JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, the global luxury brand that is part of Marriott International’s (NASDAQ: MAR) luxury brands portfolio, has debuted JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. Following an extensive $320 million renovation facilitated by ownership group Mass Mutual, the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa has converted to a JW Marriott luxury property, ushering in a new era for the illustrious resort. The 726-room JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort offers engaging and enriching on-property experiences that can be artfully tailored to each guest.
“This brand conversion brings to fruition years of planning, dedication and hard work, and I could not be more pleased,” said Rick Medwedeff, General Manager, JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. “As we move forward into the next chapter of our resort’s story, we are embracing our celebrated past and welcoming a new level of luxury by joining JW Marriott’s global portfolio of exceptional properties.”
The resort is poised to become one of the region’s most coveted culinary destinations, led by Executive Chef Eric Vasta, who most recently held the post at the celebrated 5-star JW Marriott Marquis Dubai. Culinary programming will include private sommelier-led wine tastings and Chef’s Table experiences at signature restaurant Ario, helmed by Chef de Cuisine Gerald Sombright. The culinary offerings extend beachside with fish-grilling classes, rum tastings and private dinners along the shoreline.
“JW Marriott Marco Island is an optimal addition to our brand’s global portfolio,” said Mitzi Gaskins, Vice President, Luxury Brand Management, Marriott International “We look forward to offering guests a distinctive and enriching luxury experience set on three miles of pristine white sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico.”
JW Marriott Marco Island features Spa by JW, the JW Marriott brand’s exclusive global spa concept, created to demystify and reimagine the spa experience with treatments based on four core benefit states: calm, indulge, renew and invigorate. Guests can customize their spa experience, choosing from a variety of menu options from full-service treatments to express spa services that start at a 12-minute entry point and are bookable without an appointment. Additional spa programming includes daily beach yoga and weekly spa events.
The property will also feature a 94-room, adults-only tower, scheduled to open in the fall of 2017 –offering a rooftop pool, restaurant with an award-winning chef at the helm, and 12,000 square foot, state-of-the-art indoor entertainment center. Designed by Florida based design and architecture firm, Edge of Architecture, Inc., the new tower will boast unmatched views of the Gulf of Mexico, establishing a relationship between the building and the environment – an experiential symbiosis of interior and exterior spaces. Once completed, the resort will boast a total of 100,000 square feet of flexible event space — equipped with up-to-the-moment technology — and 810 finely appointed guestrooms and suites.
In 2015, the resort began phase one of a three-phase makeover and brand conversion project, including expanded pool decks, a refurbished lobby, a new porte-cochere and a grand front entrance. The second phase, which concluded on December 31, 2016, welcomed a complete transformation of guestrooms and resort culinary offerings, including the addition of two new signature restaurants, Ario and Maia, as well as an all-new beachfront tiki bar, Kane.
