Naples...

Puttin'on the Ritz

- Andrew Innerarity

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.