4 Stars
9/17/2021 - 9/20/2021
Backstory
Anniversary celebration! We celebrated our 13th anniversary on August 31st but we could not get anyone to babysit so we had to push our vacation celebration back a couple weeks. Anniversary's are for spending intimate time with each other and enjoying each other uninterrupted company, all things you can't fully do when you have young kids. Lol.
Extremely interesting trip to Marco Island to say the least. We vacationed there for our anniversary last year but last year we visited family in Fort Lauderdale before traveling across the state to the opposite coast. That was not the intention this year but... It happened. I missed the exit for the turnpike so we rerouted the GPS for the turnpike and once we got on it we never rerouted the GPS for Marco Island. That means we were driving and talking for about 2.5 hours before we realized WE'RE ON THE WRONG COAST, lmbo! Instead of panicking or getting upset, my wife called the famous Charlie's Pastries in Fort Lauderdale and we ordered almost 2 dozen authentic Jamaican beef patties and meat loafs. So now we readjust our GPS and head towards the west coast of Florida to our destination, Marco Island, FL.
Hotel Review (Review starts from the moment we arrive)
Valet: Once we arrived we were met by valet. Didn't seem to friendly, basically all business which I don't mind. It's one way in and one way out so be sure to drive slow or you'll miss it.
Check in: This part of the experience didn't go as smoothly as it normally goes. The front counter clerk was very nice and actually the same employee from last year. Although nice, she seemed a little flustered at the moment. I gave her my card for the last night stay plus incidentals but she begin having problems with the card reader. I guess the issues with the card reader somehow lead to her putting almost $1500 on hold on my card instead of $561 which she should have. I didn't know until the next night when I checked my card balance.
I went outside to help my wife and unload the car. As we are walking in the front counter clerk asks me to check in again because she checked me in with the wrong name. So I had to give her my ID and card again.
Very rough check in process...
Room: We paid $679 for the first 2 nights then $399 for the last night. The total including taxes and valet was $2032.
We stayed in room 801 which is a two bedroom gulf and garden view. As you enter the room you walk down a nice hallway and stand with the master to the left, the second bedroom directly in front, and the living room/kitchen to the right.
The master bedroom is spacious with a comfortable king side bed and desk/work area. My favorite thing about the master is the floor to ceiling windows behind the TV because I love a good view. The master bath, although there are not jets in the tub, was awesome. The soaking tub next to the window was relaxing and the stand up show was nice as well. Double vanities so my wife could put all her toiletries at one and I used the other. Another great thing about the master bedroom is it has its own thermostat which unfortanely didn't benefit us this trip because one of the vents in the master room was not working and the other vent was barely working.
The second bedroom we normally use as more of a very large walk in closet. So this is where we put out luggage and bags so that they are out of the way. This room is also very suitable for someone to enjoy. It also has a city view, nice high bed, and bathroom.
The living room area is very spacious with a small dining area next to the kitchen. The dining area has a hanging chandelier type of light which I think adds a nice touch.
The kitchen is ok, not really a full resort style but has everything you need except a blender. lol. My wife usually makes blended drinks on vacation so we had to go out late after we arrived to find one and lucked up on a Walgreens who had blenders. The kitchen also has a nice view of the city.
The balcony view is pretty good, the palm trees sort of block the view of the sand from this level but still a good view. Last year we had a higher floor and you can really appreciate the view of the ocean and even the garden from higher up. Nevertheless, we still sat out on the balcony the second day and enjoyed drinks, great conversation, and time together.
Downsides:
Unfortunately the concierge service was not great this year. Tessa Rivera was the concierge last year and she was phenomena.
Resort is approaching time for a remodel. This was evident by one of only two elevators not working and AC vents not working in the master bed of room 801.
Kitchen seems full but no blender, not enough pots, or cooking utensils. Also, oven doesn't broil.
Beach: The beach makes this trip worth it. lol. Its a beautiful low traffic beach which makes it a perfect beach location for us. This year we went out to beach around 4pm when the temperature was in the mid 80's and the sun was going down. I felt like a kid splashing around in the water and having a great time talking with my wife. The water was warm and the waves were gentle so I was literally rolling around in the sand like a big kid. We had a blast.
Check out: Check out was a breeze. I went down to turn in the keys and asked for a bellhop to come and help with the luggage. He showed up shortly after I returned to the room and took the luggage. He had the car our front and partially loaded by the time we made it down. Good service.
Conclusion: All things considered, it was a good trip but unlikely we will return next year. I believe our experience could have been better. However, I would reconsider if renovations are done but without a makeover we will likely find somewhere else in Marco Island or Naples to visit next time.
Comments