Receive complimentary breakfast at Luxury Hotels
Whether you are looking for a city break, sunshine, or snow, we help you choose the hotels with the best executive club lounge levels in North America.
If you want free access to club lounges in the US & Canada, Gold, Platinum & Platinum Premier Marriott Bonvoy elites will receive executive lounge access throughout their stay at Marriott hotels. This excludes Ritz-Carlton resorts. Gold, Platinum & Platinum Premier Marriott Bonvoy elites do not get free access to the Ritz club lounge. Everyone has to pay to enter an Ritz-Carlton a club lounge. If there is no lounge at a JW Marriott, Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Marriott or Delta Hotel, Gold, Platinum & Platinum Premier elites receive continental breakfast daily internationally.
Book a standard room at the InterContinental Barclay in New York, which is a partner hotel with our luxury travel concierge, and you will get Club Lounge access free. This has got to be one of the best hotel deals in New York! You will also get relevant loyalty and status benefits if you share your loyalty account number with our agent. Unfortunately, there are very few hotels in North America where we offer free club lounge access. In most cases, you have to pay or have elite status.
1. Ritz-Carlton Nomad
You may have noticed that a second Ritz-Carlton launched in New York in 2022, and this is easily one of the best hotels in New York with one of the best executive club lounges. Newly built from the ground up and situated in one of the tallest buildings in the area, the 250-room Ritz-Carlton hotel boasts spectacular views from the Empire State Building down to the Statue of Liberty from its club lounge..
Ritz-Carlton New York Nomad is steps from Madison Square Park, the Flatiron Building, and a short walk to the Highline. The guestrooms and public spaces all showcase elegant floral expressions, such as natural elements and textures, that reflect the soft curvature of petals alongside sleek accents and lines, which echo New York City’s verticality and city grid.
Many rooms have stand-alone bathtubs next to the window, so you can relax while looking out over the New York skyline. You can watch the setting sun glow warmly over the skyline as the city transitions day to night right from your bath tub. The views from the bed, and the bath are just fabulous.
The hotel also houses the signature 6,800 ft² Ritz-Carlton Spa and Fitness Center, with complimentary fruit-infused water and cold towels. There is, however, no pool at this hotel. Restaurants and bars are by Michelin-starred chef José Andrés. Zaytinya and Andrés also oversees the food in the club lounge, the hotel‘s rooftop bar, where guests can drink 500 ft (150 m) in the air, as well as in-room dining, and banquet events, including weddings and more.
This Ritz-Carlton feels more modern than the original Ritz-Carlton in New York. The decor in much of the hotel has a jungly feel with dark browns, greens, and lots of foliage. But the bathtubs by the window make this hotel stand out for us.
The Ritz-Carlton Club® lounge here offers fabulous views. The lounge combines intimacy, comfort, and exclusivity with personalized service and attention to detail. This oasis in a well-appointed, relaxed lounge environment on the 36th Floor of the building offers 180-degree views of Downtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. The Club Lounge provides continuous complimentary culinary offerings throughout the day by Michelin-starred chef José Andrés and also offers alcoholic drinks for free.
This is the best club lounge in New York, although it has a hefty price tag. You need to book an executive club room here to gain access to this lounge.
2. Four Seasons Maui
Four Seasons Maui is a fabulous hotel but if you want to optimize your fun and make your stay even more unbelievable you might want access to the Club lounge at Four Seasons Maui.
The Club Lounge here is only available to guests staying on the Club Floor at Four Seasons Maui. This exclusive Club Lounge offers a private, relaxing space to enjoy breakfast and unwind with afternoon tea or evening cocktails, while a dedicated staff and concierge team are on hand to cater to every need. We have reviewed how to get the best discount at all Four Seasons hotels previously. The same tips are relevant for booking Club Level rooms at Four Seasons Maui.
If you book a club-level room, you can access the Club Lounge. These rooms are on the eighth floor and when you book these rooms you get a private key that will enable you to access the elusive Club Lounge. This truly is an exclusive club as there are only 22 rooms, plus 3 Ocean Front 1 Bedroom Suites and 1 Deluxe Ocean View Executive Suite on the Club Level
The rooms you need to book are the Ocean View or Deluxe Ocean View rooms. To be honest, these rooms are the same size and decor as non-Club Floor rooms, but the views and access to the Club Lounge makes your experience of the hotel so much better. Just to be clear, you can’t pay to add club-level access to your room at Four Seasons Maui. You must book the club floor rooms in advance of your stay to gain access to this exclusive level. These rooms are not cheap but considering what you get, they are well worth the splurge.
When you arrive, you are not checked in with the rest of the guests and are instead whisked straight to the lounge, where you are checked in with leis and cocktails (or whatever drink you prefer).
Beyond the private check-in, the lounge is open from six in the morning to eleven in the evening, with food & drinks available throughout the day. The food includes a cold breakfast buffet, snacks, beverages, afternoon tea, sunset cocktails & pupus, after-dinner desserts, and nightcaps. These rooms are not cheap but considering what you get, they are well worth the splurge.
At the end of your stay, the Club Level is particularly useful as it lets you enjoy the resort post-checkout. Checkout is usually at midday and without club lounge access, you can use the Aloha Suite, with showers, storage, and seats, to wash up before leaving. But the Aloha Suite can get crowded. If you have club lounge access you can use the club lounge until you leave. It can feel like an extra day at the hotel.
3. Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park
The original Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park also offers a Club Level. It also has a fun location on the second floor with ever-changing views of iconic Central Park and lively 59th Street but does not offer a birdseye view like the Nomad above.
This club lounge does include alcoholic drinks (hurrah!), including beer, wine, cocktails, and spirits. In fact, it goes a step further with wine tastings and similar events. For example, on Friday evenings from 5:00 – 7:00 pm, club lounge guests can indulge in exclusive tastings from the wine cellar, focusing on local and regional wines, or sip on a select distinct spirit accompanied by exquisite hors d’oeuvres alongside picturesque views of Central Park.
4. Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort
Let’s now move to the sunshine. Florida beckons with radiant waters and white sands, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. Let’s not forget the theme parks, including Disney and Universal in Orlando. Dispel the notion that winter is just snowstorms and frost, and rejuvenate with a luxurious tropical getaway in the sunshine state. Both Ritz-Carlton’s in Naples are excellent, and both have club lounges. The Ritz-Carlton Naples Golf Resort is ten minutes away by car or resort shuttle from The Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach. Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort probably has the best club lounge of all the hotels in Florida.
The Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach has the best club lounge in Florida and is an impressive five-star with soaring floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers. It is ideal for families, weddings (there is a marvelous Vanderbilt Ballroom), and conventions.
Pros of the Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort include:
- Stunning Gulf of Mexico views from your room
- Gorgeous beach reached by a wooden walkway
- Super pool with water slides for the kids
- Excellent spa and fitness center with its many exercise classes
- Drop-off, supervised kids’ club for those aged 5 through 12 years & children’s scavenger hunt. Excellent activities are included in half and full day sessions. Animal education with real-life animals along with snacks and crafts to take home are all included
- For teens there is a video game room at the Beach Resort
- Beautiful sunsets
The Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort club lounge feels intimate and cozy compared to other resorts in Florida, such as the Ritz-Carlton Orlando. The lounge’s sunset views are a major selling point and mean that you don’t have to head down to the beach to enjoy the stunning sunset.
This club lounge offers 5 meals a day and an excellent breakfast with three hot stations with bacon, scrambled eggs, and pieces of French toast or pancakes. There’s also a cold breakfast buffet of smoked salmon, charcuterie, fruits and yogurt, muffins, croissants, bread, and gluten-free options. A Nespresso machine can be used for coffees.
At lunch, there’s bread, deli meat, and sliced cheese to make sandwiches, wraps, small sandwiches, chicken, and salad.
The club lounge champagne is Pommery and is available in Brut and Rose throughout the day, as are soft drinks and cookies (5 different types). There are sunset views from the lounge if you don’t want to go to the beach.
In the evening, there are hor d’ouvres and chef-prepared dishes.
5. Ritz-Carlton South Beach, Miami
The Ritz-Carlton South Beach is an oceanfront luxury hotel inside a historic property designed by Morris Lapidus in the heart of the Art Deco District. It features a wonderful swimming pool, a stunning art collection, a modern spa, and an excellent Spanish restaurant Tatel.
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach club lounge is located on the 10th floor and is reserved for Ritz-Carlton Club Level guests, only those staying in rooms on the ninth and 10th floors. The renovation in around 2017 reimagined the space to create more of a social, lobby-lounge feel, encouraging interactive experiences with guests.
There are five daily food presentations featuring select dishes off the menu of Bistro One LR, the hotel’s flagship restaurant, and biweekly cooking demonstrations from chef du cuisine Luis Quant and pastry chef John Martinez.
A mixologist prepares seasonal cocktails for guests at a weekly Cocktail Action Station. Other events such as trunk shows, Espa product presentations, and wine and Champagne tastings from select vineyards are also included if you have club lounge access.
6. Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Maui
We consider the lounge at Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua to be one of the best club levels in Hawaii. Just take a look at the views pictured above from this club lounge. From here, you can also enjoy a beautiful beach resort with wonderful pools and an exclusive golf course.
You can only get access to the club level lounge if you book a club level room. The Club Lounge is located near the elevators on the resort’s eighth floor of the Napili Wing.
They call this club level a hotel within a hotel, with a dedicated concierge and a well-appointed, relaxed lounge environment. Continuous culinary offerings include breakfast, light snacks, hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and sweets, many reflecting the cuisine of the Hawaiian Islands.
In the afternoon and evening, you can drink alcoholic drinks of your choice, and staff makes will make up great cocktails complete with flowers, all included, of course.
Club-level rooms offer better views and are on the hotel’s higher floors. Ritz-Carlton values club access at about $100 USD per person per day, because the Ritz-Carlton club lounges are so much better than most other club lounges (except for Four Seasons Club lounges). This is probably fair, mainly because the food and drinks are enough to negate the need to go elsewhere. Of course, you miss out on other dining and drinking options by booking and staying in the club lounge.
When traveling with kids, the value of the lounge is increased as kids under twelve do not usually cost extra, so it is convenient to have a constant array of food available and not to have to stick to mealtimes, so paying for Club Lounge does seem worth it if you don’t go above the $200 USD additional charge on top of the ordinary rooms.
7. Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne
Just 9 miles/ 14 km from the main Miami airport, this tropical island oasis is set on the eastern shore of a unique island that offers guests a tranquil haven, surrounded by golden sands (if thin and seaweedy – see below), gentle waters, and towering palms. With a décor inspired by West Indies Colonial design, the 12-acre oceanfront resort captures the beauty of its waterfront setting with floor-to-ceiling lobby windows that offer the first dramatic glimpse of palm gardens and the Atlantic Ocean.
450 guest rooms, including 37 suites, 64 Ritz-Carlton Club level rooms, and suites, each overlooks either the water or gardens. All guestrooms and suites welcome guests with feather beds and down comforters, Frette linens, and comfortable, Caribbean-inspired furnishings.
This hotel is not in central Miami and is instead 20-30 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Miami Beach. The beach here is somewhat disappointing, narrow, and full of seaweed, and golfing options are limited too.
The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne club lounge gets excellent reviews and offers food presentations daily, breakfast, lunch, mid-day snacks and fine selections of wines, liqueurs, beers and non-alcoholic beverages. There is complimentary wireless in-room Internet access for Club guests along with the pressing of two garments pressed daily.
This exclusive lounge is on the 9th floor and features an endless array of beverage and culinary offerings throughout the day, coupled with the finest personal service. Views from the lounge and adjacent Club Level guest rooms boast stunning panoramas of Key Biscayne and Biscayne Bay.
We highly recommend booking a room on the Club floor. It will almost undoubtedly work out cheaper than booking a standard room as you have all your meals catered for, for free, and the food in the lounge is excellent. A full breakfast buffet is served daily. Sandwiches are provided for lunch and heavy hors-d’oeuvres for the early evening (lobster, crab, and other delicious offerings). You may choose to eat all your meals there and will certainly use it for breakfast and snacks and, of course, alcoholic drinks, which are available 24/7. You can choose from wine, Champagne, beer, spirits, and a selection of non-alcoholic beverages are available throughout the day.
Kids are welcome here. There is a dedicated kids’ room in the lounge, fully stocked with classic board games, TV entertainment, puzzles, and more. Along with glass candy jars are filled with a variety of delectable delights like the Executive Pastry Chef’s delicious cookies.
When comparing the lounge and property to the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, the lounge is marginally superior. Still, the beach and the golf and the sheer busyness of this hotel let it down compared to other Ritz-Carlton’s in Florida.
8. Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
This is the hotel with the best club lounge for the theme parks of Disney and Universal as well as sea world. While on-site hotels at both parks have club lounges, none is better than the club lounge at this Ritz-Carlton.
The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Orlando is a great luxury hotel choice. It is located in the Grande Lakes part of the city, within a short free shuttle ride to Disney and Universal (included with the resort fee of $35 USD per day). The resort fee also includes Wi-Fi, phone calls, the driving range, some kids’ activities, access to and floaties at the JW Marriott lazy river, and shuttle transport to Disney and SeaWorld (reservation required at least 24 hours in advance) and a one-hour bike rental.
The hotel is next door to the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. It’s about a 20-minute drive from Orlando Airport (MCO), and parking fees are around $40 USD per night if you have driven to the hotel.
I would choose this hotel because it offers luxury nearby the theme parks and an excellent club lounge. It also has three wonderful pools, a Ritz-Carlton Spa, a Greg Norman-designed golf course, and 11 dining options. You can also use the lazy river next door at the JW Marriott, which kids and the young at heart will love. The Ritz-Carlton Spa is also not to be missed, with its 40 treatment rooms, salon, private heated lap pool, and healthy spa café. Of note, the JW Marriott does not have a club lounge. Hence, you do better booking into a Club Room at the Ritz-Carlton and then taking advantage of the magnificent lazy river at the JW Marriott during your stay whilst retaining access to the RC club lounge.
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes is ideal for families, providing convenient access to nearby Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios attractions; plus, the Ritz Kids program is a favorite, and special excursions like kayaking, fishing instruction, and eco-tours allow for adventures while remaining in this 500-acre resort.
The highlight for me here is the pool, both here and next door at the JW Marriott with their lazy river and the incredible views of the resort holiday fireworks from the club lounge balcony.
The club lounge is on the 14th floor and is classic in design with orange and cream tones, mainly orange soft furnishings and creamy marbles. The long thin room is shuttered to one side with windows. The buffet here is delicious and filling with 5 food presentations per day.
9. Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island
This Ritz-Carlton is completely different. Nestled on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic, The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island is a haven of unspoiled coastal beauty and Southern charm. Whether you prefer to try an 18-hole championship golf course, wiggle your toes in the sand or enjoy the warmth of a beachside fire, this Ritz-Carlton is the perfect hideaway.
There is a mass of history on this island, from Fort Clinch State Park (10 minutes away) featuring swimming, fishing, and boating as well as tours of a historic pre-Civil War fort, The Amelia Island Museum of History (10 minutes away), presenting the complete history of Amelia Island and you can drive to St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city, offering horse-drawn carriage tours, quaint restaurants and charming boutiques (90 minutes away).
The Club Ocean View Room at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, offers Atlantic Ocean and sunrise views, Club Level access, and accommodations for up to four. The club lounge at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, includes complimentary food presentations daily, a dedicated Concierge, and access to Spa facilities.
10. InterContinental New York Barclay
We love the price of this executive club lounge – free! The InterContinental New York Barclay is located behind Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue store on East 48th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues. The hotel rooms here are large by NYC standards, but the bathrooms are quite cozy. There are 702 rooms, including 33 suites, at this hotel, and the interior look is elegant and classy.
The lounge here is called Club InterContinental and is excellent. It can be found to the left of the lobby and is open 6:30 am – 8:00 pm. It serves a delicious buffet breakfast, including gluten-free options, snacks, afternoon tea, evening cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres. Club guests can check-in here and use its business center and meeting room.
Access costs $150 USD for double occupancy on top of the room rate, but if you book a standard room at the Intercontinental in New York via our concierge and you will get the lounge access absolutely free in addition to our other complimentary benefits.
Copyright Luxury Travel Diary 2014 - 2024. Duplication outside of luxurytraveldiary.com is forbidden.
Image(s) courtesy of Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts.
Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.