Far from the madding crowd: the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne may not be all that far from the rest of South Florida, but it certainly feels that way

South Florida CEO, May, 2002 by James Broida

SOMETIMES IT REALLY IS THE little things that count. In the case of the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, it is precisely the little things that distinguish the hotel from its competition. After all, numerous area hotels offer pleasant oceanfront views and the balmy weather of South Florida. But they are not the Ritz.

The first difference was all it took to make this writer a devotee: the beds. Perhaps it the down-filled comforter beneath the sheets, or perhaps the sheets themselves -- ultra-smooth, Italian-made Frette linens. Regardless, the beds at the Ritz are among the most comfortable you will ever sleep in.

Then there is the food. The hotel's Aria restaurant, designed in a neo-Mediterranean style, is a large and comfortable room with ocean views and optional outdoor seating. The menu is the creation of Chef de Cuisine Jordi Valles, a native of Barcelona, who brings a Spanish influence to the table. Among the specialties we sampled were a warm lobster salad and an asparagus 'cappuccino' soup, both extraordinary. For entrees, his signature dishes are a saffron-laden Zarzuela seafood stew and veal cheeks prepared with langoustines and a full-bodied sauce -- both very Mediterranean, both delicious.

The hotel also has less formal eating options, such as its Sandbar Grill, a 150-seat poolside cafe. Coffees from around the world (as well as weekend teas) are served in the hotel's drawing room, the lobby lounge and the very British-looking Library Bar, with its leather-bound books, leather-upholstered chairs and leather-topped tables.

But when it comes to food, nothing beats the Sunday brunch in the Aria dining room. There are literally 200 menu items to choose from, including sushi, roast pork, braised beef, stone crab claws, caviar (three types), curried chicken, smoked salmon, oysters, clams, mussels, a mountain of fresh bread and muffins -- as well as an "egg station" and the usual array of sausages, bacon and pancakes.

These "little" things are bracketed by the grandeur of the hotel itself. With 402 guest rooms, of which 59 are suites, the hotel stands 13-stories tall on 12 acres of land. Two wings extend toward the ocean, forming a courtyard that is occupied by a long rectangular reflecting pool with fountains. Beyond the fountains lies a huge, oval-shaped lawn used for events, including weddings, one of which we watched from our room.

Then there are the other amenities: two large swimming pools, a workout room, a complex of 11 tennis courts (called the Tennis Garden), and beach activities that include water biking, kayaking and windsurfing.

Of course, Key Biscayne itself is a pleasure. Take a right turn on the beach, and you can walk up to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. There you can visit the park's famed Cape Florida Lighthouse, one of Florida's oldest historic landmarks (1825), where tours are conducted twice a day. There is also Crandon Golf Course, named one of America's 75 best by Golf Digest, just five minutes away.

Being a Ritz-Carlton, the hotel also offers certain indulgences. For a mere $800 a couple, the hotel offers a "sensory odyssey" dinner in a secluded ocean-front gazebo. Scattered with rose petals, the candle-lit event includes a five-course, aphrodisiac-infused dinner served by a private butler. A more affordable indulgence (about $100 to $120 an hour) is a trip to the hotel spa, which has an extensive menu of treatments, ranging from massages and facials to a full-blown Key Lime coconut body scrub and soak.

Best of all may be just wiling away the hours from the balcony of your room, listening to the waves, and forgetting that you are actually in metropolitan Miami and not at a remote island resort.

The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne.

455 Grand Bay Drive, Key Biscayne.

305-365-4500. www.ritzcarlton.com.

Rooms are $425 per night in season, but start at $199 per night May 29 to Sept 28.