Puttin'on the Ritz
Vanderbilt Beach Rd. is a reminder of a bygone era when the rich and famous pioneered the sort of luxury in this area that I will experience for my weekend at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples.
Checking in at the Ritz Carlton, Naples, Stefanie glances at my ID and welcomes me, walking a few steps to her right and pulling my room keys from an "Expected Check-in" box, I turn 180 degrees and pour myself a Gulf Coast Sunset , one of the hotel’s signature drinks, a non alcoholic , fruit based version of their Naples Sunset. Less than 2 minutes later I am elevating to the hotel's top floor, the Club Level, for a long weekend on Florida's Gulf Coast.
The welcome fruit basket and bottle of wine are a wonderful touch, but at this hour, I grab a handful of grapes and an apple before heading off to put my feet in the snow-white sand, which 14 floors below my room's picture window, separates the green foliage from the blue Gulf water.
Back downstairs I exit the hotel, the adult pool to my left separated from the family pool by about 100 yards, I glimpse Ritz's infant wading pool as I step onto the elevated boardwalk that takes me through a stand of mangroves, the hotel has incorporated to give the property a sense I am a few feet from nature, but resting in the lap of luxury. I make a hard right and follow the wood to the hostess stand which is in the middle of a uniquely shaped food and drink spot, Gumbo Limbo, although it's only about 20 feet wide, it's probably 75 yards worth of tables, straddling the boardwalk.
This story is from the Fall 2017 edition of Swanky Retreats.
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This story is from the Fall 2017 edition of Swanky Retreats.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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