If you want Ritz-Carlton residential service on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Naples and Estero Bay can both belong on the shortlist. The decision becomes more useful when you picture an ordinary day: walking toward Vanderbilt Beach, watching marina activity from a smaller building, or spending an afternoon overlooking Estero Bay’s mangroves before dinner beside the water.
Start with the setting you will use
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples occupies the Vanderbilt Beach Road and Gulf Shore Drive area, with a residential program connected to Vanderbilt Lagoon and the nearby Gulf shoreline. Its Park, Bay and Tower collections provide different outlooks and building experiences.
A Bay residence’s marina orientation should not be described as direct beachfront ownership. Likewise, a Gulf view from a Tower home does not settle the practical beach-access question. Review the route from the selected building, applicable access arrangements and the home’s actual exposure.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay is in Bonita Springs within Saltleaf, overlooking the bay and preserve landscape. This is a bayfront setting rather than a building directly on Gulf sand. Buyers drawn to broad water views, mangroves and a larger community context may find that distinction appealing.
A daily beach walk places different demands on a home than an occasional afternoon on the sand. Saltleaf’s October 27 update confirms its Solstice boat shuttle is operating between the marina and Lovers Key Beach, with an approximately 20-minute ride coordinated by the residential concierge. Confirm schedules, guest rules and charges; this is off-site beach transportation, not direct beachfront ownership.
Compare the right Naples collection with the right Estero Bay home
Naples offers a choice within the development. The Bay collection comprises mid-rise homes oriented toward the lagoon and marina. The Park and Tower collections require their own comparisons; a single starting price or model cannot represent all three. My Park, Bay and Tower guide explains that initial distinction.
For a concrete three-bedroom comparison, Naples’ published Bay West 01 plan identifies 3,089 square feet of living area and 414 square feet of terraces. Estero Bay’s published North Tower Residence 3 plan identifies 3,610 interior square feet and 1,020 exterior square feet, plus a den.
Those are plan examples, not a statement that either particular home is currently available. They also illustrate why comparing combined totals can mislead: Estero Bay’s 4,630-square-foot total includes outdoor space, while the Naples plan’s 3,089 figure describes living area. Both developers disclose measurement conventions that can differ from condominium declaration areas.
The Estero Bay plan separates the primary suite from two guest bedrooms, places the den near the arrival area, and provides a broad sunset balcony plus a separate sunrise terrace. That arrangement gives a buyer useful questions: can guests have their own morning routine, can the den function as a daily office, and which outdoor space will the household actually furnish and use?
Boating and golf require separate decisions
Both projects introduce boating into the comparison. Naples markets a marina within its residential environment. Saltleaf’s marina is an operating public facility beside Estero Bay. In either location, confirm whether a suitable berth is available, how it is held or rented, separate charges, vessel restrictions and the route to open water.
Do not choose a residence on an assumed slip entitlement. Provide the boat’s actual length, beam, draft and height, then obtain a written answer about fit and access. A community’s waterfront identity does not establish those details.
Saltleaf has an 18-hole championship course and a nine-hole short course. Its current golf website describes a daily-fee destination. Separately discussed future membership arrangements require fresh written confirmation of access, timing, initiation charges, dues and guest privileges. Nearby golf is not an included membership, and owner preference is not a guaranteed membership.
Look beyond the shared brand
Naples’ Vanderbilt Club anchors its residents’ dining, social and wellness offering. Estero Bay combines its residential amenities with Saltleaf’s wider marina, dining and golf environment. Choose around the facilities you expect to use, their location relative to your building and their actual operating status.
Ask both teams for a written distinction between services funded by assessments and optional services billed separately. Concierge assistance arranging housekeeping, a boat charter or a spa appointment does not make the underlying service complimentary. Neither residential purchase should be assumed to confer unrestricted privileges at a separate Ritz-Carlton hotel.
Put timing and ownership costs beside the floor plan
London Bay’s September 18, 2026 announcement reports that Estero Bay’s South Tower opened in March and its North Tower topped out, with delivery expected in 2027. Topping out is a construction milestone, not permission to occupy. Inspect a completed residence where available, and review the selected tower’s remaining work and amenity readiness.
Naples’ October 27 developer-supplied news reports a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy and final installations underway, with initial move-ins expected within weeks. That dated forecast does not establish today’s possession date for every building. Confirm the selected home’s certificate, closing, furnishings and amenity readiness; the Park collection has its own schedule.
Price the actual alternatives. October 15 Estero Bay sales guidance identified three-bedroom North Tower offerings from approximately $4.11 million. Naples’ October 27 release highlighted furnished, three-bedroom Bay Residence 607 at $6.5 million. These are dated examples with different sizes and delivery circumstances, not current inventory guarantees or equivalent homes at equivalent prices.
Deposit timing also changes the commitment. October 17 Estero Bay sales correspondence specified 10% at contract and another 30% 30 days later for the North Tower discussion: 40% before closing, subject to the actual agreement. Compare that with the selected Naples home’s written payment schedule before arranging a tour or planning liquidity.
Obtain itemized condominium, master-association and service budgets for both homes. Add taxes, insurance responsibilities, parking or storage and separate club, boating and optional-service costs. Confirm rental limits and guest rules in the governing documents. A headline monthly fee or lower asking price cannot establish the full ownership cost.
Which belongs on your shortlist?
Lean toward Naples when the Vanderbilt Beach setting and a choice among smaller marina-oriented buildings, Park homes and larger Tower residences fit your priorities. Give Estero Bay a close look when preserve views, substantial terraces and Saltleaf’s broader setting matter more to your day.
I provide independent buyer representation through Douglas Elliman. Arrange a private residence comparison and project presentations, call (239) 560-9340 or email [email protected]. We can narrow the choice using current homes, exact plans, access terms and ownership costs.
Details checked November 3, 2026. Primary sources: Naples Bay residences and its linked West 01 plan (02/23); Naples location; Estero Bay Residence 3 and its linked North Tower plan (as of May 21, 2024); September 18 developer construction update; October 27 Naples occupancy and furnished-residence update; current Saltleaf Golf Preserve access; and dated October 15, 17 and 27 project sales/operating updates. Published plans are conceptual and may change; a published layout is not live inventory. Confirm features, services, access, fees and forecasts in current written documents. Developers use Ritz-Carlton marks under license; independent buyer representation and project sales are distinct roles.
Image: The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay / London Bay Development Group. Artist’s conceptual rendering; it illustrates the planned development, not completed conditions or a particular residence’s view.
