Seeking a special beach vacation with top-notch amenities on a stunning stretch of shore? Look no further than some of the most swoonworthy Marriott Bonvoy beach hotels for the perfect sun-and-sand escape.
Marriott Bonvoy polled our Insiders — our most well-traveled members — to get the scoop on which of our properties are the “best of the best” for epic beaches — and they’ve chosen these five spectacular resorts.
As always, check for travel restrictions and closures before planning your trip.
JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort
Set on the largest of southwest Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands, right on bustling South Collier Boulevard, the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort manages to feel far away, unfurling along its own three-mile private shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico.
Warm, sea-glass-green water meets flat, bright-white sand in a shell hunter’s heaven: The wide beach is strewn with conch, scallop and murex, as well as sand dollars. The best time to shell-comb is at low tide or while an opalescent sunset casts its peachy glow.
You can see the all-but-translucent Gulf from almost every corner of the property, but the most soul-soothing views are from thatch-roofed cabanas set right on the beach, or the private, adults-only rooftop pool.
Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
Set on Aruba’s famously gorgeous Palm Beach, Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino is a sure bet for those who want a combination of rest and play.
Known as the island’s high-rise area, mile-long Palm Beach is where the action is, from beach bars to eateries, a shopping mall and the resort’s own splashy casino. But the water itself is calm enough for snorkeling right from the expansive shore, which is gently layered with pearly white sand.
In the early evenings, make it a point to be outside with a view of the Caribbean — be it for an al fresco cocktail or catamaran sail — because at Palm Beach, the red, orange and lilac sunsets could just about knock your flip-flops off.
JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa
Perched on a jaw-dropping strip of white sand in the heart of the city’s Hotel Zone, JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa is bordered on either side by the glassy turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Laguna Nichupte.
The resort’s pools and restaurants face the Caribbean side, where the breezes, currents and waves are stronger, making for good windsurfing and a dramatic view.
You can glimpse the Caribbean and its palm-tree-lined shore from just about anywhere here, including beach chairs on the sand, shaded and cushy chaise lounges, and thatch-fringed palapa beds. Be sure, though, to check it out from the swim-up bar at the adults-only infinity pool where you can order almost any margarita imaginable, sipping while you gaze out at the shimmering sea.
W Maldives
Within the North Ari Atoll in the central Maldives, the five-star W Maldives sits on its own private island, surrounded by plush ivory sand, thick mangroves, fluffy coconut palms — and the most stunning resort reef in this island nation.
Beach villas ring the island, each with a small curve of shore that feels softly exotic and private, snuggled by lush greenery yet open to the windswept sky. Overwater bungalows perch above the reef shallows, which spill gently from pale turquoise to navy blue in the wide, gleaming Indian Ocean.
This reef is like a life-size aquarium. Stroll the web of reef boardwalks or relax on your bungalow terrace and watch the ocean teeming with more than 2,000 species of fish, plus green turtles, manta rays, and a rainbow of coral. Snorkeling is just a splash away, or take a scuba excursion to swim with gentle whale sharks.
Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
At the center of Honolulu’s most beloved shore, tucked beside the epic Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa rises high above the palm-lined, pale-gold Kuhio Beach, known for its calm, lagoonlike shallows. Lightly crinkled by breezes, like a teal blue bedsheet being aired out in the sun, the water here invites you to wade right in.
The resort features Oahu’s largest outdoor entertainment space, including a swanky, elevated pool deck that overlooks the famous Queen’s surf break. From the pool or sand, listen to the strum of ukuleles and the rustle of palm fronds as you watch Oahu’s best surfers sluice the waves along Waikiki Bay.
The St. Regis Langkawi
Within a 99-isle Malaysian archipelago that sprawls far across the Andaman Sea, the island of Langkawi is home to a UNESCO Global Geopark, the Pulau Payar marine reserve and The St. Regis Langkawi.
The five-star resort sits on the island’s southern tip, beside smooth golden sand and glassy blue-green water, with far-off glimpses of other islands from its private shore. Lush rainforest covers dragon-spine mountains, sunsets are blazing pink and occasional outcroppings of Cambrian rocks are some of the oldest on Earth.
April to November is the rainy season here, but the water is otherwise clear enough to see into the lively coral reef from the overwater spa and bungalows, the beach grill and adults-only lounge, and the oceanfront villas’ private pools.
Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui
The lushly landscaped, family-friendly Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui on the island’s southwest coast is set on one of the most beloved, graceful beaches in Hawaii. Stretching toward neighboring Ulua Beach, the resort spans a wide, crescent-shaped cove with flawless golden sand, arching palm trees and clear, shallow water.
Usually ruffled ever so gently by trade winds, the surf here can get pretty big during southern swells (usually in mid-April and mid-October). On a calm, clear day, though, you can wade in mere ripples and see the islands of Kahoolawe, Molokini and Lanai right from the shore.
Once you’ve hit the resort’s waterslide — the longest in Hawaii — head out from the cove’s quieter right side for a snorkel, swim or sea kayak session in the royal-blue Pacific. It’s common to see triggerfish, wrasses, tangs, turtles and tobys, but only in the winter months might you catch sight of a migrating humpback whale.
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
Along celebrated Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman’s west coast, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman stretches beside an expansive and tranquil Caribbean cove. Waves around the rest of the island can be choppy, but here between Governor’s Beach and Cemetery Beach you’ll find only calm, warm turquoise water lapping clean, soft, creamy-white sands.
Sixty yards offshore, the crystal-clear shallow sea drops 20 feet to a snorkeler’s paradise full of parrotfish and triggerfish, sea fans, tube sponges, hawksbill turtles and resting nurse sharks. Even if you’re just swimming or parasailing, though, you’re sure to see marine life.
And while you shouldn’t miss the resort’s Eric Ripert–helmed restaurant, Cousteau-designed adventures or La Prairie spa, you could spend entire days on this blissfully relaxing shore waiting for yet another lilac sunset to begin.
The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua
On the northwest tip of Maui, The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua overlooks the Pacific Ocean at Dragon’s Teeth, a rock formation with a mystical labyrinth that juts into the surf, marking a jagged northern boundary for Kapalua Bay. A hiking path from the resort meets the Kapalua Ridge Trail, following the Ironwood Cliffs to wide, clean and quiet Oneloa Beach.
Here, a quarter mile of soft white sand curves around deep-teal water, rimmed by the gray lava cliffs rising 20 feet above the shore. For a soft, sandy shelf that’s easy on the feet, enter the water toward the left end of the beach.
When the surf picks up on windy days, Oneloa can be a boogie boarders dream, but beware of strong rip currents. The water here is often calm, though, ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and at low tide, exploring the craggy Kapalua tide pools. Keep an eye out for technicolor wrasses and triggerfish, and bliss out over dreamy views of neighboring Molokai and Lanai.
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