The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota

Disappointing bar service. Basically ignored and had to request service. Took my credit card to charge a $1.00 before drinks were delivered. Ended up not returning my card with check with bill. Had to go back the next day to retrieve it. Management said their policy is to destroy it. We have been going there for 17 years and were married there. Terrible service now with untrained staff. Disappointed after returning from Ritz South Beach which was exceptional.

Have stayed here multiple times. Service has declined well below 5-star standards. Pool closed at beach club this stay and we were not informed until check-in despite paying peak season rates for full amenities. In addition, the shuttles from the beach club to the hotel aren’t allowed to run their engines and keep the shuttle cool while parked at the beach club due to reported complaints from the club’s residence condos. Consequently, you bake on the shuttle ride back to the hotel. Also, not enough shuttles running at peak hours. Discriminatory treatment of resort guests compared to beach club members appears to be SOP as well with not so much as a showing of contrition or an acknowledgment of the shortcoming despite the respectful lodging of a formal complaint. Club level service and accommodations used to be excellent here as well. Now they don’t hold a candle to Dallas or Chicago just to quickly name a couple others we frequent. Concerns were lodged in form of formal complaint with management, Sean, and treated with general deference and no offer of any compensation/restitution and no follow through with us following the complaint. Shout out to Gregorio who has taken care of us with excellent food and beverage service at the club each of our stays and should be the type of employee management seeks to emulate.
Pretty average for a Ritz-Carlton. No walk-in shower, just your run of the mill bathtub shower head combo with a rod and curtain like you’d find at any Hampton Inn. If you want ocean views, stay elsewhere. Hotel is downtown; lots of adjacent construction noise. We stay here specifically for the beach club which unfortunately, seems to have recently lost sight of where the revenue generating side of the operation truly lies and treats the hotel guests like second class citizens.

Paid to park here which was very convenient for an event in the area. Upon arriving back to the elevator area to get up to the parking structure, I asked the older gentleman at the front desk if there was a restroom I could use because I had a long drive ahead of me and wasn't from the area. Dead faced he just said no and then looked away. It's a hotel so, I've got to believe there was a lobby somewhere. He could have said "in the lobby over there" or "across the street has a public restroom". Anything. At the same time I got into the elevator a man who was very obviously on something got into the elevator too and naturally got off on the same floor of the parking structure as me. There's no security anywhere so, I felt extremely unsafe.