In a recent blog entry, I described my experience driving through the area of Southwest Florida that was battered by Hurricane Ian. There are many businesses in the hotel industry who are helping the storm’s victims and one of them is the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa. Last month the resort launched its “Return to Paradise” campaign. Like the campaign in 2017 following Hurricane Irma, the property is offering various programs and packages that directly benefit local organizations and hurricane relief efforts.
The Return to Paradise package, available now through the end of the year, includes accommodation at the beachfront resort, and a $50 nightly resort credit good for dining, golf, or spa services. Ten percent of revenue from all package bookings will be donated to the Collier Community Foundation’s Collier Comes Together Hurricane Fund. The fund directly benefits Southwest Florida nonprofit relief efforts and programs quickly and efficiently at no administrative cost.
A variety of giving opportunities can also be found across resort culinary, spa, and recreation experiences. On the food and beverage side, $1 will be donated for each breakfast buffet purchased at Maia, Piña Coladas purchased across the resort, Hummus appetizer plate at Tesoro, and every burger sold by 10K Alley. At the resort’s signature SPA by JW, $5 will be donated for any massage of 50 minutes or more booked, and at the award-winning Rookery and Hammock Bay Courses, $1 will be donated for any round of Golf played. To learn more, visit www.ReturnToParadiseMarco.com.
The resort has also connected with local organizations to provide options for guests seeking in-person voluntourism opportunities. Opportunities such as food distribution and stocking, food pantry organization, and donation collection are all needed with partners like St. Matthew’s House, Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, and the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida. To find the right volunteer position during their vacations, guests are encouraged to visit https://www.volunteerflorida.org. Furthermore, the resort has coordinated with the Southwest Florida Humane Societies to collect used towels of any kind from guests who have a little extra room in their suitcases and would like to bring one from home. This is an easy and tangible way to contribute a desperately needed item for displaced animals from the recent storms.
“It has always been our steadfast mission to provide unforgettable vacation experiences in Paradise for guests while also caring for our valued team-members, their families and the local community,” said Sharon Lockwood, General Manager of the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. “We were so fortunate here at the resort to have experienced minimal damage from the storm and are not only delighted that we can bounce back so quickly and return things to business as usual here on Marco Island but more so that we can use that fortune to help others who were not as lucky. The Return to Paradise campaign will help us to deliver on our mission and benefit the entire community, as well as our visitors.”
