Hotels | David Critzer, REALTOR®

Marco Island’s JW Marriott sold. Find out to whom and for how much

J. Kyle Foster | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News

The iconic JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort on Marco Island is being sold, and the new owners plan major renovations.

Barings LLC, the $481 billion asset management arm of insurer MassMutual is selling the luxury hotel operated by Marriott International, along with its Hammock Bay and Rookery golf courses in Naples, to Sculptor Diversified Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., for $835 million cash, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Marriott did not return a request for comment by deadline.

One of the few JW Marriott properties located directly on the beach, Marco Island’s resort opened Dec. 18, 1971, as a Marco Beach Hotel and Villas. Built by the Mackle brothers and their Deltona Corporation development company, the property was sold to Marriott in 1979. It was later sold to MassMutual.

When did Marco Island’s Marriott become a JW Marriott?
On Jan. 1, 2016, after $320 million in renovations, the Marco Island Marriott officially re-branded itself as the luxury-tier JW Marriott Marco Beach Resort. The brand operates more than 100 hotels globally, with select, dedicated luxury beach resorts in key destinations including Marco Island, Los Cabos (Mexico), and Phuket (Thailand). These properties focus on direct beach access and high-end amenities.

Read more on naplesnews.com.

Naples Beach Club opens wellness sanctuary. What does it cost to use?

Phil Fernandez | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News

With our newest season of Spring here, the Four Seasons made it official this past week with the latest of its Southwest Florida rollouts at its sprawling 125-acre compound on the Collier County shore.

After a bit of a soft opening, the reinvented coastal Naples Beach Club location announced The Sanctuary is ready to begin treating Southwest Florida residents at its “wellness destination set across three serene levels, designed to elevate holistic health and vitality with offerings.”

What’s contained in those three relaxing levels of ahhhhh within the 30,000-square-foot “transformative refuge” at 801 Gulf Shore Blvd N.?

Let’s find out. Here’s what to know on the triple-decker, what some of its offerings cost, and what else is making debuts as the new venue formally known as Naples Beach Club, A Four Seasons Resort, floats deeper into 2026.

Sanctuary’s ‘5 elemental pillars of Ocean, Sky, Plant, Air and Heat’
The idea here ― at least the way it was presented to In the Know ― is rooted a little bit with the philosophies of the Calusa, the indigenous stewards of our shores well before you were born.

And with the similar aim to cultivate strength, balance and vitality through every stage of existence, treatments are organized around five elemental pillars of Ocean, Sky, Plant, Air and Heat. Sorry, Homer, no sixth element of beer.

Read the full article on naplesnews.com.

Will you be visiting Naples to explore the most exceptional properties of Southwest Florida? Contact me today to begin your journey. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

Shops. Entertainment. Schools. Hospitals. What’s new for SWFL in 2026?

Phil Fernandez | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News

Construction is starting on The Carnelian Hotel and Sterling’s Club in Naples, with a planned opening in early 2027.

The development is part of a larger transformation near Waterside Shops, which will also welcome an RH Gallery.

Nearby, the Eddie V’s restaurant is anticipated to open in Spring 2026.

Construction officially begins this week on the Sterling’s Club and The Carnelian Hotel as the Naples transformation at Pine Ridge Road and U.S. 41 continues.

The pair are on track to welcome guests in early 2027, just steps from the evolving Waterside Shops. That center has considerable ongoing redevelopment of its own with one Friday Jan. 23 arrival and the closing sale of a major store we’ll tell you more about in today’s In the Know. We’ll also be answering a related reader question.

Read on naplesnews.com to find out What’s to know.

Do you want a home to come to in southwest Florida on or near to Sanibel and Captiva? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

High approval rating: Tripadvisor a big fan of this stunning Naples Boutique Hotel

Mark H. Bickel | Naples Daily News

The reviews are in and once again Inn at Pelican Bay in Naples has something to deservedly brag about.

The Inn at Pelican Bay announced in a press release it has once again been recognized by Tripadvisor with a 2025 Travelers’ Choice Award, placing it in the top 10% of hotels worldwide.

This honor is based on consistently stellar reviews from millions of travelers around the globe.

What to know: Inn at Pelican Bay and Tripadvisor

This marks the fourth consecutive year the Inn at Pelican Bay has received top honors from Tripadvisor.

In 2022, the hotel earned its first Travelers’ Choice Award.

It received the honors again in 2023, and in 2024, it was elevated to the elite Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best list. That distinction named the Inn at Pelican Bay the No. 1 hotel in Naples, the No. 1 hotel in Florida, No. 25 in the United States, and among the top 1% of hotels worldwide.

What other accolades has the received? Read more on naplesnews.com.

New Four Seasons Resort taking reservations in Naples; opening planned for October

Laura Layden | Naples Daily News

The highly anticipated Four Seasons Resort in Naples is taking reservations.

Years in the making, the resort, part of a larger mixed-use luxury development, known as the Naples Beach Club, will debut in October.

Four Seasons announced the opening of reservations via a press release June 17.

While the release did not include an official opening date, the resort’s website shows the first-available booking date as Oct. 20, with limited options, or restrictions. After that date, rooms are marked as unavailable until Nov. 24 (with limited availability, until December).

The Four Seasons is replacing the former Naples Beach Hotel, off Gulf Shore Boulevard North. The Watkins family owned and operated the hotel for 75 years, through three generations, before selling the property for redevelopment in 2021.

Read more on naplesnews.com.

Are you seeking a luxury home in the Naples, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.