The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota — Hotel in Sarasota

My husband and I were very much looking forward to our vacation in Sarasota to celebrate the upcoming birth of our first baby and initially booked our travel/prepaid for one night in July 2025 (for our stay at the Ritz Carlton Sarasota from October 11-14), and were extremely surprised when, on October 10th, I received a cancellation email for my stay starting the very next day. I immediately called the phone number at the bottom of the cancellation email, where the woman who answered the general Ritz Carlton reservation phone line confirmed my cancellation in her system, and provided the phone number to the Ritz Carlton Sarasota front desk for me to call so that I could further understand what had happened. Below is the series of events that then unfolded on October 10th: -12:49pm: Cecilia, at the RCS front desk, confirmed that my original reservation was still intact per her system and was not sure why I received a cancellation email. I requested that she send a new confirmation email to me. -2:57pm: I received the new confirmation email I had requested. This confirmation included: a new confirmation number (differing from my original confirmation I received in July), an association with a wedding block (which I was never part of/not familiar with), and different rates (which did not include the Bed & Breakfast promotion I had previously booked) -3:28pm: I called back the RCS front desk and requested Cecilia. I explained that the new confirmation was not correct, and she transferred me to Ilea with in-house reservations. Ilea explained that she had rebooked me - which was quite confusing, since previously, Ceclia had confirmed that there was no issue with my original reservation! After I communicated with Ilea that the reservation was incorrect, Ilea proceeded to try to locate my original rates from when I had first reserved my room in July. After approximately 30 minutes of speaking with Ilea, she was able to cancel this second reservation and book a third reservation to match my original booking

It's worth noting that, during this conversation, I asked Ilea why my original reservation had been cancelled in the first place. Ilea was quite short with me, simply telling me that she did not have an answer to this question. I also explained that this vacation had been booked as part of a "babymoon" celebration, and that I was currently 7 months' pregnant, and was understandably stressed out by the back-and-forth. Ilea responded by saying "it's okay, I've rebooked you."

When my husband and I arrived at RCS the next afternoon, we were checked in by Cavanaugh at the front desk. While check-in thankfully went smoothly, I did mention to Cavanaugh the difficulties I had gone through the previous day. Cavanaugh stated: "I hope the rest of your babymoon goes more smoothly!"

While my time at RCS was ultimately beautiful and relaxing, I'm quite disappointed in the difficulty and undue stress during my pregnancy leading up to my stay. For a company that prides itself in customer service and hospitality (and for the price tag guests pay to ensure this), I was also very upset by the cavalier attitude of the staff I encountered when trying to resolve the situation. This has certainly left me questioning any future stays at RCS; I can only hope other hotels in the Ritz Carlton chain show a bit more empathy towards their guests.

Furthermore, after responding to a request for feedback from RCS Guest Services, with the above feedback, I received no response.

I recommend finding a hotel that cares about its guests - the price tag is not worth...

My wife and I came to Sarasota to visit family for an extended weekend in late April, and were very excited to stay at our first Ritz Carlton property. As mentioned we had not stayed at this brand hotel, but we have stayed frequently at another major luxury hotel brand, so that is our point of reference w/r/t expectations. The hotel's lobby, entry, restaurants, pool, and other public spaces are gorgeous, clean, and well maintained. The valets and bellstaff are numerous, attentive, and very friendly and helpful. The food is uniformly excellent and well-presented. However, the front desk was routinely overrun with guests during the first two days of our stay, causing significant delay in every interaction as we had to stand in line for up to 15 minutes to have a conversation. I have not had to stand in a line like that at check-in since I last stayed at the Luxor, Las Vegas back in 2000 or so. There was a large conference at the property that drove this level of traffic, but these wait times indicate a failure to staff appropriately and are unacceptable at a luxury property even when they are operating at capacity. The room itself was attractive, comfortable, clean, and in good repair. The balcony provided a lovely view of the nearby Marina, pool deck, and the outdoor catering space. However we experienced a constant level of noise and clatter that is not typical of other luxury properties we have stayed at: Plumbing noises and doors slamming at all hours; housekeeping staff vacuuming and conversing loudly in the halls; the constant work of the banquet staff noisily setting up and breaking down tables, chairs, buffets, and other equipment all day long in the lawn space outside our balcony; etc. Also the room's electrical was extremely out of date for a modern luxury property: Each light and lamp had to be manually turned on and off individually and the outlet situation was frankly unforgiveable in any modern hotel at any level. There were zero available outlets to be found on or near the nightstands. I had to unplug a lamp from the wall behind the nightstand to plug in my personal electrical item. There was a set of spare outlets oddly placed under a table across from the bed - awkward to get at, difficult to see, and further they did not work. At the Jack Dusty restaurant, the food was excellent but the service very uneven. We ate there four times during our stay, and at one meal the server was generally inattentive (no beverage refills, disappeared for long periods, there was a long delay in getting the check, etc.) and at another meal I asked three times for a cocktail that never appeared. When informed, the manager was extremely gracious and did what she could to address our experience. The pool itself is lovely but the music is played loudly (likely to cover the noise from passing boats and general ruckus from the densely populated Marina neighborhood) and service suffered from too few attendants: Many guests resorted to fetching their own towels and setting up their own chairs, etc., and it was often hard to get a drink order in. All in all an OK experience, but disappointing given the price point and the reputation of the Ritz Carlton as a Five-Star luxury...

This is target acquisition for R&R, and failure is not an option. Ritz-Carlton Sarasota: Threat Level Zero. Maximum Efficiency Achieved. Not a black op. Forced R&R. My wife picked the Area of Operations: Sarasota. The Ritz-Carlton. It met the criteria. From the moment the vehicle stopped, the valet team moved with a coordinated discipline you see in Tier One units. No hesitation, no fumbling. Secured and processed. That’s the baseline. It held. Check-in: streamlined. Kavanagh at the front desk. The man’s an asset, not a liability. Understood the parameters, anticipated needs without endless interrogation. Direct. Professional. Didn't require constant oversight. A rarity in any sector, almost unheard of in this one. He handled our requirements – even the minor logistical adjustments – with a quiet competence that should be bottled and issued regulation. The staff here aren't just "staff." They're operators. They move with purpose. Attentive, but not in your airspace. Proactive, but not presumptuous. Every engagement, from the concierge – who handled some specific, non-negotiable needs with zero friction – to the teams that maintained the billet with surgical precision, was executed to a standard that makes most other establishments look like amateur hour. You don’t get this kind of service. It’s earned. It’s drilled. This isn't just a hotel; it's a high-functioning, disciplined organization. Food. Often a weak point in these civilian endeavors. The intel from my wife suggested the restaurants here were… viable. Jack Dusty: seafood, marina view. The product was quality, preparation exact. No complaints. The other targets of opportunity for sustenance hit the same mark. Good ingredients, no shortcuts, executed by professionals. They understand their mission parameters and they deliver. Consistently. The critical asset here, the force multiplier, is the Lido Beach club. Secure transport – a dedicated shuttle, punctual to the second – gets you to a sanitized zone of operations on the Gulf. White sand, clear water. The entire setup is a masterclass in controlled environments. The club itself: clean, secure, offering the kind of low-signature relaxation that’s usually a fantasy. My wife… approved. That’s a critical mission objective met. When her threat level drops, mine does. The pool, the ancillary services – all maintained the same rigorous standard. Access to this beachhead is a definitive strategic advantage. Look, I assess threats. I evaluate capabilities. Most civilian operations are riddled with vulnerabilities, inefficiencies, and personnel who wouldn't last ten seconds under pressure. This place is different. It’s a fortress of competence. The small details, the ones that expose weaknesses elsewhere, are locked down tight here. There’s an ingrained understanding of true service, of operational excellence, that’s palpable. For a designated period of non-combat activity, the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota didn't just meet expectations; it set a new benchmark. If you demand zero-fail performance and an environment where excellence is the only acceptable standard, this is your LZ. Objective: R&R – accomplished. This facility is now a designated go-to asset....