Few South Florida resorts balance escapism and accessibility like The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami. Long beloved for its quiet shoreline and just-far-enough-from-Miami rhythm, the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star property is ready to reveal its most significant evolution yet. After closing in May for a renovation, the address is set to welcome guests again, beginning December 8. The $100 million transformation promises a refreshed identity rooted in natural textures, elevated design and a renewed sense of openness.
Market general manager Derek Flint has lived the renovation floor by floor. As construction hummed behind him during a recent conversation with Forbes Travel Guide, he emphasized one overarching theme. “Everything within the hotel has a beachy feel,” Flint said. “That means soft neutrals, tactile finishes and a hallway carpet that fades from sand to ocean.” Even small design gestures reflect what he called “a real sense of place within the beach community.”
A New Arrival and Elevated Rooms
One of the most dramatic shifts comes before guests even step inside. The once-partitioned lobby has been fully opened, creating a clear line of sight from the front entrance straight to the Atlantic. Flint described the decision as a game-changer. The redesigned lobby features sculptural lighting, contemporary lines and seating that feels tailored rather than formal, all framed by an uninterrupted view of the water.
Guest rooms and suites echo that same coastal calm. Fresh furnishings, a palette drawn from sea and sand and natural stone bathrooms set a serene tone. Studio suites now include kitchenettes, while one-bedroom suites feature walk-in showers and deep soaking tubs. Residential suites add full kitchens and generous living areas.
Outdoor spaces have also been overhauled with lowered landscaping that keeps ocean vistas open from the lobby, courtyard, fitness center and pool decks. Private cabanas, refreshed terraces and expanded lounge zones enhance the resort’s signature laid-back luxury.
Dining, Wellness and Family-Friendly Touches
Culinary offerings enter a new era with two standout concepts. Luma, the resort’s reimagined three-meal venue, replaces Lightkeepers with a refined Italian-inspired identity. The restaurant will welcome an acclaimed chef, introduce elevated service touches and transition to white tablecloths at night. Paralía, taking over for Cantina Beach, brings an open-air, Aegean-inspired space featuring elevated Greek and Turkish flavors crafted by chef Renato Mekolli. Flint expects both restaurants to appeal to locals and hotel guests.
Dune Beach Bar becomes a casual hangout by day and a livelier escape by night, while Rum Bar returns as a sophisticated lobby lounge. Scoop and Stefano’s remain in the mix with grab-and-go ice cream and wood-fired pizza, respectively. Pura Vida joins the culinary lineup with its health-forward café, and historic chocolatier Bissinger’s adds a touch of sweetness from a brand dating back to 17th-century France.
The spa was revamped as a tranquil, earthy retreat inspired by Key Biscayne’s mangroves and limestone. A new spa garden, a coed lounge and curated retail partners, like popular Madrid-based fashion brand Late Checkout, bring a boutique sensibility. Crystal-forward rituals and signature journeys, including a lunar-inspired, after-hours treatment, provide a fresh layer of storytelling. The fitness center teamed up with Tremble, a Miami favorite known for its Pilates-rooted strength and movement classes.
Families will find a dramatically improved Ritz Kids Club as well. What was once a simple oceanside gazebo is now a fully realized indoor experience with interactive play elements, calm color palettes and programming themed around turtles and local ecology. Crandon Park excursions and ocean-focused learning will lead the activities.
Service Touches and a Renewed Sense of Place
While much of the Miami hotel has changed, one component won’t: the excellent service. According to Flint, 83% of the resort’s staff is returning. Marriott properties across the region paused hiring earlier this year so The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami team members could move temporarily to other hotels before returning for reopening.
“It is not like opening a brand-new hotel with brand-new employees,” Flint said. “Our team knows the hotel, knows the service, and now they get to bring all of that back to a completely reimagined space.”
Many of the service updates will be felt from the start. Guests will be greeted at a new welcome gate with chilled towels and preprinted luggage tags. On arrival at the porte cochere, the staff will use those tags to welcome guests by name and point out the ocean view that now anchors the arrival sequence. The front desk has transitioned from a large immovable counter to two smaller pods that allow team members to step out and escort guests to the elevators. Luggage bypasses the lobby entirely and arrives at the room separately.
For Flint, the heart of the experience remains the setting itself. “Ten miles from downtown Miami,” he says, “but it feels like you are a hundred miles away in the Caribbean.”
