons, etc. We are very demanding and our four star rating should be viewed in that context. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Awesome, beautiful, great staff Visited: May 2001 Posted by lula The property is BEAUTIFUL, with great views, a wonderful and kind staff; the service is outstanding. The atmosphere is very relaxing. I loved the property and will return. The food is good and there are fine dining restaurants. The food by the pool is also good. It’s one of the best hotels in the Caribbean and definitely the best hotel in St. Thomas with watersports, a gym, bar lounges and so much to enjoy! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We enjoyed island luxury. Visited: December 1969 Posted by buckeyekk We spent five days at the Ritz in the Dahlia building in February 2008. What a treat! It boasted gorgeous landscaping; a large and comfortable room (it needs a counter or table in the bathroom to set toiletries on, though); and an incredible view of Cowpet Bay and beyond to St. John. There was also a beautiful pool (although the water could have been a little warmer); excellent water aerobics classes; very friendly and helpful staff; and delicious food in the three restaurants we tried. Also, we loved the sunset sail on the Lady Lyndsay catamaran. Snorkeling right off the beach was great, too. It was the first time I'd ever seen squid. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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