Photo By Moris Moreno
Think nothing can beat a fun family getaway at a snazzy resort with easy beach access and a cool pool? How about adding an onsite water park to the mix? That can be a game changer. Kids love it, and, let’s face it, if the kiddos are happy, parents will be too.
While Florida has an abundance of hotels with water parks, most are located in the Orlando area. For those wanting to avoid the drive, the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa in Aventura blends the best of both worlds: luxury accommodations to pamper Mom and Dad alongside the fun-filled Tidal Cove Waterpark sure to offer hours of endless entertainment for kids.
Parents will appreciate the resort’s modern amenities, deluxe services and stylish setting as well as the cozy cabanas to lounge in as the children enjoy the water park’s gravity-defying raft ride, thrill to a freefall loop and meander down a lazy river. Grown-ups will want to reserve a breezy cabana for the family as kids lap up the fun testing out seven water slides (the largest one is the Constrictor, a 558-foot slide for riders on rafts), the 4,000-square-foot pool, aquatic play structure and a man-made beach.
But that’s not all this entertaining splash park has to offer. Tidal Cove is home to the country’s first FlowRider surf simulator, which combines skills used in skateboarding, bodyboarding, skimboarding, snowboarding and wakeboarding. Feeling overwhelmed? Never fear. Lessons are available for those who don’t know how to ride and the simulator has room enough for three riders at one time.
An adults-only pool provides grown-ups with a welcome refuge from the screaming tykes.
The water park was part of JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa’s multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion in 2018. As part of that effort, the 16-story, 325-guest room Orchid Tower was built at the water park. Those rooms doubled the resort’s total occupancy to 685 rooms.
Of course, there’s much more to the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort – and the Turnberry Isle Country Club than the water park. Two Raymond Floyd reimagined 18-hole championship golf courses, a tennis center, marina and a 7,500-square-foot pool with a 1,600-foot-long lazy river and a 35-foot-high water slide are all among the amenities.
For some heavenly pampering, head to the three-story âme Spa & Wellness Collective which features a Swiss shower, Himalayan salt room, music therapy steam room as well as 65 menu offerings from aroma therapy to cosmetic medical treatments.
Stunning guest rooms with balconies are decorated in neutral colors, a perfect accompaniment to the lush foliage and rich greens of the golf courses. Interior designers took inspiration from Miami’s art-deco history with clean, geometric lines and elementary details. Blue and brown accents throughout the resort reference to the hotel’s natural surroundings. The Turnberry Isle Beach Club is a quick, complimentary five-minute shuttle ride away, while those yearning to get some shopping done can take the shuttle to nearby fashionable Aventura Mall.
Guests don’t need to leave the property for a first-rate dining experience. The resort’s upscale restaurant, Bourbon Steak, serves imaginative cuisine from the kitchen of James Beard award-winning chef Michael Mina. Prepare to indulge — the eatery is known for its butter-poached steaks and duck fat French fries. Other favorites include Maine lobster pot pie, miso-glazed sea bass and Reuben-style short ribs. There’s also a caviar selection for fans of the exquisite delicacy. Imbibers are not forgotten — Mina’s signature whiskey cart provides diners with a one-of-kind whiskey and cocktail experience and wine drinkers have more than 1,000 bottles to choose from. For a more casual ambiance, Corsair Kitchen & Bar beckons. Think buttermilk pancakes, turkey club sandwiches and meatloaf, all accompanied by a breathtaking golf course view.
With all it has to offer, it’s no wonder why the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry was designated #1 in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards: Florida Resorts for 2019 and 2020. Tidal Cove Waterpark has been garnering accolades, as well. Last year, the wet and wild playground made it to the Best New Attractions category of USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel awards.
If you’re looking for the ultimate staycation, JW Marriott Miami Turnberry is a sure win. From its luxury accommodations to its memorable cuisine all within a gorgeous 300-acre tropical paradise, it’ll quickly become your family’s favorite. Just be sure to pack your swimsuits and prepare to make a splash.
JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa is at 19999 W. Country Club Dr., Aventura. For more information call 305-932-6200 or visit jwturnberry.com. or tidalcovemiami.com.
Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa