What started out looking like a beautiful resort quickly turned into one of the most frustrating hotel experiences I've had in years.
We booked two rooms for our family—one room for the adults and one room for the kids. When making the reservation, we specifically requested connecting rooms because we're traveling with children. Upon arrival, we discovered not only were the rooms not connected, but they weren't even on the same floor. Trying to manage kids in separate rooms on different floors of a large resort is completely unreasonable and defeats the entire purpose of requesting connecting accommodations in the first place.
The front desk offered little in the way of solutions, and we were essentially told to accept it. For a property that markets itself as a luxury family resort, this was a terrible way to start our vacation.
Unfortunately, the problems didn't stop there.
The most unbelievable part of our stay occurred late at night. From approximately 11:00 PM until nearly 2:00 AM, maintenance personnel were repeatedly loading, unloading, moving equipment, slamming carts, and creating enough noise to continuously wake us up. Every time we started to fall asleep, another loud bang, crash, or movement would wake us again.
I called the front desk three separate times asking for assistance. Each time I was assured someone would look into it. At one point I was even told they couldn't find anything causing the disturbance. Meanwhile, the noise continued for hours. It wasn't until a security guard was finally sent that the activity suddenly stopped, which made it pretty clear the issue existed all along.
By that point, we were absolutely exhausted and beyond frustrated. We had an early morning flight and a 4:00 AM wake-up call, meaning we got almost no meaningful sleep. Spending thousands of dollars to lay awake half the night listening to maintenance operations is not exactly the luxury resort experience we were promised.
The room itself also showed significant signs of neglect. The shower head wouldn't stay in position, several tiles were worn and damaged, finishes throughout the room looked tired, and numerous maintenance items appeared to have been ignored for quite some time. The property photographs much better than it actually performs.
What was most disappointing is that every issue on its own might have been manageable. Hotels make mistakes. Rooms occasionally have maintenance problems. But when you combine the room assignment issue, the complete lack of sleep, the poor response from staff, and the overall worn condition of the accommodations, it becomes impossible to overlook.
For a stay that exceeded $7,000, our expectations were understandably high. We weren't expecting perfection, but we certainly expected competence, responsiveness, and accommodations that reflected the premium rates being charged. Instead, the experience felt closer to a 3-star resort charging 5-star prices.
The grounds are attractive, and the property has potential, but the guest experience simply does not justify the cost. There are far too many excellent resorts in South Florida to spend this kind of money and receive this level of service.
As a Marriott member, this experience was particularly disappointing. Marriott has built a reputation that I've generally trusted, which is why I chose this property in the first place. Unfortunately, this stay fell so far below expectations that I genuinely question whether I would ever return to this resort or recommend it to friends, family, or colleagues.
If you're planning a trip to Aventura and considering the JW Marriott Turnberry, I would strongly encourage you to explore other options before committing. We left frustrated, exhausted, and feeling like we paid luxury prices for an experience that was anything but luxurious.
