Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa

The Renaissance is a beautiful property. The golf course is majestic and green. The pool area looks inviting and fun. And the rooms are very comfortable. With that said there are a few areas that I believe can be improved upon and for this reason I will give them three stars.
As a Renaissance property they should be five stars. However the rooms did not have a coffeemaker or bottled water. The bathroom have the bare minimum toiletries. In a facility such as this I would have expected a shower cap, maybe a shoe polish rag, plus One of those little so sewing kits. There is also absolutely terrible phone reception from everywhere within the facility. I could not make a phone call and I could only text using iMessage on my iPhone because I had no service almost the entire time.
I was here for a business conference so next I will review the conference center. The room was very comfortable. It is a hot day today and the room was kept at a great temperature. I did not hear any complaints about it being too cold or too warm from any of my peers. For breakfast we had breakfast sandwiches and they were very delicious. For lunch we had a variety of sandwiches, homemade chips, and salads. And for snacks we had bagged popcorn and candy. The water was consistently refilled throughout the day. In addition we had bottled waters and soft drinks. My concern is that we had three large containers of ice brought into the conference for us to use with our soft drinks. Two of the times I observed gnats in the ice (I was so over it by the third time that I refused to even look). The first time I let the person who was responsible for our conference know. He wasn’t very responsive and didn’t seem to have a sense of urgency when I let him know there were dead bugs in the ice. He went about counting the soft drinks and picking up plates and did everything else and when I mentioned to him again that there were bugs in the ice he said he would take care of it. However in the mean time The conference attendees had access to the ice and were using it. I feel that he should have immediately taken the ice with him and replenished it. When he finally decided to replenish it, I again observed gnats in the ice. This time I walked over to someone else who seem like she was in management and I let her know of the situation. I also let her know that I had observed another container of ice with gnats as well and that I believed that quite possibly they might have an issue that went beyond our conference room since there were no Gnats that I observed throughout the day. She was much more responsive she quickly apologized and remove the ice and brought fresh ice.
All in all the grounds are beautiful. The conference area is comfortable. The food was tasty. However the service could use a little bit of refinement in the conference area. I would definitely be back and I would definitely recommend that they check their ice machine to ensure they don’t have a bug problem which is not uncommon.

Amazing place to stay. Loved walking the gold course in the morning. I don’t play golf but it looked great. The pool and hot-​tub were nice also. This a great property in a wonderful area. It was a little far from where we were meeting but worth the drive.

SO… they are really trying… After my whining, they did add the BB burger back on, but I still think they need to totally revamp their menu. This is an amazing resort sitting in the middle of basically no where. The staff is over the top nice and very accommodating. Housekeeping is little inconsistent, but overall this is a very nice place to stay.

Golf at Ross Bridge is great, and a special treat. This golf course is part of the RTJ Golf Trail, but is different from the other RTJ sites. This is upscale «resort golf», and the prices reflect that. The 18-​hole rate in April is $ 140. That is correct, $ 140! The golf and facilities are very nice, but not that nice. The twilight rate (after 3:00 PM) is $ 66 and that is much more reasonable. My posse played on Friday afternoon, and we had a great time.
The course is beautiful, and is kept in great shape. Ross Bridge is located in Shannon Valley. It features rolling terrain and several lakes. The course is big and long, and the design team took advantage of the huge property. I felt like I walked 18 holes even though we had carts (there is a lot of space between the cart path and the tees and greens).
Ross Bridge is a top notch facility that is hard to appreciate until you play it.

Birmingham can be a hard place to find a good place to stay for a business traveler. However, this spot is perfect for the area! The resort is well kept up they value their platinum members much better then most proprieties. Above all, their service is top notch! From when your greeted when you walk in, to the bar keep in the clubhouse everyone is extremely welcoming and warm.
Plus, the golf course is awesome!
GM

The resort was beautiful and the service was wonderful! Can’t wait to go back. Dillon, at JT’s bar was so polite and helpful!

I live in downtown Birmingham and chose Renaissance Ross Bridge as the location for my bachelorette party last spring. It’s an easy commute from the city (maybe 25 minutes), but it’s far enough away to really feel like you’re on vacation. Even without a golf package, this was the absolute perfect weekend getaway! The hotel management was very hospitable. Before arrival, they helped to accomodate an early check-​in and made sure our party had adjoining rooms. When you plug the address in to your GPS, you’ll be led to a castle. Don’t be fooled– that’s just the hotel!
My favorite part of our stay was enjoying time by the resort pool that includes a hot tob for chillier nights. I wouldn’t be surprised to find the pool area bustling with activity on any given warm, sunny day. Our stay was in early April, and it was hard to find five lounge chairs together! The hotel provided towels, and the poolside bar had a great selection of beer, wine, and tropical drinks. Despite the crowd, it was truly a little slice of paradise! At night, guests are invited to cozy up to the warm fire pits on the patio near the pool. Another neat feature– local and regional art is featured throughout the lobby and other areas of the hotel. It really gives the hotel a personal, boutique feel.
Our spacious rooms opened to a balcony that offered scenic views of the Ross Bridge property. The linens were luxurious, just as you would expect at a property of this caliber. The rooms included refrigerators, and I remember the bathrooms to be particularly well appointed (hotel bathrooms don’t typically stand out to me, but these were really nice).
I can’t wait for another excuse to return to Ross Bridge for a «staycation.» It would be the perfect romantic getaway for an anniversary or special occasion! It would also be a great place for wedding guests or even the business traveler. There’s something for everyone here!

Beautiful property and room service is excellent. Valet parking is a nice feature since it’s a bit of a walk to the parking area. It’s not compulsory so don’t bitch about the price. Park your own car. The food is always good and the atmosphere relaxing. The only cons I see are that the room stays kind of hot (I like it real cold) and our room though large and luxurious was hell and gone from the elevator. Since it is extremely painful for me to walk, it is kind of a bummer. (My problem not theirs) We only stay at Marriott brand hotels and this is our favorite this side of the Ritz Carlton Central Park

My favorite Renaissance by far!!! Took my husband here for a birthday weekend! We just went for a quick getaway! The grounds were beautiful! Staff was friendly! I was afraid to do room service, I’ve had it before in other countries, but this place was pretty good compared to most. The wings were Super Salty! We couldn’t finish but one, but like I’ve stated, it’s better than most. Now I highly recommend their breakfasts! They have the best! The French toast pancakes, amazing!!! Love this secret jewel in Birmingham! Although the wings weren’t that good, everything else is perfect!!!

Just needed a room for the night and I wish we had planned for a long weekend. The staff was amazing and the room was great. The pool and golf will be next for me and my family, can’t wait to get back. Hotty Toddy

We spent an enchanted evening at this resort and thoroughly enjoyed the view from our room. The Hotel bar provided delectable and unique nachos (not a menu item but never the less excellently executed) and served well as a quaint meeting place /​get together location for a reunion with an old high school chum. The breakfast buffet was very good with a large variety of options, (must try the freshly squeezed orange juice) menu was also available. My wife enjoy the spa accommodations while I was enjoying the pool.

Took my husband to Ross Bridge as a surprise for his birthday. The grounds and hotel exterior are beautiful and well maintained. The interior of the hotel is outdated, and the bathroom was not clean; hair in tub and on floor, spotted mirror and accessories, and shower smelled like mildew. I should have brought it to the attention of the front desk, but I didn’t want to take away from our celebration, and just cleaned it up myself. These rooms are too expensive to be less than spotless. On a good note, we had great service at The Clubhouse, and an amazing breakfast at Brock’s.

We used to live in Hoover and were coming back for an event with old friends and neighbors. Ross bridge sounded like a fun choice. Resort and grounds are beautiful, but once we got up to our floor it became apparent that there were things that needed up dated. Not that they were shabby, just very dated. Room was clean, view was nice. Shower could use some water pressure.
Later that evening our friends came by and we had appetizers in bar. Nice staff, typical bar food. We go up to our room, because they wanted to see what you got for the price. Upon sitting on foot of the bed the head of bed came off the bed frame and almost tipped over! And no, the 2 sitting at foot of bed were not over weight by any means and no, they did not plop down hard or at the same time. It was obvious that these beds were not comfort beds (tempurpedic). Which accounted for me being jostled every time my husband tossed and turned. Not a good night!
Not to mention the group of females staying in the room next door. Which we heard from 9:30pm-2:00am recite every 4 letter word imaginable. Which is why I refer to them as female and not ladies. I know the behavior of rude guests is not Ross Bridge’s fault. We heard management knock on their door twice in the course of the night to ask politely to keep the noise down as there had been numerous complaints. They complied for approximately 30 minutes and then cranked the noise back up. We did not formally complain. We were tired and after hearing that management, the second time, not take actions to remove the rude guests to a different room or completely remove them from the grounds, we figured complaining was not going to get us anywhere. My husband has traveled a lot in the past and said he has never stayed in a place cheap or expensive and been able to hear next door guests so easily. We think the walls are made very thin!
Also there is very little info on the dining options in the room. Had to call front desk and ask.
We did not pay full price, thank goodness and I’m not sure we would stay again. I know for a fact we would not stay again a pay full price.
Kind of disappointed!

I’ve probably stayed at the Renaissance in Ross Bridge a dozen times in the last three years when I travel to Alabama for work. It is one of my favorite Marriott properties. I sits like a castle in the southern hills and is a beautiful property, with a long golf course, full pool, weight room, and cardio machines. The only downside is that the property is slightly off the beaten path, but it is worth the extra ten minute drive.
The guest rooms are very nice with porches looking out over the grounds. The bathrooms include both a tub and shower, with large decorative tile. All Renaissance properties offer Aveda toiletries, which I like.
I use room service for dinner and the menu is very good. My favorite items are the salmon & brie salad, the pulled pork sandwich, and the pulled pork mac & cheese. They also offer local craft beers from Good People Brewing Company.
If you’re near Alabama for work or are looking for a really nice golf vacation, I would highly recommend this property. In the evening, you can sit on the porch with a brown ale and listen to the bag pipes playing over the golf course. I’ll stay here again.

Pros:
1) Beautiful grounds with established trees/​amazing vistas
2) The golf course
3) The pool /​slide and fire pits
4) The bar
5) sheets — great night sleep very high thread count
Cons:
1) $ 9.00 a day for Internet
2) unimpressive bathroom for a 5 star hotel
3) No bathrobes
4) narrow menu desserts were bland
5) the resort sits nestled in a community of modern homes

This is a really nice resort in the middle of almost nowhere. It’s interesting that they have built this resort and a small town with shopping around it, pretty neat. The amenities and staff here were excellent. The room was very nice and we had a really great time. Certainly a luxury stop on the way down to Florida and worth every single penny!

Not a golfer… so review is based on the hotel and grounds. Was underwhelmed, especially considering the cost. The room itself wasn’t bad, just not as plush as I would have anticipated for a Marriott resort. Perhaps this is an older property and hasn’t been updated in quite some time? Regardless, the room felt like a basic Marriott hotel room (which is typically fine) and for a resort I was expecting more. We had stayed the previous night at the Renaissance in Montgomery and the room there was better appointed and fresher.
The grounds are what makes this hotel shine. The hotel itself is beautiful and the pool is large and includes a slide and hot tube. We didn’t stay on the weekend and so don’t know how busy it gets, but we basically had the pool to ourselves during the week. The pool itself included a rock formation that included a mill, which created a relaxing environment. We spent most of our time at the pool and loved it… a good way to relax for a few days.
Another downside is that you are at a resort and secluded, so everything is slightly higher in cost. Had a headache and got two aspirins for $ 5.00. Not sure if I would go back, but enjoyed my stay.

We went here to eat at Brock’s but toured the place. Wow is this place beautiful, elegant and very new/​clean. The staff is extremely nice. Lots of amenities. Would love to see it in the summer. Very beautiful scenery. A nice place for a romantic weekend, golf weekend, wedding, or big event.

So much good about this place but they did miss the mark just a bit and there are also a couple things you should know before going.
The hotel… the outside of the hotel is beautiful. It’s like a Harry Potter Castle surrounded by rich green landscape but on the inside they really missed the mark. The inside gave me a Carnival Cruise feel with funky patterned carpeting, cheap
tile, and mediocre rooms. We got the two bed room and the beds were really small and not very comfortable. I loved our view of the pool but expected more luxury for over $ 300 per night.
The amenities. the fact that they included several amenities made up for the price a little. The tennis courts have a spectacular view of the hotel and they also let you use their bicycles for free which is cool. We called down one night and asked them to light a fire pit for us and they did. They have a friendly staff.
The food… the food is the biggest rip off and it’s terrible. $ 11 for a nasty hot dog??? We did the breakfast package and it was well worth it. I just stuffed myself at breakfast so that I would have to eat any of their other food offers. They had delicious thick bacon, speciality sausage, ham, egg frittatas and the holy grail of breakfast items… croissant pancakes. They also put out bowls of fresh fruit. even expensive fruits like raspberries.
The reservations… we booked direct on their website and so did my father in law. They did mess up his reservation. Our room was fine but he had to sleep on a rollout while my brother in law got the bed because the hotel overbooked :(
In summary — go but don’t expect five stars and either plan to eat at Brock’s for around $ 40 per person or bring some snacks for your fridge.

It all started out with a boneheaded mistake on my part.
You see, all our kids were gone for Spring Break. So I decided to surprise my wife with a surprise night at this hotel. Part of it was to have a nice relaxing day without the kids. But part of it was to avoid the list of chores my wife had in mind.
But on Saturday morning, as I was checking my confirmation e-​mail, I realized I had made the reservation for FRIDAY night, not Saturday. Doh. Double Doh.
I called the hotel and explained my gaffe to Race at the front desk. Rather than be a bureaucrat about matters, he instead moved our reservation from Friday to Saturday night without a hitch.
We arrive and the crew at the front desk already knew about us. They asked if we had a special occasion. No, just the kids out of town, I replied. «That qualifies as an anniversary to us,» they countered and gave us a treat. We swapped wisecracks with them for another couple of minutes and then went to our nice, quiet, and plush room that looked out onto the pool area.
You could tell who was from the frozen tundra of Ohio, Minnesota or Wisconsin by the way: They were frolicking in the pool like so many pale river otters, while we wise Southerners were inside our rooms admiring the impeccable landscaping and reading a book whilst listening to the bagpiper playing Amazing Grace. I mean, just because there IS a pool doesn’t mean you should automatically go out for a dip.
The bar downstairs was convivial. Excellent barkeep, nice waitress, and a maitre’d with whom I speculated the origin of fried pickles. We had a nice quiet night back in the room and, when we checked out this morning, the people at the front desk greeted us by name. I realize that we cut quite a swath wherever we travel, but that’s still impressive.
There are minor cons. My wife, a total germophobe, did notice a fleck of mold in the shower. I’m thinking the carpeting could use an update, too. But those are minor, minor quibbles in a hotel that seems to take the guest experience seriously. I recommend without reservation.