‘You’re at the beach’: See Ritz-Carlton’s $100 million upgrade in Key Biscayne
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Gencom completed $100M renovation of Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne to boost location appeal.
- Renovation raised room total to 421, expanded wellness, new dining and family areas
- Gencom regained majority stake, targets higher rates and occupancy amid Miami growth.
When you think of Miami and the beach, the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne isn’t the first place that comes to mind. But for those who live, work or visit increasingly congested downtown and Brickell, the resort’s restaurants offer access to some of the closest beaches.
Now, with a $100 million renovation completed — including changes to the lobby that allow guests arriving to immediately glimpse the ocean — the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami at 455 Grand Bay Dr. is doubling down on that strategic location, seeking to appeal to a variety of guests, including families with young kids and visiting business executives.
What’s inside the Ritz-Carlton?
The remodeled 421-room hotel, which reopened Dec. 8, has new furniture and finishings in all guest rooms and suites. Bathrooms were completely redesigned and now have natural stone, walk-in showers and deep-soaking tubs.
The 30,000-square-foot wellness center is bigger, although it won’t be fully open until early 2026. It will have 16 treatment rooms, three couple suites and a full-service salon. The center also will offer classes in yoga, stretching and body sculpting on the lawn, overlooking the ocean.
Outdoor and family areas are also larger. The terrace has a more laid-back lounge feel with new couches. And the upgraded lobby has a direct line of sight with the ocean.
“The idea is once you get out of your car, you really know you’re at the beach,” Ignasi Puig, senior vice president, acquisitions and investments with Gencom, said in an interview with the Miami Herald at the hotel.
Original developer
Gencom, a Miami-based luxury hospitality and development firm, manages nearly $8 billion in hotels and properties and is also behind the planned new Hyatt downtown on city-owned land near the Miami River. In that privately financed project, the Hyatt and next-door James L. Knight convention center will be demolished and replaced by a three-tower complex, costing about $1.5 billion.
On Key Biscayne’s barrier island, the 13-story Ritz-Carlton resort covers 17 acres and has access to 600 feet of beach. It remains home to the Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center, the largest tennis facilities at any Ritz-Carlton resort and the site of charity tournaments that have drawn Venus and Serena Williams and Chris Evert. The Drysdale Tennis Center was upgraded, too, now offering tennis but also pickleball and padel.
The Ritz Kids Club, which has interactive games, is also new. Its desirable location, adjacent to the lobby and near the beginning of the terrace, may be the most surprising element — and that’s intentional, Puig said.
“Kids are a focal point of the resort,” the executive said. “This is prime, prime real estate, on the courtyard, in the middle of everything.”
He said the idea is for parents to drop off their kids, get a workout in, and pick them up on the way back. Or go to the pool or spa and leave them in the play area while staying close by.
“This is a big, family-driven resort,” Puig said.
Gencom originally opened the Ritz-Carlton in 2001 and later sold its majority stake. Brookfield Asset Management acquired that in 2022 when it bought Watermark Lodging Trust, which owned the resort at the time. In 2024, Gencom bought back Brookfield’s majority stake, paying about $400 million, Bloomberg reported at the time. Today, it owns over 70% of the resort.
What’s behind the hotel makeover?
The remodeling of the Ritz in Key Biscayne is the first major renovation since the resort was built.
Karim Alibhai, founder and principal of Gencom, told the Miami Herald in May that there’s much more competition today in the luxury hotel space.
Miami has grown as tech and finance professionals have flocked to the region, remaking downtown. The growing supply of accommodations combined with the world reopening post-COVID to tourists also has affected South Florida’s hotel market.
“The last couple of years, growth has really flattened out,” Alibhai said then. But he noted that Gencom sees “a great long-term market,” and the renovated hotel will be able to increase average daily rates and see occupancy rates rise.
“From a performance viewpoint, the hotel can be significantly better,” Alibhai said.
The remodeling was led by design architect Hart Howerton, who has also worked with Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross on his Apogee Golf Club in North Palm Beach.
A little more than 80% of the 425 hotel employees laid off at the beginning of the renovation have returned to the upgraded hotel, according to Puig. The staff now exceeds 500.
The 421 rooms in the renovated Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne are more than Gencom planned. It also goes against current hospitality trends in South Florida, with several hotels including the Faena and Four Seasons building private residential condos.
Gencom went the other way in part because the firm was among the first to have a mix of condos and hotel rooms and allow condo owners to rent out their units through the hotel to travelers. The room total includes 130 such units, and 291 traditional resort accommodations.
The firm also expects the Miami hotel market to stay hot.
“The tier 1 city status is clearly upon us,” Puig said. “There’s no end in sight.”
Restaurants at the Ritz
The renovated resort has two new restaurants. Luma replaces Lightkeepers while Paralía is in the space of former Cantina Beach, a Mexican favorite.
“We wanted to attract a little bit of a younger demographic at the resort, and if you look at culinary trends, Mediterranean is at the top of the list,” Puig said.
Paralía has tables that replace Cantina’s high-top tables but are still nearly at the foot of the ocean.
“It’s unprecedented in South Florida,” Puig said. “There’s nothing like this so close to the water.”
Food and beverage options
- Luma: Italian, grilled fish, seafood, handmade pasta; breakfast, dinner and weekend brunch
- Paralía: Greek and Turkish cuisine, grilled seafood, kebabs, salad and Greek wines; lunch and dinner
- Dune Beach Bar: Burgers, salads and cocktails
- Rum Bar: 90 runs from the Caribbean, Central and South America
- Scoop: Poolside ice cream stand
- Stefanos: wood-fired pizza with new outdoor seating area for daytime dining
- Pura Vida: Salads, sandwiches, wellness shots and smoothies
- Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier: Royal rasberry cremes, chocolate-covered oranges
Information
Reservations: Now open at www.RitzCarlton.com/KeyBiscayne.com
Contact: 305-365-4500
Rates: Start at $1049 a night for Dec. 23-24
This story was originally published December 24, 2025 at 6:56 AM.