JW Marriott Gold Coast Review: Is This the Best Family Resort in Surfers Paradise?

Looking for an honest JW Marriott Gold Coast review? We stayed at this five-star Surfers Paradise resort to find out whether it’s really worth the premium price for families.

Famous for its tropical saltwater lagoon filled with fish, heated pools and outstanding buffet breakfast, the JW Marriott is one of the Gold Coast’s most popular luxury resorts. But with premium prices comes high expectations.

After spending time at the resort as a family, here’s everything you need to know – including what we loved, what could be improved and whether we’d stay again.

Watch our JW Marriott Gold Coast video review

Below, we’ve expanded on everything featured in the video, including our favourite experiences, dining, pools, rooms and whether we think the JW Marriott Gold Coast is worth the price for families.

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What we loved about the JW Marriott Surfers Paradise

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The saltwater lagoon is unlike any other Gold Coast hotel

Both you and the kids are going to love this saltwater lagoon at the JW Marriott Gold Coast. Like the heated pool (yep, there’s one of those, too), it’s surrounded by pool loungers and beach cabanas. Except this lagoon has sandy edges and a bottom.

Because the lagoon is quite shallow around the edges, it’s a really good spot to teach younger kids to snorkel. The depth goes down to a whopping four metres in one section, and while it’s not like swimming over bright-coloured coral in say the South Pacific or The Great Barrier Reef, it’s still really cool and totally unexpected. There’s even a waterfall at the deeper end of the pool.

Make sure you head down to the Surfers Paradise Marriott’s lagoon after breakfast at 9:30 am as there is a daily fish feeding session, and the kids will get a chance to feed the fish.

The heated pools keep kids entertained for hours

Pool highlights include:

• Saltwater lagoon with fish (you can snorkel)
• Heated pool
• Waterslide
• Waterfalls
• Hot spa

The heated pool is just amazing. Seriously, you’re not going to need to even leave the resort to keep everyone entertained. Now, this isn’t just your average pool. This one kinda snakes around the grounds of the resort, and there are waterfalls, a bit of a current to float you around, a fun slide and heaps of pool loungers and cabanas around the edges.

Chill out in the Queensland sun on the loungers and order your food straight from a QR code on the little tables next to your lounger. The JW Marriott Gold Coast staff will bring it straight to you.

Don’t leave your lunch unattended, though, as the bin chickens are pretty quick here.

There’s a hidden hot spa

Remember I mentioned there were waterfalls in the pool area? Well, there’s also a sneakily hidden hot spa behind one of those waterfalls at the JW Marriott Gold Coast. It would be romantic if you weren’t here with the kids, but it’s still really nice to lounge around in it, even with the kids.

Citrique serves one of the best buffet breakfasts on the Gold Coast

Don’t come here thinking you’re going to stick to a diet because Citrique Restaurant at the JW Marriott Gold Coast is to die for. Although it’s an upmarket-style restaurant, kids are welcome here, and there’s even a dedicated kids’ menu. So if you’ve got fussy eaters, you don’t have to waste big dollars on a meal they won’t actually eat.

I’m a massive fan of the buffet breakfast, and this one didn’t disappoint. The seafood buffet lunch is amazing, and it’s a proper seafood buffet, not just a token one with some prawns. If anyone in your group doesn’t actually like seafood, go ahead and still book in because there are heaps of other options at the buffet as well.

The seafood buffet is available Friday and Saturday from 5:30 pm and Sunday for lunch from 12:00 pm. For the foodies out there, this is a highlight of staying at the JW Marriott Surfers Paradise.

An a-la-carte service is available Monday to Thursday from 6:00 pm with a choice of two or three-course a-la-carte or a six-course degustation. We had the three-course a-la-carte, but honestly, the meals were pretty decent sized as far as a-la-carte goes, and two-course would have been enough.

If you get a chance, visit Misono, which boasts a live sushi table, whisky bar and traditional Teppanyaki dining. It’s open Tuesday through to Sunday from 5:30 pm. Room service is also on the menu.

Spacious modern rooms

The rooms and grounds are not just kinda nice, but really nice. Which is what you expect from a luxury hotel. As your first introduction to the JW Marriorr Gold Coast, the lobby is classy with a grand staircase, high ceilings and a lot of open space.

The rooms themselves are clean and modern, with fantastic views of either the ocean or mountainside of the Gold Coast. There are also some nice little touches with the amenities in the bathrooms.

Room types that will fit a family include a two-double mountain view, two-double ocean view, interconnecting rooms and a range of signature accommodation suites.

Excellent service

It starts with friendly and helpful reception staff, and it just gets better. The JW Marriott Gold Coast also has a turndown service, so a staff member comes by in the early evening and knocks on your door to check if you need anything and hands out some chocolate. It’s the good stuff, too!

My only peeve was a sales guy in the lobby who was always trying to get our attention on the way out to sell timeshare. He was friendly and not too pushy, but I found this a little bit annoying in a luxury hotel.

There’s a free recreational area and gym

On level three, you’ll find a 24-hour gym with modern equipment, a multi-purpose court, and a tennis court. Sporting equipment like tennis racquets, balls etc., are complimentary and can be found in large tubs on the court.

The multi-purpose court is quite well thought out, with basketball hoops and markings on the ground for various games like hopscotch and handball. It’s pretty easy to get the kids to take a break from screen time at the JW Marriott Gold Coast.

You can create memories at the JW Marriott Gold Coast

The JW Marriott Gold Coast has a few unique experiences that are particularly suited to families. These include:

• Hire a sea scooter and snorkel for the saltwater lagoon.
• Book into a pizza-making class, which includes selecting produce from the JW Garden.
• Join one of their experienced sushi chefs and learn how to make the real deal.
• Learn the art of chocolate making with a pastry chef.
• Create your own healthy juice and mocktails using elements from the JW Garden.
• Go on a self-guided scavenger hunt and discover some fun facts about the resort.
• Join in the daily fish feeding at the tropical lagoon.

The location is second to none

Located on Ferny Avenue in the popular area of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, the JW Marriott is in a top location to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Surfers Paradise, Sea World, the river waterways and all the attractions of Surfers.

• Cavill Ave – 1.7 km
• Sea World – 4.5 km
• HOTA – 2.9 km
• Marina Mirage – 4 km

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Is the JW Marriott Gold Coast worth it?

Pros

• Amazing lagoon
• Heated pool
• Great breakfast
• Friendly staff
• Excellent location

Cons

• Expensive
• Paid parking
• Timeshare desk that you have to walk past to get to the elevator
• Double rooms not the largest

The JW Marriott Gold Coast is a top choice for families looking for a luxury 5-star getaway on the Gold Coast. Although some luxury resorts leave you feeling like you should have just booked into a cheaper hotel, you really do feel like you get what you pay for here. Our verdict? Totally worth it.

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FAQ

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