Why We Keep Going Back to The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale
Updated: Oct 15
Three trips in eighteen months. At some point it stops being a hotel and starts being a habit.
We first came to The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale for quick winter escapes in January and February 2025, mostly for the spa. In June 2026 we came back with a bigger group and took a three-bedroom oceanfront residence on the Club Level. Here's why it keeps winning.
The winter escape: the spa
When the Pittsburgh winter gets long, a long weekend in Fort Lauderdale fixes it. On those first two trips the spa was the point. The Deep Muscle massage, a full 110 minutes, is the one I book: long enough to actually undo a season of travel. On the second trip, we went back to the spa more than once.
Experience tip: book spa appointments when you book the room, especially on winter weekends. Longer treatments sell out first.
The group trip: a Club Level oceanfront residence
For a June trip with a group, we wanted space and calm. We booked a three-bedroom oceanfront residential suite on the Club Level for four nights. It gave everyone their own room, a shared living space to gather in, and ocean views. Club Level access meant breakfast, snacks and evening drinks without anyone having to make a plan, and the Club concierge handled the small things, including printing documents for us the night before we left.
Experience tip: for families or groups of friends, a residential suite is often better value than booking three separate rooms, and far better for spending time together. Ask about Club Level access; it simplifies every morning.
Why Fort Lauderdale works
Easy access. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International is about 20 minutes away, and there are plenty of nonstops and short connections from the Northeast.
A calmer beach. You get the ocean and the weather without Miami's intensity.
Everything on property. Spa, pool, Club Level and the beach mean you can stay put for days.
The Touchpoint take
The best hotels are the ones that fit more than one kind of trip. The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale works for a solo spa reset in January and a group week in a three-bedroom residence in June, and it does both well.
Thinking about Fort Lauderdale? Touchpoint Travel books The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale and can help you choose between a room, a Club Level upgrade and a residence for the whole group. Start planning with Touchpoint Travel.
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