Resort gets new brand, part of $320M renovation

MARCO ISLAND — An 18-month, $320 million renovation at the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort hit major milestone Jan. 1 when the hotel officially changed its name to the JW Marriott brand.

It's the first JW Marriott hotel on the Gulf Coast, part of a luxury brand with 80 hotels worldwide. It's also the first beachfront JW Marriott in the Continental U.S., the hotel says.

The renovations, detailed in an October 2015 story, include 110,000 square feet of event space; a 12,000-square-foot entertainment center; renovations of all 726 existing rooms; and a new a 94-room adults-only tower with a rooftop pool, restaurant and bar. The resort also renovated nine restaurants and added two more, in addition to $10 million worth of pool renovations.

Future milestones projected for this year include the completion of the Lanai Tower, expected by the spring, and the debut of the Lanai Tower restaurant and virtual entertainment center, expected by the fall.