Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / United States / Marco Island / JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort
JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort
Marco Island, Florida, United States · JW Marriott · Core Luxury
The Mackles opened Marco Island to development in 1965; the Marco Beach Hotel followed in 1969 and, by 1971, billed itself as the largest resort on the Gulf of Mexico. A three-phase, $320 million conversion finished in 2017 with Edge of Architecture's 94-room adults-only Lanai Tower, making this the only beachfront JW Marriott in the continental United States.
- 810 rooms
- Opened 2017
- Neighborhood: Marco Beach
- Rooms from 402 sq ft (37 m²)
About JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort
- After Marriott bought the house in 1979, Mass Mutual's 2015-2018 makeover spent $320 million across three phases to convert it to JW Marriott.
- The 94-room adults-only Lanai Tower by Edge of Architecture has its own rooftop pool and bracelet-only access.
- Ario, the signature restaurant, ranks among Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 restaurants.
History
Marco Island was a wilderness of mangroves and coastal scrub until the Deltona Corporation, led by Frank and Elliott Mackle, began its transformation in the mid-1960s. The island officially opened for residential development in January 1965, and the first beachfront condominium complex was completed in 1966. The Marco Beach Hotel followed in 1969 as the island's inaugural resort hotel — a development that placed a full-service hotel directly on the Gulf of Mexico beach at a moment when Marco Island was establishing its identity as Southwest Florida's most refined barrier-island destination.
The original Marco Beach Hotel expanded significantly in 1971 with a 400-room complex costing $18 million, a development described at the time as the largest resort hotel on the Gulf of Mexico. The Marriott Corporation acquired the property in 1979, and over the following decades it operated as the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club and Spa — the dominant luxury presence on an island that attracted a discerning clientele drawn by the proximity to Ten Thousand Islands and the edge of Everglades National Park.
The transformation to a JW Marriott property followed one of the most extensive renovation programs in Florida hotel history. Beginning in summer 2015, ownership group Mass Mutual undertook a three-phase, $320 million makeover and brand conversion. Phase one expanded the pool decks and rebuilt the lobby and porte-cochere. Phase two, completing at the end of 2016, transformed all guest rooms and introduced signature restaurants Ario and Maia, along with the beachfront tiki bar Kane. The third phase opened in late 2017 with the new 94-room adults-exclusive Lanai Tower designed by Edge of Architecture, featuring a rooftop pool and restaurant with unobstructed Gulf of Mexico views. Upon completion the resort totaled 810 finely appointed guestrooms across three towers, making it the only beachfront JW Marriott in the continental United States.
The property holds AAA Four Diamond status and sits two miles from Key Marco and 32 miles from Everglades National Park, a position that allows the resort to offer both Gulf-front luxury and access to one of America's great wild ecosystems. The two 18-hole golf courses, nine restaurants and bars, five pools, and full-service spa give the resort the comprehensive amenity profile that the island's demanding clientele has come to expect from a property that has been the center of Marco Island's hospitality story for more than half a century.
Restaurants and bars
- Quinn's at JW Marriott Marco Island — Bar · Bar
- Kane Tiki Bar & Grill — Restaurant · Bar & grill
- Korals Sushi & Cocktail Lobby Bar — Restaurant · Sushi
- Ario — Restaurant · American
- Tesoro — Restaurant
- 10K Alley — Bar · Bar
Amenities
- Spa
- Pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Beach
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
- Florida's Leading Wedding Hotel 2025 (World Travel Awards) (2025)
Open JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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