Which Ritz?
 

I am looking to go to St thomas, Puerto Rico or Jamaica at the end of August for a long weekend. I have a corporate deal which allows me to stay at any ritz for less than 100 a night during august. Any suggestions as to which one to choose???

We stayed at the Ritz in St Thomas and really enjoyed it. The hotel and grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The pool is one of the best that I have ever seen. The hotel property faces St John which provides for spectular views. Also, the location allows for easy access to the ferry to St John, which I highly recommend as day trip. The staff were very nice and always willing to accomodate. I would highly recommendI have not been to your other two options but would be willing to answer any further questions that you may have.

Any of those properties would be a huge bargain for you at that rate but for the best deal, I would vote for St. Thomas as it is by far the most expensive of the three. I was at Ritz Jamaica in March and had a nice time, but the beach is not great and it is a large property (400+ rooms) and it will most likely have tons of kids there (it did in March). St Thomas Ritz is much smaller and seems more elegant from reports I have read. Puerto Rico Ritz is right in the city which is a major drawback for me. Just my opinions but maybe they will help you decide. Lucky you, what a deal!

Have only stayed at one Ritz in Caribbean and that was at Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was awesome, unless you are looking for a nice sandy beach.

I stayed at The Ritz Carlton, St. Thomas two years ago. It's a beautiful place. I came over to St. Thomas from Caneel Bay. You should take the ferry to see St. John. It's beautiful. The Ritz St. Thomas is not a new facility. It was an old hotel that has been remodeled and stretches out along side the beach. The further out you are, the longer you have to walk to the lobby. Try to get a room on the upper floors for the view but closer to lobby and pool. The restaurant is fantastic and the pool also. I stayed at The Ritz Carlton, Jamaica last May. I was impressed with the property but not Jamaica. Montego Bay is not a great place to visit. The island has much poverty that I saw but I did not tour the island. The Ritz in Jamaica is a wonderful place, not much beach, but nice but lookout for trouble. Jamaica is not my place to visit. The restaurants were nice and the food excellent. I also visited the Ritz in Cancun which is nice but Cancun is not my choice for a great trip. The hotel was nice, the food was great, the beach was nice but Cancun is another Jamaica. I have not visited the Ritz in Puerto Rico but my son did. He was not impressed. Puerto Rico is a big Oahu but worse he said.

Next chance you have check out the Ritz website. They are building a new hotel on 7 mile Beach in Grand Cayman and it opens next summer. I will be one of their 1st guests.

To answer your question, go to St. Thomas. The flight is easy on Delta from Atlanta, my wife really enjoyed shopping there, the hotel's not far from town and airport and you should enjoy it. Check out their site and look at the layout of the buildings first. You will see a string of them down the beach. Don't get on the end, you will be too far from lobby. They will pick you up in a golf cart.

Good luck.

It is true that the Ritz in Puerto Rico is right in the city. But for me that's a plus. Lots of restuarants and evening entertainment available. Also, it has a very nice casino (probably the best in Puerto Rico) if you enjoy gambling. It is a smaller property however - it's a hotel, not a resort - so there are only a couple of restaurants and the grounds are not sprawling (but very nice nonetheless).

Have been to all 3 and I think it depends on what you're looking for. San Juan Ritz does feel like a hotel (a very nice one), not a resort. The in city location is a plus for some but minus for others. You can easily walk to a number of dining and nightlife options. The beach is long, wide, good for strolling, and lots of people. Someone else said it's similar to staying on Oahu and I would agree, although I would use 'Waikiki Beach' rather than 'Oahu'.

St. Thomas and Montego Bay are more resort destinations. Neither one has what I would consider a great beach but the St. Thomas one is much better than MoBay. Both beaches are very private, but MoBay is just too small for the number of guests the resort can accomodate. MoBay Ritz attracts a lot of families with small children which is a minus for me. St. Thomas seemed to have a more adult atmosphere but then again I've never been there during a school break. If you like to golf (I don't golf), I hear White Witch is a very nice course.

Hope this helps.

P.S. - I just wanted to add that the MoBay Ritz does provide complimentary shuttle service to a nicer beach (I didn't go there though).