The Ritz Beach Resort Hotel

, Freeport, Bahamas
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The Ritz Beach Resort Hotel

, Freeport
Jolly Rodger Dr - Freeport - Bahamas 242-373-4677
327 Traveller

Reviews - The Ritz Beach Resort Hotel

10/10
Wonderful Experience
Submitted by: Debbie in 18/06/08
  • Age Group: 51 - 60
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Mature Couple
I have been going here for several years. We always have a great time. Management is a bit slower, but that is Island time. They were friendly never pressured for a time share presentation. Helped us make diving arrangements and numerous meet and greet activities. The beach is amazing, very few people at any time, raked every morning. We met several couples from the UK that come here regularly and purchased (2) additional weeks because they love so much. I am truely surprised by these negative experiences.
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10/10
Never had a problem and never heard of one until now.
Submitted by: Jeff in 02/01/08
  • Age Group: 51 - 60
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Mature Couple
I have been going there every year since 2001 and have never had a problem or heard of a problem. I think it is a great resort and they do provide safes in your room for additional security. I have talked with many people you vacation there every year and continue to buy additional weeks because they like it so much. I am surprised to read these bad reviews because I enjoy my time there.
1/10
Keep everything locked up!!
Submitted by: Brian in 08/12/07
  • Age Group: 41 - 50
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Family Traveller
We stayed there for a week and during that time there were at least 3 roberies that we knew of. The management and the staff seemed completely indifferent. If I owned Taino Beach, I would fence it off and hire security. No one wants to go on vacation and have to constantly worry about getting robbed.
1/10
High Theft/Arrogant Management
Submitted by: Constance in 10/08/07
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Mature Couple
We arrived at the Taino on Friday, Aug.3, 2007. Our room was broken into on Saturday. Our room had a lock that is used for a bedroom door to the outside patio. There is absolutely no deadbolt on the outside patio door. There have been several thefts on the property. Management, Jarret Thompson, did not express any concern. We were never contacted regarding our belongings. Finally, on Tuesday we contacted resort official ourselves. Thompson placed all blame and responsibility on us and the Port Lucayan Police. It became obvious that he was awaiting for us to leave the Bahamas and dismiss our case.

We have filed a complaint with the Ministry of Tourism. We are still awaiting the outcome of this matter. We were repeatedly told to just get the case number and file this on our home owners insurance.

Thefts are occurring daily at the Ritz/Taino Beach Resort.
1/10
They Cancelled our Reservation
Submitted by: Bill in 16/01/07
  • Age Group: 51 - 60
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Family Traveller
We had reservations for two rooms and 4 weeks before we were to go, they cancelled our reservations. Said something about "health issues". Never found out anything more.
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Historical Traveller Reviews of The Ritz Beach Resort Hotel

Wonderful Vacation Spot!

from A TripAdvisor Member
My friend and I went with only the knowledge of what we had read on this website. It was a 50-50 chance we would have fun, but I have to say I was really surprised at how beautiful the resort was. The room was really nice, everything was marble so I can understand why some had commented that things weren't necessarily clean. The room is more for married couples - mirrors, pillars and large jacuzzi, glass block showers...etc... were nice, just not really intended for two friends. Groceries were really expensive but so is eating out, so we had brought some nonperishable foods with us for breakfast and lunch- dinner we improvised a bit too. The ferry pass is a good buy, but if you get to know the captain, he usually lets you on without charging. Went to Port Lucaya, every night, fun scene, bars and some dancing. Drinks were usually 2 for $5 or $6. Didn't participate in any of the activities at the resort, as everything was pretty pricey. The pool was beautiful- not heated so pretty cold, but refreshing after hours in the sun. Perfect weather- ocean was right there too, so perfect combo. Drinks at the pool were expensive but happy hour brought them down to 2 for $6. Cleaning service seemed to be very attentive, always asking if we needed towels...maybe they've read the reviews...one can hope! Front desk was usually helpful, but one negative... on our last day, our flight out didn't leave until 4PM, so didn't want to check out at 10AM, we didn't have anywhere to put our stuff, we checked out at 1PM and they charged each of us a late fee of $15 each, thought that was really stupid. I would recommend this resort to anyone, it was very fun and we had a wonderful time, met wonderful people and the staff was friendly and very accomodating to us all week. If you do decide to visit this resort and you take the ferry, tell Captain Derrick, Jill from Chicago said Hello!!

great vacation

from A TripAdvisor Member
We were very nervous to go after all the poor reviews - but we loved it. We did not have any trouble with management - we got there and had some noisy neighbors - so we asked to move room - they showed us many rooms and we chose the one we were happy with. THe pool and the beach are great. The rooms are not so clean, but if you can overlook that - you are fine. We rented a car - so did not have to deal with the ferry that runs hourly and taxis which are expensive.

The island itself is very expensive - from NY we are used to expensive - but dinner for two was about $70 per night - for nothing so great. We also got some stuff at the supermarket - which too was expensive - but hey we were on vacaton - and it was worth it.

Freeport is not as grand as what Nassau seemed to be - so for more resturants and shopping - Freeport is not the place - but we really liked that there was not much to do and we just went to the beach and pool - hope this helps anyone planning a trip.

Great Week in the Sun

from A TripAdvisor Member
My wife and I just returned from a week at the Ritz and had a wonderful time. I have seen many negative reviews, and went with some trepidation, but it turned out very well. We loved the beach, and the pool, as well as the Taino Restaurant where you can have a nice lunch overlooking the beach. The snorkeling and the waverunners were fun as well. We enjoyed the beach every morning and hit the markets, restaurants and casinos in the afternoon and evening. A great place overall. Everyone was very friendly and happy to do anything they could to help. Our only complaint is that the walls between the units are a little thin, so we could hear the people and noise from the adjoining unit, but we were not in our room all that much. I would definitely stay at this resort again.

Some good news about the Ritz

from 12395
We always hear from the complainers and not so much about the positive experiences so I have to share. I just returned from the Ritz in Freeport for one week and hope my feedback will relieve anyone on their way there! I had read all the negative feedback and was expecting a bad vacation, but it was very enjoyable. The Ritz 2 Coral Suite resort was a very beautiful place to stay. It was extremely quiet, clean and our housekeeping ladies we had were great. I do have to agree with the slow service, but don't give up. If you need something, just keep asking!
The weekly water taxi pass to Port Lucaya is a very good deal as there is not much going on at the resort in the evenings. Yes, the drinks at the swim up bar at quite expensive, $6.90 for pina coladas but great during happy hour. The bus services are not on a schedule and do like to wait until they're full because gas prices are so high. The buses are vans and we found they are very flexible where they'll take you and sometimes all you need to do is pay $2 versus $1. If you're looking to save some money on taxi fares the bus will even go to the airport for less than half a taxi if you don't have too much baggage. Restaurants and grocery store are a little more expensive than what i'm used to in Canada but I think that's always to be expected when you're in a foreign country. So if you're on your way, don't get depressed, try to read through the reviews for some helpful tips and look forward to your holiday!!!

As as bad as I thought it would be

from A TripAdvisor Member
I read a ton of not-so-good reviews prior to staying at the Ritz, but it wasn't that bad. No bugs in the room- I had a jacuzzi suite with partial kitchen. The kitchen is a must so you can make your own meals occasionally- food is really expensive! Bring from home what you can in terms of snacks or cereal or whatever. The Ritz is perfect for lovers on a budget: the jacuzzi and mirrored walls were wonderful. The cleaning ladies were exceptionally nice regarding our need to sleep until 12:00 pm most days. Young women: watch out for the young maintenance men; although they were polite and never did or said anything rude, they do stare at you every time you walk by. The pool and waterslide were big yet clean, and the beach was pretty nice.
Drinks at the pool bar are expensive unless it's happy hour, but you will be surprised how much better the drinks (i.e. Bahamas Mamas) taste when you pay full price. Take advantage of the free little activities they try to keep you entertained with. We won 2 small bottles of rum during the "Ritz Beach Oympics". However I didn't think the $40 "bonfire dinner" was worth it at all. My friends really enjoyed the "booze cruise" and said the drinks were good and strong. My only problem was that the Ritz is a bit hard to find- there is no sign outside the establishment! Maybe there will be one once the construction is complete.

Great Time

from A TripAdvisor Member
When we arrived on Saturday the 22nd of November and we had no problem finding the desk. We arrived around noon and had to wait until 4:00pm for check in. We were prepared to wait and changed clothes and went to the beach. When we got to our room we were surprized to find an adorable room with jacuzzi behind the bed. It was clean and very nice.
We did not have a view but the ocean was just around the corner. The only problem that we encountered was getting towels. Once that was resolved we had a really good time. Most of the fun was taking the ferry to Port Lucaya Marketplace. They had reasonable prices on food and plenty of bars along with some entertainment. We went to the casino twice and the second time I put in a dollar and won 1,000 quarters ($250.00) I was thrilled. The one restaurant that my husband and I would recommend is Pier One. The food is great and they have shark feeding every hour, it's really something to see. We met alot of really nice people and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. They do have a lot of construction going on right now but I think that it will be gorgeous when they complete it. We would recommend it highly, it would be even better if my husband and I were in to water sports more, they have plenty to do in that area. We went with an open mind after reading all the reviews and it turned out quite well. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail us.

Begins with a nightmare...ends like a dream!

from A TripAdvisor Member
Absolute Reservation Center made my upgrade reservations at the Ritz...acclaimed as a newly built FIVE STAR resort. I specifically asked for two beds since my travelling companion was my best friend, but arrived and checked in to a one bed unit. Neither one of us wanted to sleep with one another and the lady at the front desk offered to show us another unit with two beds, one upstairs, one downstairs from a 3 1/2 story unit. The view from the upstairs bedroom was overlooking the beautiful beach and she wanted another $100 per night for this room, but told me to talk to the manager since I was so upset over Absolute Reservation Center making a mistake in booking for two beds.
After finding the manager on my own and waiting to talk to him, I explained my problem and he agreed to let us have the room for $50 extra per night and told me to have Absolute Reservation Center to reimburse me the difference. When we begged one of the maintence men (giving him a $15 tip) to help us lug our bags up sixty steps to our rooms, we begin to see things that bothered us. A large pile of sand on the bed, nasty floors, stained carpet, a leak over the kitchen light fixture, air conditioning not working in the bottom floor, cracked commode seat, a door that anyone could break in to from the outside...just to name a few! Next day, I called the front desk and spoke to a kind young lady named Judith who patiently listened to my problems and offered to let us move into the NEW section just a few doors down...hated leaving the view of the upstairs bedroom, but the third room we were finally sent to had clean marble floors and new carpet, king sized bed and jacuzzi, plus large shower upstairs, full kitchen downstairs, with queen bed was more of what I expected from a FIVE STAR RESORT! The $50 per night ended up being $80 per night with taxes so with all I paid to Absolute Reservations, along with $15 per person per night, it would have probably been much less expensive to stay somewhere else. I guess I am spoiled to bell captains and room service at most of the hotels I have stayed at and found this to be annoying at times not to have these services available! But if you want a quite time at the most beautiful and secluded beach, then maybe Ritz Beach Resort is the place for you. Just do whatever you can to get in the NEW section! The old section needs extensive repairs or to be torn down and started over. Luckily, we escaped a sales pitch to invest in a time share...I would never spend my money on buying anything in the old section!

TERRIBLE

from A TripAdvisor Member
We've traveled a lot before, so we know better and cheaper places.This place is a timeshare, so if you are an owner, you have better room and are treated nicer.We rented it for 1 week, from november 1 to november 8.I tell you what is good and bad about it.Bad:1-The weather: there was a lot of rain, there was tar on the beach one day. 2- There are not a lot of things to do, and if you want to do something , it is very expensive. So, go there if you have a lot of money to spend. 3- The ferry to Port Lucaya: They say it costs $25 for a week. We took it for free.4- Only one grocery store, Winn-Dixie, very expensive. So, take food from the US. For example, potato chips cost about $3 (99c in the US)I wanted to eat fish, I did not find any fresh fish.5- If you go to Port Lucaya and don't want to be sick, go anywhere but not to the China Cafe. I was very sick.6- Room: we had a studio with a kitchen and a little pool. The room was very dark but in marble. If you like a dark room, you would like it. The little pool was very dirty. We were afraid to go in it.The room did not seem very clean. And when you open the closets, a strange smell comes out.7-The TV in the room did not work when we arrived. I had to look for the engineer, Marco, everywhere, because at the front desk, they don't help at all, they don't care. So, if you have a problem with your TV, ask Marco to the maids. Don't ask the front desk, it's a waste of time.8- The key did not work very well, so we had to leave the balcony open all the time. It was easier.Good:1- People were extremely nice (i am talking about the renters and the timeshare owners).2- The swimming pool is great and big3- The rooms are near the beach. From the rooms, you can see the beach. That's great!
You don't have to walk.4- The restaurant near the beach is good and not too expensive. We hope you will like it. Enjoy yourself! We did not like it and won't go back. There are much better places than this.

Will Definetely Return

from A TripAdvisor Member
My wife and I spent a gorgeous week at the Ritz Beach Resort from 11-18OCT03. The rooms were beautiful, The AC always worked well and the Maids did a great job. Everyone we met was so kind and friendly that they made you feel right at home. The only complaint that we had with the resort was with the rudeness of the people at the front desk. If you asked them a question it was like how dare you bother me. They were short with you, very rude and not at all helpful. The Resort itself was fabulous. They try to give you a pitch to buy a timeshare but if you say no or not interested they leave you alone. No pressure. The pool and the Restaurant were absolutely fabulous. It is a place were you can go either with kids or just adults. The Beach was very private, the water was perfect. Reccommend getting the Ferry Pass for $25.00 a person you can come and go to Port Lucaya as much as you want.
Excellent shopping Dining and evening shows in the square. A couple of things that I would Highly reccommend is the Dolphin Experience, The swimming with the Dolphins one. I will do this again, and again. It was absolutely fantastic, worth every penny of $156.00 a person. I would also reccomend the Steak and Lobster dinner cruise aboard the Bahama Mama, Fantastic. Also for a nice romantic night out with your wife, go to Pier One for Dinner, Take a cab. The food is fantastic the service was great and the Shark Feeding was impressive. Make reservations for the outside deck at least a couple of weeks before going to the Island.
Cell phones and AT&T Calling Cards do not work on the Island and calls can get pricey at $2.83 a minute. All in all it was an excellent vacation and we look forward to returning. Gill and Kathy Colon

Some Things Were Nice, Others Were Not

from A TripAdvisor Member
The room was not really what I expected. I was told that four people could fit in one room. We only had three. We walked in after we checked in to find one bed. When I asked where the third person was suppose to sleep I was told that the "couches" were beds a well. If you removed the side cushions it was close to size of a twin bed, but more like a cot. There were two "couches" so I guess technically the room could sleep four. However, I would strongly advise against it or at least warn the third and fourth person about the sleeping arrangements, because they aren't that good. Even the actual bed was more like a pull out couch with no support underneath, just a small bar at the bottom and attached to the wall at the top. The bed wasn't that comfortable.
We had a room in the older section. The kitchen had a stove, microwave/oven, dishwasher and some pots and pans and dishes. I did find out that every room is different and some things are missing in some rooms. It also had a blender, toaster and coffee maker. The bathroom is enclosed in all frosted glass. Don't share a room with anyone you aren't comfortable being naked in front of because you can pretty much see everything that goes on in the bathroom. The rooms are probably fine for couples only, but with children or friends it could be wierd. We had a unit with a pluge pool. The pluge pool isn't that great. They don't clean them or circulate the water. It is stale and cold. Some of them appeared to be worse than ours with dead bugs and the birds bathing in them. We were on the second floor, so I guess we were lucking we didn't have those problems. The floors were very dirty.
They didn't clean them and either your socks or your bare feet were black from walking around on them. I would have to agree with what everybody else said about the service. Luckly we didn't have too many problems, but we did need extra towels and that took two days, asking the maid in person, multiple phone calls and visits to the front desk.
Finally, when we confronted the maid in the maid area she handed us a stack and then after that left us extras. We also had our toliet clog, but we kept on top of them for that and it was fixed within a few hours. The power also went out for a few hours one night because of a storm. That wasn't there fault, but be prepared in case this happens. A small flashlight we happened to have packed came in handy. If you are staying for a few days and want to travel back and forth to Lucaya buy the week pass for $25 for the water taxi. It is $5 round trip each time, so with 5 times it pays for itself. You can only buy week passes at the front desk of the Ritz Beach Resort, but across the street at the Flamingo Hotel (pink building) you can buy the one time passes. We got a free ride when the didn't check once, but after that they were checking us every time. A trip to the grocery store by taxi was I think $22 round trip and we had a nice taxi driver who waited for us and didn't charge us for that time that he waited. We bought some groceries and liquor (liquor store in the same shopping plaza as the grocery store) which probably helped us save money. There is only one restraunt on the property. For anything else you have to take the water taxi to Lucaya. The water taxi only runs on the hour, but it is only a 3 to 5 minute ride and is pretty cool. I thought the restraunt on the property was nice. You eat outside overlooking the beach which is really nice.
We were the only ones there although we were eating a little early. The food took a little bit of time, but they make it right when you order so I understand it takes some time to cook. The amount of food you got was really good and the price wasn't bad at all. The drinks are great.
The make them very strong, but I would rather a strong drink for the money than a weak one. The rest of the property is very nice. The pool is great and so much fun. It has a waterslide, a swim-up bar, a lazy river with tubes you can float around in and caves with jets. I didn't drink or eat at the swim-up bar, but I did hear it was expensive. The swim-up bar closes at 6pm. The pool technically does as well, but the lights are on all night and I saw people in it at night. The waterslide is only open sometimes, but when it is, it is a lot of fun. We flew to Ft. Launderdale and then took the Discovery Cruise ship to the Bahamas.
I would not recommend the Discovery Cruise ship (read my review on that for more information). Taxi rides are expensive and they will charge you whatever they want. If you are concerned about the price, be sure to ask up front how much it will cost to go somewhere. Everyone expects a tip. Be careful because in restraunts and bars they will automattically add a 15% tip and then kind of expect you to tip on top of that figuring you will not realize it was already included. Check your bill, it probably was. If the service was good we tiped on top of the included tip, but if not we did not. I don't like that practice, but it is the way they do things around there. There was lots to do in Lucaya, so be sure to check that out. Great places to shop, eat, drink and night life. We also did the Swim with Dolphins at UNIXSO. It was expensive, but really worth it for such an experience. It was off season when we went so it was nice because it was not crowded. The beach by the Ritz Beach Resort is great. They have lawn chairs and the beach was clean and uncrowded. One thing though, bring your own beach towels. We didn't and had to take them from the room, which meant we had to beg for even more and they weren't that big. I now know that we also greatly overpacked. You don't really need any nice clothes unless you know you are going to a nice restraunt or maybe the casino (I don't know for sure cause we didn't go there). You really only need your bathing suit, shorts, t-shirts, sandles, a beach towel and suntan lotion. I guess that is about all. Some things were definently great and some things would have been okay had we known and been prepared.
The place is great, but the service really needs work. If you have any questions or want any more information, please feel free to email me.

Top Local Tips for Freeport

Groceries / Food For Hotel Room Bring some of your own American food & snacks with you in your luggage. Taxi takes you to one grocery store across town but it's very expensive & very limited. You'll need own food in room to snack in the morning/day before you head out for dinner/shopping/night light, etc. There's not a store next door you can walk to, no snack machines, nothing. Restaurant on property not that good, choices of burgers, sandwiches, fries only. No seafood during that week, no fish, no shrimp, no lobster, nothing, due to their harsh weather 2 previous weeks, what a bummer since you're in the Bahamas!

Eat at The Stoned Crab If you are a seafood lover like we are, you have to eat at The Stoned Crab, their seafood platter is simply the best. Their outdoor eating area is right on the beach. It's a little on the pricey side, but it's worth every penny.

take it Take the public transportation - skip the taxi's!

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Other names for The Ritz Beach Resort Hotel

  • ritz-carlton freeport
  • ritz freeport
  • ritz beach hotel freeport
  • ritz beach freeport
  • freeport ritz-carlton
  • freeport ritz
  • Address: Jolly Rodger Dr - Freeport - Bahamas
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