Our Vacation To The JW Marriott Marco Island
Hi Friends! I am so very excited to be writing this post to share with y’all today. If y’all follow me on Instagram, then you know we recently vacationed to the JW Marriott Marco Island. If I had to sum this trip up on one phrase, it would “Don’t be sad that it’s over, smile because it happened.” And it’s safe to say that we’ve been left with nothing but smiles (and a bunch of precious memories) after our time at the JW Marriott on Marco Island.
Now I have to give a little back story before I jump into the details of our trip. My best girls (and favorite travel buddies, Madeline and my Mama), love to adventure. And to be honest, this was our first “big” adventure since all the craziness of 2020 began. A few years ago, Madeline gave us the name “The 3 M’s” when referring to her, myself and my mama. So with that, Madeline, Mama and Mimi turned into “The 3 M’s” 🙂 It has stuck, and whether we’re off for a trip to Target or to some special destination, like the JW Marriott on Marco Island, we call it a “3 M’s Adventure.”
We were actually supposed to spend several days in Marco February 2020. I planed this extra special vacation (and Madeline’s first time) to Disney last year. After our time in Disney, we were supposed to drive down to the JW Marriott on Marco for a few days to finish out our trip. However, the second night we were at Disney, we received the news that my precious Uncle Doug had passed away. We quickly had to cancel our plans and head back home. We were past the deadline to cancel our time in Marco and thought we would not be able to receive a refund, but the JW Marriott was SO kind, understanding, allowing us to cancel due to the circumstances. It was at that time that Mama and I immediately knew we wanted to make plans to stay at the JW Marriott in Marco Island this year, and we knew Uncle Doug would want us to as well (he loved being at the beach more than anyone).
Fast forward to 2021, we kicked the year off with making plans to go to the JW Marriott in Marco Island. I have never been a huge fan of the month of January, but I can honestly say that the excitement of heading off on our 3 M’s Adventure to the JW Marriott on Marco Island two weeks ago is what got me through January haha. Today, I’m so excited to share all the details from our stay, our hotel room, our meals, the activities we did while there along with the overall experience of our stay. Let’s get started 🙂
Day One: Arrival
The moment we pulled into the JW Marriott resort on Marco Island, we truly felt as if we had arrived in paradise. I kept hearing we would be, but it wasn’t until we actually arrived and saw it for ourselves that I realized it truly was paradise. Mama and I kept saying the whole time “we feel like we’re in the Caribbean!” Walking into the stunning lobby for the first time, seeing the beautiful vaulted ceilings and the view of paradise through the giant windows ahead had me feeling relaxed in no time. We checked in and began to explore the lobby a bit. Madeline LOVED the enormous sandcastle they have displayed in the lobby. There is actually a sandcastle artist that comes in and sculpts an intricate sandcastle out of real sand. It’s so cool! Oh and Mama was so excited over the orchids displayed in the lobby.
Our Room
We then got to head upstairs, unpack, freshen up and most of all, check out our rooms! Y’all the view hit me and I don’t think I’ve ever been excited to witness such paradise. Last year was pretty rough, especially going through some not-so-easy things since the last time I felt a sea breeze, so when it hit me, I was so happy I could have cried haha. It was breathtaking and I can’t even begin to say how good it felt when we opened the porch doors, felt the breeze and heard those waves for the first time.
We stayed in a corner sunset king suite with a gulf front view. We also had the connecting room directly behind the king suite. It felt like a dream! I loved the gorgeous gold accents that decorated both rooms. I also could not get over how much space we had: a king bed, two queen beds, a sitting area, so much closet and drawer space, two bathrooms and etc. Everything felt SO luxurious yet so family oriented at the same time. This is random, but in the king suite bathroom, the shower was actually one of my very favorite things. It bordered the huge glass window on the side of our room (with the wall of the shower there for privacy, of course) but the natural sunlight would peep into the bathroom, making it feel like you were showering outside! Everything felt so light and airy.
(corner sunset king suit)
(Adjoining room to king suite)
Dinner Night One
Our first night at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, we ate directly on the beach at Quinn’s on the Beach. I thought our reservation was an hour later than it really was (crazy me), but they were so awesome and got us seated anyway! We had an amazing table directly on the beach (I think Madeline spent more time in the sand than in her chair haha). She was SO excited to have her toes back in the sand. We got to our table in just enough time to see the last bit of the sunset which was just glorious! If you eat at Quinn’s, I HIGHLY recommend requesting a table on or as close to the beach as possible. Sitting at our table, seeing the white sand, the JW Marriott chikee huts and the water just did wonders for my soul.
When you dine at Quinn’s at sunset, you also can catch the JW Marriott Marco Island Sunset show where a fire dancer comes out, which is so cool! The show starts about 15 minutes before sunset. Even if you aren’t eating at Quinn’s, you can head out to the beach to watch the show. It’s very safe and socially distanced. Madeline loved it!!
and Madeline got her favorite, macaroni and cheese with a side of fruit. There was a great selection for both adults and kids. And of course we had to finish the meal off with some dessert. Mama and I split a piece of key lime pie, and Madeline had an ice cream sandwich.
After dinner, we walked around on the beach a little then headed back to our rooms. We had an early morning the next morning, and I wanted Madeline to be plenty rested to enjoy the day.
Day Two
Breakfast at Maia’s
Day two we were up bright and early by about 5AM! We had breakfast at Maia’s every morning of our stay which was amazing! Now if you followed along on IG stories during our trip, then you know how my Maia’s french toast obsession went haha. It’s pretty safe to say that breakfast is mine and Madeline’s very favorite meal of the day. The breakfast buffet at Maia’s was just fabulous! It was all kept super safe with shields covering all the food. We went through the line, picked what we wanted from the buffet, and someone fixed your plate for you. They had everything from bacon, eggs, breakfast potatoes, fruits, pastries and even a french toast, omelette, pancake and waffle station. Madeline got her favorite, bacon and eggs, each morning, Mimi got her omelet, and I got my french toast. Oh goodness how I have missed that french toast being back home haha. Even the coffee tasted so much better, but it’s safe to say that everything tastes better when on vacay. I got my coffee and Madeline got her orange juice 🙂
(Dining Room at Maia’s. It was beautiful!)
Shelling Excursion
Ok y’all I’m going to go ahead and say that the sailing and shelling excursion was by far the highlight of our trip, and I simply could not recommend this enough. This is an activity offered exclusively through the JW Marriott on Marco, and can be booked directly them. So a little backstory: If you love sea shells and hunting for the perfect shell, Marco Island is where it’s at. The shells there are unbelievable! Shell hunting has a special place in my heart as it’s something I’ve always loved to do with my grandmother, my mama and now Madeline. There are 10,000 uninhabited islands around Marco, and on this excursion, you get to sail off to one of these islands. The JW Marriott has one of their USCG certified captains that pick you up from the resort and take you to the harbor where you board the JW Marriott catamaran.
The morning of our excursion, our captain, Captain Tom, contacted us and told us where he would be meeting up with us on the resort, to drive us to the harbor and catch our boat. I also could not say how awesome Captain Tom was! He was such a pleasure to be around, and Madeline immediately became his BFF. He has been living on Marco for over thirty years, he knows his stuff!!! He told us so much about the island, all about the uninhabited islands, the marine life and more. Madeline’s dream is to be a marine biologist, so this was such an incredible experience for her. Sailing on the JW Marriott catamaran, being educated by Captain Tom, soaking in the sun, the gorgeous shades of blue from the sky and water…ahh I just can’t put how amazing this experience was.
Captain Tom also taught us so much about shells. He showed Madeline the whole process of where they come from, how they’re formed, how they wash up to the shore and why Marco Island is such an amazing shelling destination. I was seriously in awe over the gorgeous shells we collected to bring home with us! The sand is also such a beautiful bright powdery white, which Captain Tom also told us is from the shells. After visiting an uninhabited island, Captain Tom took us to see Marco from offshore.
When I say this excursion is a must, y’all I mean it with all my heart! Mama and I both said that we will 100% do it again next time we visit! Whether you’re going with your whole family or just as a couple’s getaway, I couldn’t recommend it enough. This was a 3 M’s adventure will forever cherish and made so many special memories on our shelling excursion.
Chillin’ In The Chickee
After our excursion, we headed back to the resort to freshen up and change clothes. We immediately headed off for some time to chill and eat lunch on the beach. I have to say, the chickee huts (the gorgeous straw huts that line the beach at the JW Marriott Marco Island) were one of the things that drew me to the resort. I had ALWAYS wanted to chill under one of these. Well my dream came true! 🙂 You do have to reserve these for the particular day(s) you want them and there is a fee to rent them out, but if you are traveling with a group, your whole family, several kids or just want your own private space, these are SO awesome! One of the assistants will take you to your hut, set your chairs and towels out for you and provide you with a bucket of ice and bottled waters. I couldn’t explain how serene it felt to finally be on the beach again, toes in the sand, hearing the waves and Madeline getting to play in the sand.
For lunch, our very favorite was Quinn’s on the beach. This is the same restaurant we had dinner at the very first night. They have a beach-side service which is awesome. The carts will drive along the beach and you can flag them to take your order. We loved ordering appetizers to share each day. Chips and salsa, quesadillas, fruit + yogurt for dipping…all so good!!! We also ordered virgin strawberry daiquiris each day and goodness they were delicious!
Dinner at 10K Alley
After a fun afternoon on the beach, we headed back to our rooms to get a shower and let Madeline rest a little bit before heading to dinner. Now when I say the JW at Marco has something for everyone, I couldn’t stress this enough! We had dinner at 10K Alley, another awesome spot at the Marco Island JW Marriott. Y’all this place is a dream for kid’s and adults! It’s sleek, industrial design and state-of-the-art gaming experience made it truly such a neat experience. They have a seated area to order everything from burgers, pizza, salads and more. I have to say, mama and I love a good arugula salad with berries, goat cheese and a balsamic dressing. 10K Alley had one of the best arugula salads we’ve ever had! We had the best parmesan fries with aioli dipping sauce. And the burgers all around! We indulged in dessert once again, and had another delicious slice of key lime pie.
After dinner, we headed off for some 10K Alley fun. Bowling. arcade games, miniature golf, you name it! Madeline had a blast as she called all the shots on our activities, and I have to say, all three M’s had a blast 🙂 It was such a fun end to the perfect day and goodness were we ready for a good night’s sleep before kicking off day three.
Day Three
Breakfast
We kicked off day three with, you guessed it, breakfast at Maia’s once again 🙂 It truly was one of the best breakfasts we’ve ever had! We woke up so excited to eat there haha. Madeline got her favorites again. Mama got her omelette, and I got my french toast once again.
Spa Treatment
After breakfast, I headed off to the Spa at JW. Y’all, I couldn’t put into words what a treat this was! The gorgeous spa was seriously serenity the second you stepped foot in the doors. I have to say, this was only my second massage ever. I was a little unfamiliar with the whole spa process and actually got lost trying to find my way to the room, but everyone at the spa was so kind and helped me find where I was to go.
I got the Marco Island Custom Massage. My therapist was SO talented. She tailored my massage meet my needs, and I felt so pampered during my fifty minute massage! Like I said, it was only my second massage ever, but goodness was it glorious. If you’re wanting to book some time at the JW Marco Island Spa, I highly recommend!
Tiki Pool
While I was being pampered at the Spa, Mama and Madeline headed off to the Tiki pool, which was basically a dream come true for Madeline. I joined them there after my spa treatment, and it made my heart so happy getting to see her have such a blast. She went down the waterslide more than twenty times. There is also a waterfall. Adults can lounge in the chairs by the pool, and getting to watch Madeline have a blast made it such a fun experience for me and mama as well.
Chickee Hut Beach Time
After some pool time, we headed to the beach for some more chickee hut fun. Madeline played in the sand, Mama and I lounged and we also got in the ocean (although it was a little chilly). Madeline didn’t care! She had so much fun. We also ordered Quinn’s for lunch once again. The appetizers were just the best! We also ordered more virgin strawberry daiquiris.
Me: Swimsuit // Sarong // Sunglasses // Bag // Madeline’s Swim top and bottoms
Dinner at Ario
For dinner, we had what was hands down one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. We truly were in for such a treat dining here. We sat out on the porch and had a wonderful table, catching the last glimpse of the sunset. From the amazing cuts of steak to local gulf seafood, I had a hard time deciding which to choose; everything looked so good! Mama and I both started off with the a bowl of bisque and indulged in an amazing wedge salad (both one of the best we’ve ever had!!). We also both ordered a fillet with sides of wedge potatoes and mushrooms. Delicious would be an understatement.
Whether you’re looking to take your family to paradise, a girls weekend or plan a romantic getaway, I could not recommend the JW Marriott Marco Island enough. It’s so luxurious yet family oriented at the same time. You truly feel like you’re in the Caribbean! There are twelve restaurants on the resort to dine at for every meal, so you really never have to leave the resort upon arrival. There are also so many activities to take advantage of. If you’re into golf, they also have two championship golf courses. I didn’t get a chance to workout in the fitness facilities, but I did get to see them (they also offer fitness classes). And of course the spa was amazing!
Dress // Bag // Sneakers // Sunglasses // Scarf // Rolling Luggage // Duffle Bag
A huge thank you to JW Marriott Marco Island for hosting us and providing us with amenities during our stay. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
