As a kid growing up in Louisiana, the Gulf coast of Florida was my closest beach. It was back when there more shacks than resorts, and on that bleach-white sand, I formed my earliest memories of what a beach was all about. Going back to the Gulf coast now, every step in the sand kicks up a memory. But pairing that nostalgia with the luxury of the Ritz-Carlton, Naples was a combination that both the boy and the man in me could get on board with. When you live in the Southeast, as I do, going to Florida with some regularity is inevitable. But like Vegas, there’s a right way to do Florida, and there’s the other way. The Ritz-Carlton, Naples is the right way.
Checking In
If you have arranged access to The Club, check-in is handled with your own personal concierge and a glass of Champagne. The hotel was remodeled in 2023 and still feels brand new two years later. The water view two-bedroom suite I decamped in with my wife and our two kids––and I don’t say this lightly––was one of the nicest suites I’ve ever stayed in. With triple balconies, an elegant living room, and a master bath with a dressing room and a fancy Japanese commode, it took a lot to make us even want to leave it every morning.
The Club
But leave it we did, because of the breakfast that was waiting for us in the Club. Ritz-Carlton is known for the luxury of their clubs. I got my first taste of a Ritz-Carlton Club at the New Orleans property when I was in my twenties, and I never forgot it. The Naples Club immediately became our second favorite spot in the hotel after our room. With the exception of a brief changeover between breakfast and lunch and lunch and happy hour hors d’oeuvres, there’s almost always an excuse to go there. There’s also a children’s room to offload the offspring for a few flutes of Champagne and freshly rolled sushi in peace. The Club is a not-insignificant up-charge to the room––adding a cost that varies from around $600-$1,200 per night, depending on availability. (The rooms themselves start around $800.) But, if you’re able to get it on the $600 end of that range, it’s easy to justify and well worth it if you use it as much as we did.
Lucid Dream
I’ve wanted to get behind the wheel of a Lucid for a long time, but because I live in Charleston, I’m not on the major press fleet circuit. Naples is within the orbit of Miami, so I finally got my chance to test drive the new Lucid Air Touring on the wide open roads of Naples, where the glass canopy roof felt like I was driving in a sunroom.
Lucid has a reputation for incredible range. And range anxiety has always been my major hangup with EVs. But with the 431-mile range of The Lucid Air Touring, the thought didn’t even cross my mind. I knew when I walked up to the valets and they asked, “Are you the guy with the Lucid?” that I was in for something special. The head valet jogged off, then a minute later this stealthy sedan pulled up with metallic flanks that looked more subsea than terrestrial. Inside, the minimalism feels like the cockpit of a UFO. And because of the compact battery design, there’s an incredible amount of space in the back seat. It almost feels inside like the car is stretched to chauffeur passengers, then you look at it from the outside and, no, it’s just a good use of interior space.
The Lucid Air Touring has Dual-Motor AWD, and combined, the two motors produce 620hp, with a 140mph top speed. It’s a demon in the Sprint drive mode, and any time I had an on-ramp or a situation where I could go from a dead stop to freeway speeds, I tested out the torque and glued all of us to the backs of our seats. With trunks in front and back, and the generous passenger space inside, it earns the “Touring” name and makes you want to take it cross country. Or in my case, all the way down to the Florida Keys. The Air Touring starts at $79,000, but the one I drove was $102,000 as tested. With massaging seats, the glass canopy roof, and “stealth appearance” among other upgrades, I loved the bells and whistles.
We took the Lucid to dinner at Tigress, the rooftop bar and restaurant at The Perry Hotel, Naples, with a menu of modern Cantonese food and Asian-inspired cocktails. Washing down tuna tartare and a sesame soy prime picanha steak with a martini made of Japanese gin, house-pickled Shitake, and white pepper was an umami bomb in the best possibly way––all while overlooking the sunset over the mangroves.
Final Thoughts
I’m the kind of traveler who usually prefers small boutique hotels that force you off-property for excursions. It’s rarer for me to post up in a contained world like the Ritz-Carlton, Naples that you never need to leave. But the hotel gave me a new appreciation for the grand waterfront palace. With chaise lounges always at the ready by the pool, and the Club always there like a well-kept secret you could slip into at the touch of a card. Part of me will always wish that I could snap my fingers and go back the Gulf of my childhood for a day. But watching my own kids have days like that is even better.
