JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Completes $320M Makeover

New Lanai Tower features 100,000 sf of new space.

Marking the third and final phase of a $320 million makeover and brand conversion project that began in 2015, the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, Marco Island, Florida, has completed their new Lanai Tower featuring 93 adult-exclusive guest rooms and suites and more than 100,000 sf of new prefunction and exhibit space. This is in addition to its expansive beach and other outdoor spaces for open-air events with waterfront views. The largest of Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands, Marco Island is located on the Gulf of Mexico in Southwest Florida.

The tropical locale is one of those magical destinations that feels a world away, yet is surprisingly easy to reach. Travelers fly into the newly renovated Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, and in about 50 minutes, arrive at this incredible island paradise. The setting is ideal for meetings and special events as it provides a laid-back escape with all of the modern comforts and amenities one would expect from a luxury resort.

The Lanai Tower meeting space features elevated, state-of-the-art event space exceeding 100,000 sf. The Tower’s meeting and prefunction space is found on the first three floors of the tower and features two ballrooms, five outdoor terraces and numerous breakout rooms. As the signature space in the tower, the 30,000-sf Calusa Grand Ballroom will be found on the third floor overlooking the Gulf of Mexico with 24-foot ceilings. Full-length windows will bathe the prefunction space in natural light. The tower will also boast the 17,000-sf Banyan Ballroom on the first floor with 22-foot ceilings and a Sunset Terrace providing a vista of the beach and Gulf beyond. Apart from the tower, the existing 10,000-sf Palms Ballroom, located adjacent to the new Spa by JW, features 17-foot ceilings, faces the Spa lawn and is punctuated by dramatic waterfront views.

What’s more, the tower is home to an innovative new restaurant, 10K Alley, a combination gastro-pub and state-of-the-art gaming emporium. This venue plays host to elevated cuisine, over 60 Florida-brewed craft beers and barrel-aged bourbons, decadent milkshakes and other delights — in addition to bowling, mini-golf and dozens of gaming and virtual reality experiences.

Meeting planners have always been keen to select the resort because it has one of the most appealing, accessible and flexible locations in North America. The resort’s expert event planners are trained in the seven meeting purposes (Celebrate, Decide, Educate, Ideate, Network, Produce, Promote) to help businesses pinpoint the function that will best help them achieve their meeting goals and objectives. When it is time to mix a little pleasure with business, the resort’s recreation team can create a wide variety of customized experiences for groups including high-energy team building events such as sailing and shelling tours, wave-runner excursions through the Ten Thousand Islands, beach Olympics, rock-wall climbing, private yacht charters and more. The property’s exclusive SPA by JW delivers ultimate relaxation in a luxurious setting, and can even arrange group events such as meditation or beach yoga sessions along with indulgent treatments. The resort also boasts two stunning private golf courses — the recently renovated Rookery and Hammock Bay, a world‐class, Audubon gold signature, par-72 course.

The JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort has also elevated the culinary experience for their group and meeting guests. Each culinary component of the event is focused on fine dining and restaurant quality experiences as opposed to the traditional banquet-style service. The resort’s newly appointed executive chef, Eric Vasta, works with groups to customize a menu that is artfully crafted with a focus on taste, presentation and quality. While every group’s dining requirements are different, the culinary team has an impressive roster of enriching experiences groups can book.