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By Paul on Friday, October 28, 2005 - 01:16 am:

RITZ BEACH RESORT REVIEW

So to start this review, I will start from when we landed in freeport.

1) A taxi ride from the airport to the hotel is gonna be $20. There is no meter running, they just say $20. Yeah its a short ride for $20, but hey what else you gonna do.

2) We checked in to the hotel around 8pm and the female at the counter was very nice. She made sure that the room she was giving us had a working air conditioner. (thank god) Then another guy help carry our bags up to our room on the third floor. There is an elevator so that made it easier.

3) The Room---it's different but nice. Everything in the room is built in to itself. You'll understand from the pictures. Look for the link at the bottom of the review.

The room had a little mini fridge which was nice for storing some groceries you get. It also has a nice microwave, a tv with all your standard cable channels from the states.

The bed was nice, the jacuzzi tub is right behind the head of the bed. The tub is nice and deep and fits two people fine.

The bathroom is a little odd though, becasue the door to the bathroom is pretty much see through and the toilet is right in front of the door.....so, there isn't a lot of privacy there, but no big deal after the first day, you get used to it.

4) House keeping - the staff was friendly to us everytime I saw them. They only come in once a week to change everything out (sheets, towels, and to sweep) But, if you would like it more often, it is an extra charge, or you can just go to the maids station on the 2nd floor of the hotel and change out your towels yourself.

5) The POOL ---- Incredible----nice walk in pool, that wraps around a cave with a waterslide on top of it. And inside the cave is a swim up bar, with a happy hour from 3-5pm 2for1 frozen drinks by Dr. Ray PHD in mixology. If you're nice to him, he's nice to you, and you get some pretty stiff drinks.

6) The restraunt ----- Good food, but don't eat there all week, otherwise it'll get expensive. It's also wierd having the 15% gratuity already added in to your bill when you get it. So pay the bill and don't bother leaving any extra $$ on the table, because you already paid it.

The bar at the restraunt has very expensive drinks, don't bother, pick up your own boose at the store like everyone else.

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By Paul on Friday, October 28, 2005 - 01:18 am:

7) Entertainment at the resort. -

We didn't do much at the resort as far as their planned activites, but the ones we did do, were----

Bon Fire party (unknown cost)- we showed up late on sunday so we missed most of it, but we did get to see the limbo contest----WOW some local guy could get rediculously low (impressive to watch) bring a camera. The band was bumpin' playing some local sound, with a good beat.

Snorkling trip- $25-30 per person (If I remember correctly) The snorkling trip was well worth it to see a nice reef. They take you out for about and hour to a reef just off the beach (to far to swim to). It was only about 10-12' deep at the most and their were tons of sea life to see. Overall---well worth the cost, I'de do it again if I went back.

Wine and Chees cruise - $45/per person -----HAHAHAHA what a JOKE, it was a buise cruise with some cheap ass wine. Maybe we were spoiled coming from california's wine country, but DAMN that was nowhere near Red wine, it was pink! The wine they served was out of a jug, and cheap wine at that. They also had Bahama mama's from a cooler. Stick to that and just get drunk. The cheese had been sitting out for about an hour before the boat left, so the chees had gone to hell as well. On a positive note----the fruit was good and the meat balls were tasty. Once the boat finally got out to see, the cruise was decent and the sunset was nice. OVERALL---for $90 a couple I expected a whole lot more. AVOID THIS "CRUISE" IT ISN'T WORHT THE MONEY

Candle light dinner on the beach---, we were going to do, but the mosquitos or whatever kept biting us, so we skipped that. It looked romantic though. Other couples said that it was really nice.

Going away party - FREE- we showed up late, because we had gone scuba diving that day.....but from what we did get was more cheap alcohol bahamam mama drinks, and some tastey Conk fritter. If you have some time to kill, you might as well show up.

8) The ferry to Port Lucaya - $10 for 2 people for a round trip. Well worth the $. We spent the majority of the day in Lucaya shopping, eating and drinking.

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By Paul on Friday, October 28, 2005 - 01:18 am:

Food at lucaya ---

Shenanigans - Irish pub - Excellent food, prices were OK (a little high but the food was worth it) The owner moved over from Ireland 9 years ago to start it, and still takes orders and helps serve food. The "Sheppards Pie" was excellent, and so were the "Bangers and Mash".

The First italian joint you pass by once you get off the ferry on your left (I can't remember the name) It a fancier looking place. The food was good, but the service was lacking. I probably wouldn't go back.

The greek Restaraunt (forgot the name as well, but it's the only one so you'll figure it out)-----Good food and great prices, I could have eaten there all week.

9)The BARS in the square --- they are pretty much all the same, good prices on drinks, lots of 2 for 1 beers and drinks in a coconut (that was tastey). Watch out if you go to "Pusser's", their "Pusser's Pain Killer" will knock you on your butt if you aren't careful (very stiff drink )

10)The casino at Lucaya -- Stay away from the slots, they are tighter than a Frog's butt (thats water tight) Just stick to the tables. The resatraunt is very expensive $20 for a sandwhich. Just skip it.

11) The dive shop at Lucaya - THE UNEXSO - top rate place the staff was cool the dive masters were cool (except 1 he had an attitude) The shark dive was incredible. The other dive we went to about 50' and there really wasn't much to see compared to snokling were there is just sealife all over. Say Hi to Jarvis, he was our camera man on the shark dive and our saftey guy on the second dive. He was cool we liked him.


On a final note ---

Remember to bring lots of sunscreen and bugspray, whatch out for those horseflys they bite.

Make sure you get a room with a working air conditioner otherwise you will have a horrible time it'll get up to 85 - 90 degrees in the room with out an AC. (we lost the AC one night when they were working on the whole system) Luckily we got ours back on the next day. Other couples weren't as lucky.

The exchange rate is equal to US dollars and every one takes Visa so just bring cash, don't worry about switching it to local currnecy.

Customs at the airport - you can each bring back up to 4 bottles duty free, so stock up the rum is tastey.

Anymore questions, and I'll try to answer them as best as I can.


Paul

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By Patsy Porterfield on Friday, October 28, 2005 - 12:29 pm:

Do you have any idea if the Ritz was affected by the Hurricane. I plan to stay from 11/12/05 to 11/19/05.

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By Admin on Friday, October 28, 2005 - 12:40 pm:

The Ritz Beach Resort was spared any real hurricane damage. They are up and running as if nothing happened, although they are still working on repairing some damage to the landscaping due to the storm.

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By Paul on Saturday, October 29, 2005 - 05:11 am:

The place is beautiful I really enjoyed our stay and would easily recommend it to anyone. I hope to go back sometime. I can't wait to see the hotel after all the new construction is done.

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By Parker on Saturday, October 29, 2005 - 11:18 am:

Paul, you sound like an advertisement or a hotel PR director, planting favorable comments in defense of the hotel. Can you give us some specifics that made your stay so enjoyable?

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By Paul on Thursday, November 03, 2005 - 10:24 pm:

Hahaha am I a hotel PR director?....LOL not even close. I work in the Nuclear Security industry. I just wanted to give a good review on the hotel, compared to the other reviews I have read, where people just say "It was great". By saying that, doesn't tell me a thing about the hotel. I just wanted to go a little more in depth on the day to day stuff we did at the hotel.

So, as for what made the stay enjoyable:
1: Grocery store run at the begining of the week. It was nice to have food in the room.

2. The beach was within 50yards of the door to our room? The beach was clean and had nice white sand. (unlike another hotel we checked out) I won't say the name, but it starts with XANA and ends with DU.

3. The room was comfortable. We didn't spend a lot of time in the room, but when we did, it was nice.

4. The pool was great with the swim up bar and the water slide.

Honestly I could go on and on about good things or bad things about the hotel. If you have any specific questions about the place, I'll try to answer as best as I can. And just to make it clear, I have no connection to the hotel, or any hotels in the area. I live in California and was simply there on my honeymoon to have a good time.

Paul

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By Paul on Thursday, November 03, 2005 - 10:29 pm:

I thought I had a link to pictures posted before, but I don't see it here. Anywho, cut and paste this URL into your browser to see pics of the hotel.

http://community.webshots.com/album/487796767QHbREe

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By K Nation on Friday, November 04, 2005 - 08:50 am:

Paul,
Is it worth renting a car, week, day?

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By Paul on Saturday, November 05, 2005 - 04:43 am:

If you want to go somewhere other than port Lucaya, you might as wel. However, for us... in the week we were there, we didn't need a car at all.

They make a grocery run twice a week, and the ferry will take you to Port Lucaya on the hour, every hour for $5/per person round trip.

I wouldn't bother renting a car for maybe more than a day or two. I think that would be enough for you to go pretty much where ever you wanted. Just remember that they drive on the left side of the road. (man, that was wierd to get used to)

Enjoy

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By Chris on Friday, December 02, 2005 - 07:26 pm:

Paul,
Did you only dive with UNEXSO? The Ritz apparently has a scuba shop on site. True? What dive sites would you recommend?

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By Paul on Saturday, December 03, 2005 - 09:43 pm:

I only dove through UNEXSO. I didn't know that the ritz had their own shop. Where was that at? I went out on a snorkling trip with the ritz hotel, but I never saw anything about them having a dive shop, or dive services. (that would have been nice to know)

Do to the limited time we were there, the two dives we did do was the shark dive (fun), and a single tank dive (the 2 tank dive was booked). The single tank dive was ok, it was a captains choice dive on where we went, but realisticly there wasn't much to look at 50' below. I would have rather done a shallower dive and seen more coral life.

We were going to bring all our own gear, but we decided to skip the trouble and just brought our mask, fins, and snorkle. That way we could swim out from the beach whenever we wanted during the week.

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By Sheri on Thursday, December 08, 2005 - 01:18 pm:

Hi Paul

Sounds like you ednjoyed yourself. My family and I will be going the end of Feb 2006 for one week and was wondering if you could answer some questions. We will be traveling witha 3yr old and 1 yr old, so we need to be prepared.

1. Do you know what there car seat laws are in Freeport? Do taxi's allow carseats to be installed or is there city buses we could use instead?
2.The ferry is there not a week pass available someone had told us there was? $25 person or something.
3.Did you come across any deep sea fishing charters or Bone Fishing you would refer?
4. Do you know what the cost are to rent a car for a day?
5.How far of a drive from the airport to the hotel?

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By Paul on Saturday, December 10, 2005 - 08:26 am:

Sheri-

Car seat laws.....hmmm.....the "taxis" from the airport were more like personal vehicles of some locals designated to be taxi drivers. I did not see any carseats in the taxis. The drive is about 10 minutes from the airport and will run you $20 to the hotel. The vehicles aren't that bad though, just hold your kids in your lap.

As for the ferry pass-----supposedly they used to have one, but the week we were there, they told us that they no longer had a pass and that it was on a trip by trip basis. They might be able to do something for your family, because you are there as a family.

Unfortunately, I didn't do any fishing but there were lots of signs for charter boats in Port Lucaya. (take the ferry from the hotel to Port Lucaya) You should be able to find some fishing easily.

I don't know the prices for any rental cars, since we never needed one. The rental agency might have a car seat though, come to think of it.


Hope some of that helps. You guys should have a great time, the pool is great. Be sure to bring some bug spray.

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By Anonymous Tourist on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 12:54 pm:

what about internet access at the Ritz?

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By Paul on Thursday, December 22, 2005 - 01:33 am:

Sorry but I never even thought to look, or ask. Maybe someone else knows.

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By Nick on Monday, January 02, 2006 - 02:35 pm:

Paul thanks for the info.
Im 18 and will be going to the ritz with 3 friends and our families. Other than Count Basie Square, what other nightspots should we make sure to hit.

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By Chris on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 04:56 pm:

I spent Xmas week at the Ritz and can add a few thoughts to this thread. The Ritz gets a B- grade IMO. While clean and convenient, it lacks the upscale amenenties you'd find in an RCI Gold Crown resort. The on-site restaurant is expensive and only uses plastic utensils - I'd skip it altogether and dine in Port Lucaya instead. The bonfire show on the first night was not worth the $50 per person we spent for it. Our room had a tiny 2 cup coffee maker and no filters were provided. We also had no dishwashing soap. Purchasing these kinds of items for a 6 day trip is a waste of money. We never gained a comfort level with the see-through bathroom doors and the moldings used in the bathroom and around pictures were styrofoam - pretty cheesey IMO. We dove with UNEXSCO and found them to be good (their little snack bar/restaurant was probably the best deal on food in town). We also rented the scooters which was kind of fun but there's not much to see if you're looking for something other than beautiful beaches. The International Bazaar was an embarassment - don't waste your time on this chintzy souvenier trap. The National Park was a long drive (via scooter) for not much to see. I'd stick with water activities (diving and snorkeling are great!) and check out the restaurants in Port Lucaya. There's dancing at some restaurants but they don't start up until 10:00 and the ferry back to the Ritz stops running at 11:00 so you'd have to take a taxi after that. Final note - purchased drinks are not cheap! Either bring your own or buy en masse at the liquor store once you get there.

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By Nick on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 05:44 pm:

Where do you go to rent scooters and how much would it be for a day rental??

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By Paul on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 03:53 am:

That's right.....I totally forgot to mention the bathrooms.....hahah. You are completly correct, in that you never felt totally comfortable using them since it is partially see through. And the styrofoam trim.....that was funny as well. I didn't catch that until the final day we were there.

I went ahead and bought a small thing of soap and a sponge during the first store run for maybe $4 and went ahead and left it under the sink for the next guest. Stock up on your own booze while you are at the store, Chris is correct drinks aren't cheap at the hotel.

But you are right in rating the hotel as a "B".
It does lack a few of the little amenities that make your stay that much more enjoyable.

The question is this though....For what you paid, would you stay there again? or would you try somewhere else?


Chris---Did you have a good time though overall?

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By jank on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 05:27 pm:

What was the deposit fee and housekeeping charge for the week?

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By maxjude on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 02:10 pm:

Can someone tell me the difference between the hotel and the studio Timeshare? Also is the Ritz Beach Resort on the Beach?

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By Paul on Monday, February 06, 2006 - 10:44 pm:

I don't remember any deposit for housekeeping. They only clean twice a week, unless you want more, and then you pay extra for that. If you want though, you can always go down to the housekeeping room, and exchange your linen/towels for new stuff at any time yourself.

Sorry, I don't know the difference between the hotel and studio timeshares. The resort is however right on the beach. The dining room opens up onto the beach, and from the room I had, I could be in the water in about a minute from my room.

Hope that helps

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By Ritz Owner on Wednesday, February 08, 2006 - 02:02 pm:

The studios are on the ocean side of the building. These have full kitchens and a bath and a larger living space. They also have swimming pools on the decks, but no jacuzzis in the rooms.

The hotel room is what Paul described above. They face the parking lot, are somewhat smaller than the studios, and include a jacuzzi.

Yes, the Ritz Beach Resort is right on the ocean.

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By Ashley Leonard on Saturday, February 18, 2006 - 02:22 pm:

Does anyone know if there are any hotel rooms with an ocean view?

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By Anonymous Tourist on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 02:22 am:

To Anyone Staying At The Ritz Beach Resort:
Spent a week at the end of Feb 2006 and loved every minute of it. The outdoors, including the pool and beach, is absolutely spectacular! Since I did not stay in my room except to sleep, I found it adequate with a stove, fridge and both a table inside and outside for eating. I do suggest that you bring a nonskid shelf liner to keep by the jacuzzi so that you do not slip on any wet tile. Also, bring some hangers since they only provide about 6. This trip was a great experience. The people were very friendly and helpful and they went out of their way to make our stay a pleasant one. Happy Vacationing!

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By Lauren on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 12:22 pm:

I'm going to be spending a week at the Ritz this July on my honeymoon. The only thing I'm slightly concerned about is safety. Sometimes they say when you go to resorts, it's not wise to leave the resort area for safety reasons. Did you ever feel unsafe at all on the island? I'm not familiar with Freeport at all, but from what I've been reading it seems pretty safe.

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By Ritz Owner on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 01:10 pm:

I've been going to Freeport for the last 5 years or so, and I've never been concerned about my safety. Near the Ritz and over at Port Lucaya, you should be totally safe. Everyone is friendly and helpful. I'm sure there are some areas where you might not want to go in the evening, but I've never came across one. All the tourist spots are safe. (There is much more crime in Nassau than there is in Freeport.)

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By Paul on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 - 08:44 am:

I never once felt the least bit concerned for my safety......except at Pusser's Bar.....Some of those drinks kicked my butt.

But as for the people....everyone that I came acrossed at the Ritz, and Port Lucaya were good people.

Talking about this again, makes me want to go back again

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By Ken on Friday, March 31, 2006 - 02:12 am:

First off, I'd just like to say how helpful this message board has been to my wife and I. We feel very ready for our trip to the Ritz this summer.
I'm a marathoner and am going to be running my marathon 2 weeks after we get home so I was hoping to get some good runs in while at the Ritz. Any thoughts on the roads around the Ritz for running? Or is there an on-site fitness facility?

Thanks for the help.

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By Paul on Sunday, April 02, 2006 - 05:26 am:

You would be running on the local streets which are all in good condition. Just remember that they drive on the other side of the rode. I'de wear a reflective vest or something if you decide to run out on the public roads.

Enjoy your trip

If you find Port Lucaya on the map, the ritz is just near there on the right (you can't see it on the map but just to give you and idea)

Grand Bahama Map

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By Lisa on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 03:53 am:

My husband and I are planning to go to Freeport at the end of November 2006. I know the weather cannot be predicted, but do you think the odds are good that we will have nice "safe" weather? Or would you suggest us waiting until January or February 2007? We are from the West Coast and are not familiar with hurricanes! Has anyone taken the Discovery Cruise Line from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport? Is it worth it? Or shall we just fly straight in? I have to thank everyone who have made all these comments...they are so appreciated and I feel like I'm learning a lot about this area.

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By Ritz Owner on Monday, April 17, 2006 - 12:34 pm:

November weather is fine in the Bahamas. It's usually 77 - 82 degrees during the daytime and around 70 degrees (sometimes with a cool wind) in the evening. I've been there 3 or 4 weeks in Novembers and maybe it rained for 2 days total.

Don't expect too much on the Discovery Cruise Line. It's okay, but certainly not a luxury cruise line. The food is decent, but the ride can get rough. If you've never been on a boat for 5 hours, you might enjoy it. If you've been on a luxury liner, then forget the Discovery Sun, fly directly there, and enjoy the island for the extra few hours you will save.

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By Cindy on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 12:52 am:

Can anyone tell me about the unit with the bedroom and the loft? It is on the third and fourth floor. Is the ladder to the loft really located in the bedroom? How many bathrooms are in the unit? What is the bed arrangement in the loft? Thanks for your help.

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By Erin on Saturday, July 08, 2006 - 12:17 am:

We recently visited the resort and I think what we had was considered the unit with a bedroom and a loft. There were eight of us so we had two of them across from each other. Our units had a private staircase off of the third floor, so it would be considered the 4th and 5th floors, with the loft. When you enter to place the bed is located in the middle of the room next to the efficiency kitchen with the whirlpool behind it. Behind the whirlpool is a glass block area which is the bathroom. The lack of privacy in the bathroom was a little odd, but manageable. Next to the queen size bed is the ladder for the loft. Besure to duck going up to the loft otherwise a bumped head or two may take place. Once in the loft the queen bed is right there with a little bench next to it. There is also a stand up shower in the bedroom, and a small bathroom area is blocked off. Neither of our rooms had a table which made dining a little on the interesting side, but I don't know if that is standard or not with those particular rooms!

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By Crystal on Sunday, July 09, 2006 - 10:11 pm:

Just returned today from Ritz. VERY dissapointed in the room. We had no hair dryer or iron, and housekeeping wouldn't bring it to us, we had to go to laundry room to get it. Our phone didn't work all week, and hot water only on last two days. Air conditioning out for 2 days. We had loft room, on 4th and 5th floors, and the first day the elevator broke down and we were trapped inside for almost 15 mins, so just took stairs rest of the time. Large gap under door and on patio door let in curly tail lizzards that joined my mom in bed. The staff is very friendly, but have very laid back "island" attitude about everthing, so if you need something, you will have to do it your self. And yes, we are owners, but at origional Taino, which we were told will not be rebuilt, so they transfered our timeshare. Pool and beach are great, be careful on the rocks. I saved a lady who fell and split her head open one morning. Restaurant was rarely open. Did glass bottom boat-Great! Did kayak and nature walk to gold rock beach-Awesome!! Walked from resort thru Smiths Point to Sanctuary Bay to see Dolphins. Spent a lot of time in Port Lucaya. Le Med, a newer restaurant was GREAT! Reasonable prices and really good food. Also liked Callys and Zorbas. It was just me and my mom, and even as 2 small ladies, we always felt safe and comfortable with our surroundings and the people. Grocery Store is very spendy, and any thing you leave in the room will not be left for other guests, the maids will take it all. Lots of Sting Rays on beach. Very fun to look at and swim alongside, but remember to shuffle your feet in the sand so you don't step on one!!

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By Anonymous Tourist on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 04:26 pm:

We love the Ritz and bought 4 units there. The pool is amazing and the beach is so private...it is not connected to the big hotels on down the way because of an inlet. We felt safe staying in the area, but we did take a taxi to a big grocery store to get food. We loved the food at the Marketplace and visiting other hotels in the area. Nobody is in a hurry, so Americans feel a bit out of sorts...but it's a good change from our fast-paced lifestyles. We all need to learn from their example...

We have a studio and efficiency combo for rent, the weeks of March 24 and March 31, 2007. This includes the full kitchen, pool on balcony, sleeps 4 plus a bath, then a connecting door to a private bedroom that sleeps 2 with jacuzzi and bath. Faith8542@hotmail.com

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By Anonymous Tourist on Saturday, July 22, 2006 - 11:42 am:

i read the comments on your page all the time. I think something needs to be done about the stealing. It seems a lot of people have experienced this problem. The Ritz nees to either have more security or fire the personnel that is responsible. This will certainly be against the Ritz for people to want to come and visit.

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By Bahamian on Saturday, July 22, 2006 - 12:50 pm:

The problem is... you can't fire Bahamians.

See, most Bahamas hotel managers are foreigners. If the foreign manager of a hotel tries to fire a Bahamian, even if the Bahamian is a terrible worker and is stealing from the guests, the other Bahamian workers will get together and insist that the foreign manager be deported.

This happens all the time.

Not too long ago, a maid stole a camera from a guest at the Hilton hotel in downtown Nassau. The General Manager, of course, fired the maid. The other housekeeping employees walked off the job until the errant maid was rehired. There was nothing the manager could do (and he was a Bahamian manager) because you can't run a hotel without maids.

You are dealing with a citizenry that is descended from pirates and rogues. It is estimated that 70% of Bahamians are criminally-minded. So, what do you expect?

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