Further adventures in Florida

We were staying at the Marriott resort and we didn't arrive until after 10pm. The room we were shown to was great – I was impressed by the size and décor. It was large and well laid out with lots of wardrobe space. We tried out the sushi bar in reception that evening which was lovely.

In the morning I opened the curtains and was speechless at the view that greeted me! From our 10th floor balcony, the view over the beach and the gulf was just stunning! As it had been dark when we arrived I hadn't even realised we were right on the beach!

The Marriott is a resort hotel so there was a lot going on. There was a full calendar of activities for both kids and adults. The pools were fantastic – a few to choose from and then there was the beach which was simply stunning. I have to say I thought this beach was even nicer than Siesta Beach - long, wide and white.

I took the time to check out the spa which was amazing! It has its own ‘chill-out’ area, a great range of services and I would highly recommend it. The staff were lovely too!

One night we tried out Quinn's beachside restaurant and again the service and food was excellent. There's a small arcade for the kids as well as a children’s pool to keep the little ones entertained and happy.

The hotel has a good range of rooms from standard up to 2 bedroom suites as well as some inter connecting rooms that turn into gorgeous larger suites with amazing gulf views. The staff were excellent and nothing was too much trouble and I definitely see myself returning.

Marco Island itself is pretty small and we didn't find too much to do, but it's very picturesque. It's not far from Naples so we decided to take a trip there one lunch time. The beaches are lovely and the old town is very quaint with a nice range of boutiques and bistros. There's also a large mall on the outskirts if you fancy doing a spot of shopping.

After Marco Island we decided to head back up to Orlando, but as it is quite a drive we decided to take the scenic route and go over the Sunshine Skyway bridge which was amazing! We decided to spend a night in St Petersburg and stopped at the Marriott. Again the staff were great and our room was spacious, clean and quiet. It's located just off the road and is easy to drive into Clearwater, St Petersburg or Tampa.

We went into St Peterburg Bay that evening and it was lovely strolling along the harbour and watching the world go by as we ate ice cream!

The next day we stopped off at Clearwater to check out the gorgeous beach before heading into Tampa and back up to Orlando. It was a great road trip and we saw some awesome places and would definitely recommend getting a car and exploring Florida!

Drop me a line or call me if you want any more information.