We recently spent a weekend at the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort on the west coast of Florida for a quick family getaway. This wasn’t my first time here. I’d practically grown up at this resort as it was always so easy to get to from Miami, where I’m from. I have such fond memories of times we spent at the Marriott when I was a little girl playing in the soft, white sand, splashing in their pools, hitting the ice cream shop nightly, and slurping down their frosty daiquiris (virgin back then, of course). I recently told my NJ husband, “You had the Jersey Shore, I had Marco Island.” But, I hadn’t been back since they completed over $250 million in renovations and redesign. It looks incredible. They’ve updated their restaurants, redesigned modern & kid-friendly pools, and redecorated the lobby and rooms. But somehow, they’ve left the serenity of the old Marco Marriott untouched. It’s still the place to stay when in Marco Island for a mix of relaxation and family fun for everyone…whether that’s 4 of you or 27 strong like we were! Yes, I have a giant family.with
We spent our mini-vaca in Marco with my parents, grandfather, sister, 4 brothers, two cousins, and everyone’s kids…and yes, it got hectic. But, it was so much fun to have everyone away together! We all did our own thing during the day, crossing over here and there at the beach and pool, and met up for one big family dinner each night. There was plenty of entertainment for all 11 kids in our family, from 9 months to 16 years old with an arcade, waterside, pool splash pad, jet skis, and beautiful beach. Even the bigger “kids at heart” played with catamarans, parasailed, lounged in cabanas, treated themselves at the world-class Balinese-style spa, and played the two stunning “Resort-Private” championship golf courses.
Pool Water Slide, Building Sandcastles, & Motorcycles in the Arcade
The resort has plenty of restaurants to choose from. Quinn’s, which has been around for decades (not to age myself), is a casual, caribbean seafood grill for beachside dining. Tropiks is the resort’s causal restaurant which presents a fabulous breakfast buffet each morning with, our favorite part, the make-you-own bloody mary station. One evening, we all had dinner in the private room at Kurrents, their upscale steak and seafood restaurant, where I had a tasty Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass. Though, my favorite dining spot on the resort was probably 400 Pazzi’s which was perfectly located between both pools and the beach. This spot offered generous portions of pastas, salads, paninis, and brick-oven pizzas. Sadly, we ran out of time to dine at Korals, the lobby sushi and cocktail bar. But, we did get to experience their custom-designed, 11-foot tall, 3,600-pound aquarium each time my three year old spotted it and ran over to the column shouting “Dori! Dori!” Cocktails are available just about anywhere on the resort and I can say my margarita and mojito did the trick; but, the frozen daiquiris are clearly their strength at the resort. There’s even a cocktail cart that drives by your tiki hut on beach to take your order and deliver your drink. Ahh, paradise.
Quinn’s Margarita with Salt, Make-Your-Own Bloody Mary from Tropiks, & Mediterranean Salad from Pazzi’s
The Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort is located near Naples and Ft. Myers, Florida on 3 miles of beachfront property. This resort has won a #9 spot on the Reader’s Choice Top 40 Florida Resorts by Condé Nast Traveler, won the Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor in 2013, and was listed on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List – The World’s Best Places to Stay: Best Hotels and Resorts in Florida 2012. Don’t miss it on your next trip to Florida’s west coast!
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Meet Ashley
Former NYC fashion industry girl, forever traveler, foodie at heart, and now Mom in Miami. My blog, Arrive Chic, covers the style I find in everyday life both on the road and at home, often with my two energetic little boys in tow.
