Hopefully you saw on my instagram that a few weeks ago we headed for a family weekend getaway at the JW Marriott Marco Island. I shared beautiful shots of the stunning pools, perfect beach, and my insta stories were filled with my kids having a blast splashing in the pool or going down the hotel slides, but today I wanted to share a bit more about the resort and our experience because it was top notch and a place I would HIGHLY recommend for those of you seeking a family-friendly destination.

Let me start by saying that the JW Marriot Marco Island is the perfect mix of being family-friendly while also feeling like a luxury resort.  It is very hard to be both – it oftentimes feels like resorts are either family friendly and thus very cheesy {like a lot of resorts in Orlando} or are more luxurious, but very uptight and not as fun of places for kids. Somehow though the JW Marriott Marco Island with its brand new renovation, was able to successfully pull off both. From the moment you enter the gorgeous lobby you know the decor is on point, the rooms {also newly renovated} are elegant and incredibly comfortable, and the various pools – from the central pool, to the kid pool which has a slide, waterfall, and splash area are clearly a huge hit with the kiddos.

One of my favorite parts was that once you arrived you literally did not need to leave the resort. The hotel has at least 6 restaurants on property, most of which we could take our kids {a restaurant on the beach, a pizza place, and a more formal options}, while also having some adult-friendly places where we could unwind and enjoy a couples night out. Between the several shops in the hotel to even a frozen yogurt shop, we literally never got in the car once in three days {which you know is amazing – because loading kids in and out of car seats in hot weather is the worst!!}. Every night night there were fire dancers on the beach and then there’s even a state of the art spa! Clearly no reason to leave!

Most importantly the staff was incredibly nice – everyone from the front desk people to the waiters and waitresses at the restaurants to the people in the spa – they seem genuinely interested in their guests having a good time and being well cared for. And I am not just saying that because I am a blogger who visited… it was a concencus I heard from fellow beach and pool go-ers.

We arrived on Friday and stayed through Sunday. Friday we hit the kids pool where my kids {3 and 4 years old} went down the slide no less than 50 times. We also played ping pong and ran around the resort greens. That night we ate at Quinn’s, a casual outdoor restaurant overlooking the beach and ocean. Saturday we ate the over-flowing breakfast buffet at Maia {which was delish!} and headed to the beach. After an easy lunch by the pool, the kids went to rest while my husband and I hit the gym followed by luxuries spa massages {I had the most incredible pre-natal massage!!}. After a late afternoon dip in the pool, we took our kids to the Italian restaurant on property {400 Pazzi’s}, and after getting them to bed went for a more romantic dinner at the upscale restaurant {Ario} just the two of us. Sunday after another lavish buffet breakfast we went back to the kids pool to play in the waterfall and enjoy one final piña colada! We drove home with two exhausted and comatose sun-kissed munchkins in the back seat!

Here’s a glimpse at a few of my favorite photos… I cannot wait to go back in the winter as a Family of five!!

Thank you to the JW Marriott Marco Island for sponsoring this post.

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