By Danny and Alice Scott, Couple of Travelers
JW Marriott Turnberry Miami Resort & Spa
A-listers arrive daily to this exquisite resort where every guest feels special when escorted to their room with a balcony in one of the four floral towers. The Orchid tower is three years young from the 4th to 17th floor where the balcony delivers a knockout view of the pristine courses and Cascata pool, Aventura skyscrapers and ocean beyond with parrots flying by. Every service, morsel and amenity are top notch at JW Turnberry, the #1 resort in Florida – winner of Conde Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Award for three consecutive years in a row.
The 300-acre tropical paradise is home to the Miller and Soffer courses, originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr and redesigned by World Golf Hall of Famer Raymond Floyd. They play host to South Florida PGA and LPGA championships and many corporate and charity events. The Miller course around Lake Julius has more of a Country Club feel while Soffer is a championship course beginning with a babbling brook along the left that crescendos to the side of the green with a mighty waterfall. Don’t let the cadence lull you into complacency. Water on most holes between the palm lined corridors create a challenge for golfers and a natural habitat for birds and iguanas of all shades and sizes that form a unique gallery.
After golf, visit Ame Spa, lounge by the Cascata pool or head to the Tidal Cove Waterpark for a float on the lazy river, exhilarating water slides or even learn to surf on the Flow Rider Triple. When hungry and thirsty, the culinary experience at the “Berry” is amazing whether poolside, at the fine Bourbon Steakhouse or at Corsair by the golf courses where we met Alice Cooper having breakfast during a rest between his North American Tour stops. Menus throughout are creatively varied as are the signature cocktails like Bourbon on the Green.
The Turnberry concierge is ready to assist with activities and tours around Miami for nightlife, Everglades, Little Havana, Star Island and more. That’s if you ever want to leave your balcony. Close to Miami, Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airports, say yes to the address at www.jwturnberry.com
