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Every year a new hotel seems to go up on the small barrier island that makes up the top resort stretch in Tampa Bay. The latest is landing at the top of the luxury heap: the new JW Marriott 5-star Clearwater Beach luxury resort.
One of Florida’s top-rated and most popular beaches continues to go more upscale, the “old Florida” motels and small family-run 2-story establishments of old giving way to chain hotel high-rises aimed at the high end of the market. The latest option to hit the scene as of mid-2023 epitomizes this trend. The debut of Marriott’s high-end JW Marriott brand in Clearwater Beach marks a new chapter as the world’s largest lodging company takes on the existing players in the area.
Located at 691 S. Gulfview Blvd., this latest Marriott family resort had to squeeze into an area around the corner from the main Clearwater Beach where most tourists are sunning and strolling on vacation. It faces a channel between the barrier island and Sand Key across from it, with a steady stream of boats going by on the way to the Intercoastal Waterway and the Clearwater Beach Marina.
This is a minus or a plus depending on your outlook. If you’re dreaming of watching a head-on sunset or of walking up and down the beach with your ankles in the surf, you’re better off at one of the other best Clearwater Beach resorts we have written about in the past. On the other hand, if you want a more secluded and exclusive spot where you can walk out and grab a lounge chair on a private beach, this JW Marriott directly on the water is a better bet.
You actually can see the sunset from this 5-star Clearwater Beach resort, but just off to the right instead of straight in front of you. Since this resort faces south, you can also get up and catch the sunrise from the pool deck or the beach. And the sun shines on that swimming pool most of the day.
Facilities at JW Marriott Clearwater Beach
It’s hard to find a resort with a big swimming pool in Clearwater Beach and unfortunately, the JW Marriott is no exception, even though it’s new. It suffers from the same problem as most others in this area in that if the hotel occupancy is higher than 50%, there’s not nearly enough space for everyone to find a lounge chair and the pool itself gets crowded in a hurry.
That’s only going to get worse: when I visited they were waiting for cabana day beds to arrive. Those offerings will carry an extra fee on top of the resort fee and will replace some of the current lounge chairs that are available to all guests.
It’s a lovely spot when that’s not the case though, so if you arrive on a weekday, stake out your pool spot then when you don’t have the weekend competition for space. Then enjoy the view from this upper-floor vantage point while sipping a cocktail (or mocktail) from the adjoining bar. When I was there I could see a manatee swimming in the waters below with this coconut mojito in hand.
The beach has a bit more room for everyone and it’s a nice place to take a dip and then kick back under a beach umbrella. Since Clearwater Beach is a public beach and only Sandpearl has its own access to the sand among the higher-end properties, you usually have to rent chairs and umbrellas every day over there if you want those. At the JW Marriott Clearwater Beach, you just walk out the door and claim what’s available.
For getting a workout, there’s a well-equipped gym with all-new equipment, including a range of aerobic machines, a Pelaton bike, weight machines, and dumbells. Yoga classes and meditation classes are available to book and you can borrow a cruiser bike to take a spin around the area.
The full name of this hotel is actually JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa and the spa part is no afterthought. It’s a full facility with steam room, sauna, locker rooms, and a nail salon. The couples’ massage area has a whirlpool tub and there’s an express massage pod if you just need a quick shoulder rubdown after a long flight.
Although this is a luxury Florida beach resort, it is one meant for families. There’s a fun kids club where you can visit with your children and use the facilities or drop them off for hours for an extra fee. There are regular activities scheduled for them that you can plan around.
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Drinking and Dining Options
This is not a resort where you have a dozen dining outlets to choose from. The real estate footprint isn’t all that large on this barrier island where space is at a premium, but there are also plenty of other restaurants to choose from nearby. There are basically four choices on site here: a coffee/snack shop, a beach lunch option, a casual restaurant by the pool, and a formal dining choice.
That last one, Latitude 28, is pictured above (before serving hours). It’s less formal in the mornings, when it’s the sit-down breakfast option, but it night it becomes a Mediterranean restaurant with dramatic soft lighting. The restaurant sources a lot of its seafood and produce locally and it serves a variety of local craft beers and spirits.
The poolside restaurant The Deep End is open for lunch and dinner, with swimming suits tolerated in the daytime for those drifting in from the pool. It has a nice 11th-floor view, friendly bartenders, and a wide drinks selection. The menu is not timid, a fusion of flavors that bounces around between Peru, Japan, Vietnam, and Mexico. They were in the process of adding a few kid-friendly items when I visited though to acquiesce to the picky little ones. 
Rooms at JW Marriott 5-Star Clearwater Beach Resort
In the lobby areas of this resort there are lots of artistic touches, from the mural behind the front desk to the subtle references to waves and water built into the shimmering tile work and columns. This continues in the rooms, where nods to the sea and seashells join the actual water view. The less desirable rooms face the intercoastal and downtown Clearwater, which is not bad, but the best look toward Sand Key and the Gulf of Mexico.
As with most JW Marriott properties, there aren’t a lot of surprises in the layout, but the positive side of that is you know you’re going to have what you need for a comfortable stay. A high-end mattress and good bedding, plenty of outlets for charging, lighting that’s easy to figure out, and a big smart TV for when you’re ready to kick back and relax at night.
All rooms offer a mini fridge, coffee maker, and some kind of chair or sofa in addition to the chairs on the balcony. As you go up the scale on the categories, you’ll get more space, a better view, or both. There are suites with separate living rooms and nicer amenities, but the best splash-out options are the residences with multiple bedrooms. This 162-room resort was built with additional condos on the top floors that investors could purchase and these go into the rental pool. They offer a villa-like option for families or groups but with the advantages of a full hotel breadth of facilities.
One last note that may not be flashy but it’s important: this resort has plenty of elevators, including some express ones serving the event areas So you won’t be standing around waiting to get to your room or up to the pool, even if there’s a wedding going on.
Rates and Booking
In 2023 the JW Marriott held the title as the newest hotel in Clearwater Beach, though the construction cranes around town attest that they’ll be usurped by something else in a year or two. For the moment this 5-Star Clearwater Beach resort is usually the most expensive hotel in all of Tampa Bay as well, though it does dance around with The Sandpearl and Opal Sands for the title some weeks depending on occupancy levels.
When I checked rates for the next few months, they started at $400 with all the extra charges in the low season of September and broke the $2,000 mark for the 3-bedroom residences. In the busy winter months when northerners are escaping the cold and headed to Florida, rates can range from $625 to $2,300.
See more information at the official hotel site and book there if you’re using or cashing in Bonvoy Rewards points. Otherwise compare rates at Booking.com and keep in mind that there is a $35 per day resort fee that may or may not show up in the initial price, plus the local taxes.
Review and photos by editor Tim Leffel, an occasional Tampa Bay resident who popped over to the resort for a property tour and lunch at The Deep End poolside. As always, all opinions are his own.
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