Island-wide is the key word spreading across Marco Island's three main resorts—Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa, JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort and Marco Beach Ocean Resort.
The island-wide initiative, which was introduced earlier in 2018 and is now actively being promoted as an option to planners, makes available 1,200 rooms among the three resorts on the 4.6-mile island.
Representatives from the three Marco Island resorts working together used the island-wide concept as a selling point to planners at the Meetings Today LIVE! South event, which was hosted by the Hilton.
“A company can come in and secure three properties on the island, all walkable. It has been really well received,” said Andrew Neubauer, director of sales and marketing for the Hilton Marco Island.
[Related Content: Hilton Marco Island Celebrates Grand Opening at MT LIVE! South]
Meetings Today organized activities at each of the properties behind the island-wide effort, including opening night festivities at the Hilton Marco Island and a cocktail reception and dinner at the JW Marriott Marco Island, for which planners kicked off their shoes and walked along the beach. Group logos in the sand are an option, such as the one offered for the Meetings Today LIVE! South event.
Marco Island Beach Resort hosted a lunch for the attendees replete with musical accompaniment.
“Why buy a city when you can buy an island?” said Amanda Cox during her presentation at Meetings Today LIVE! South at the JW Marriot Marco Island, which hosted attendees for cocktails and dinner. She noted that the 4.6-mile island features 1,200 rooms spaced among the three Southwest Florida resorts.
All of the properties can be connected along the beach with sand logos.
“Meetings in general are more memorable when your toes are in the sand,” Cox said.
The initiative follows expansions and renovations by the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort and the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort. Hilton Marco Island is in the process of completing its makeover.
[Meetings Today LIVE! South Event Highlight: Neon Night at JW Marriott’s 10K Alley]
Marie Villareal, group sales manager at the Marco Beach Ocean Resort, agreed that the island-wide initiative will benefit the resort and Marco Island as a whole, with its potential to draw larger events.
Marco Beach Ocean Resort is a 103 room, all-suite beachfront boutique resort. It can host group functions in its Sale e Pepe gourmet Italian restaurant, which for the 14th consecutive year has earned the AAA Four Diamond recognition. Marco Beach Ocean Resort Executive Chef Antonio Minichiello can serve groups his Italian fare alfresco on The Terrace, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
View additional images from Meetings Today LIVE! South's island-wide celebration below.
[2019 Dates Announced! Check out the full Meetings Today LIVE! event line-up here].
