JW Marriott’s latest property will benefit from a multimillion-dollar overhaul (Picture: gcmag)

Marriott International’s flagship JW Marriott brand is to make its first appearance in Australia following an ambitious $35 million rebrand of Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa, Queensland.

JW Marriott has revealed plans to debut in Australia with the opening of JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa. We take a closer look at this exciting property.

A stylish retreat near the Gold Coast’s beaches

Upon its completion in December 2020, the $35 million rebrand, which will see the transformation of Queensland’s iconic ​Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa into JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, promises to set a new standard of luxury for discerning travellers seeking a tropical retreat near Brisbane.

“We are excited to announce the debut of our flagship JW Marriott brand here in Australia with the opening of JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa,” said Sean Hunt, area vice president for Australia, New Zealand and Pacific, Marriott International.

“The opening will signal the continued expansion of our luxury footprint in Australia as we continue to see strong demand within the luxury travel segment here. The JW Marriott brand, with its distinctive luxury philosophy, will resonate with these travellers, who seek exceptional, thoughtfully crafted services and experiences.”

Design that encapsulates the natural surroundings

JW Marriott tasked award-winning Australian design studio DBI, which was the original architect behind the property, with reimagining the resort’s tropical design, elevating it to the brand’s high standards of modern luxury.

Following this brief, the 223-key property has been designed to reflect its natural surroundings, with new-look guestrooms that draw inspiration from the local landscape through the use of natural materials and a choice of ocean and hinterland views. This same theme then runs throughout the rest of the hotel, from its two restaurants and lobby lounge and bar to the new Japanese whisky bar with outdoor terrace and café and in-house provedore JW Marketplace.

The main restaurant Citrique will now feature an interactive show kitchen placing fresh local produce at the heart of its menu, while the resort’s teppanyaki restaurant Misono is expanding to incorporate an ‘avenue’ of Japanese dining experiences. An indoor-outdoor lounge and bar will connect the resort with the external swimming area, while the Pool Bar continues to offer poolside dining options.

The new resort is also setting its sights on becoming a magnet for conferences and events in Queensland. The property has 2,000 sq m of state-of-the-art function space featuring ten scalable meeting rooms, including the 715 sq m JW Ballroom and pool-view 276 sq m junior ballroom that’s as well-suited to weddings as it is to corporate events.

“We are absolutely delighted to be embarking on the transformation of our tropical paradise oasis to offer genuine luxury experiences here on the golden beaches of the Gold Coast,” said Ravinder Dhesi, general manager of JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa. “We look forward to welcoming our guests back to our enhanced resort.”