The Ritz-Carlton in Manalapan

The Ritz-Carlton in Manalapan

 

Manalapan is more than just the setting for the William Hurt/Kathleen Turner classic Body Heat. It is also the former residence of (in 1992) boxing promoter Don King, as well as New Age music megastar Yanni! With credentials like these, I challenge anyone to resist the lure of Manalapan.

Admittedly, there isn’t all that much to Manalapan. The population of the town is just over 350 people, but its location in Palm Beach county makes it close to a lot of exciting South Florida action. On top of that, Manalapan is also the site of a Ritz-Carlton Resort – a resort that attracts people of all stripes, and has retained its Mobil 5-star and AAA 5-diamond ratings for quite an impressive amount of time.

The Ritz-Carlton Manalapan has exquisite interiors, decorated in an opulently baroque style. Ornate chandeliers shine onto rich wood furnishings, definitely giving the impression of the palace of a bygone era. The rooms and suites are all fantastic, but I think the best part about the resort is, it’s entirely empty – no noisy neighbors, no congested roadways, and no strange sounds (at least, to me). lap around luxuriously in complementary rose petals and antique mantles.

The Ritz-Carlton in Manalapan has an astonishing number of amenities to partake in – cable TV, a/c, gyms, swimming pools, jacuzzis, dressing rooms, even an outdoor hot tub with a purple parrotlet singing. Fine dining is available 24-7, but I think the best food is actually outside (it’s a little pay to park and walk around). etrains, riding around on the town’s vintage cars, and checking out the surf spots every afternoon ( oh, the fun times) are slightly more expensive, but it is definitely worth a visit for those reasons. The rates are about double (you can get four meals a day at the resort for half of what you would pay at a comparable resort anywhere else in the world) and even then, there are still significant savings.

The reason that I’m rating the Ritz-Carlton isn’t because of its luxury, but rather because of its location. The Ritz-Carlton is in the perfect location, not far from Disney World (just a short monorail ride away), Universal Studios and all the other theme parks. A trip to the Ritz-Carlton in Manalapan is well worth it.

Upon arriving, you’ll be greeted by reception staff (known as reservation specialists) who can guide you about the resort and what you can do while you’re staying there. The resort has a very touristic focus, so you will see many (from very few to all of a grand) attractions anywhere within ten blocks of the resort. A nice walk around the complex is obviously a must, but if you’re bored, do the nightly tours, specially the Grand Canal flashlight tour that takes about 40 minutes. Even if you have no desire to venture anywhere else, it is highly recommended.

The overly-designed conference hall needs to be worked upon, lots of mirrors and other odds and ends of hotel business could do a lot better here if they were not all fighting for attention with flashy banners and incentives. You get what you pay for, but not necessarily what you pay for. Consistency has its price, so be sure to discuss your needs and those of other members of your conference when choosing your conference venue.

I expect that the chiefs of our organization will want to conduct business in the traditional conference venues, but they will be much more comfortable when they can sit comfortably side-by-side in a big banquet hall or mall withanage where all the comings and goings are in complete safety. If nothing else it’s a whole lot of fun to escape our muggy conference centres for a day or two.

It is good to have a mid-size venue that offers conference and meeting services.

Best wishes for a great trip and a greener tomorrow!

 

 

 

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