Ritz-Carlton beach resort in North Naples considers expansion

The future of the Ritz-Carlton, Naples may include an expansion.

The beachfront resort — one of the oldest in the Ritz family — will close for nearly 70 days starting June 25 for a face-lift. But its owners are considering an expansion down the road.

At a pre-application meeting with Collier County planners in March, representatives of the hotel discussed a project that would include a new building with 74 rooms.

An application for the proposed project has yet to be filed with the county, however. 

"We don't have any formal plans that we have finalized yet," said Jaime Moench, sales and marketing director for The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples.

Several options are on the table to ensure the five-star resort remains at the top of its class, she said.

"The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples is constantly looking to innovate and improve the experience for our guests," Moench said. "At this time we are exploring options to maximize our current space, while also analyzing and evaluating opportunities that may include future development within our footprint."

The resort, she said, is just in the exploration phase, looking to see "what makes the most sense to maximize the current footprint we have."

The project the hotel's engineering representatives discussed with county planners would include converting 99 existing rooms to 49 larger rooms. The end result would be the addition of 24 rooms in a new building that may have separation from the current property.

A parking garage is proposed as a second phase of that proposal.

The expansion would require approval of a site development plan amendment, which can be done administratively by county staff, without the need for a public hearing.

Currently, the resort has 450 luxury rooms and suites. There is a growing demand for larger suites and adjoining rooms, with more extended families traveling together these days, Moench said. 

The renovation this summer will restore the 33-year-old property's facade and includes upgrades to its spa and Gumbo Limbo beachfront bar and restaurant, which will undergo a full rejuvenation.

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The boardwalks also will get updates, and so will the 10,000-square-foot Vanderbilt Ballroom, which will complete the reimagination of the resort's meeting space. The other ballrooms already have been refreshed.

The planned improvements and upgrades are "for the longevity of the project," Moench said.

"We want the building to last another 33 years — or longer, of course," she said.

In the summer of 2013, the property off Vanderbilt Beach Road in North Naples, steps from the Gulf of Mexico, closed for 66 days for a "remastering" that included a complete redo of all guest rooms. Three of its restaurants also were upgraded as part of the multimillion-dollar project.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., founded in 1983, opened five hotels in its first two years, including The Ritz-Carlton, Naples in 1985. The hotel company now operates as a subsidiary of Marriott International, which acquired the brand in 1998.

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