Tidal Cove at the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort and Spa in Miami

On a recent holiday visit to see family who live in southern Florida (we’ve visited many times- see our West Palm Beach City Guide here), we were looking for a new spot to explore. My brother shared that the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort and Spa always received high praise from people in the area and would be a great fit with our families. We booked an overnight stay at the Turnberry and had a wonderful time!

The Turnberry Resort and Spa is a JW Marriott property, one of the brand’s luxury level resorts, that spans over 300 acres in northern Miami.The property opened in the early 1970s, with extensive renovations and additions in the 1990s, and the acquisition as a JW Marriott property in 2018, including the addition of the Tidal Cove Waterpark. The resort is well known for its championship golf courses and luxury spa, numerous dining options, a private marina with guest boat rentals, and several family friendly amenities and attractions. The Turnberry frequently receives accolades, including Travel and Leisure’s list of the “World’s Best Resorts”. 

Staying on property: The Turnberry offers close to 700 rooms and suites spread across four towers.  Room options include traditional rooms with resort or golf course views (each room has a balcony) to one and two bedroom suites (up to 2400 square feet in size!) with ocean or golf course views. The bathrooms were impressively large with separate showers and bathtubs and well appointed amenities.  Note: The Jasmine Tower is the building closest to Tidal Cove with the easiest accessibility.

Eating on property: The Turnberry offers several great dining options on site:

• Corsair Kitchen and Bar is the main restaurant, open for breakfast (AMAZING buffet that is included in a hotel stay for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum+ members), lunch, and dinner, and is very family friendly. The restaurant does have outdoor dining with views of one of the golf courses.
• Surf House Bar and Grill is a poolside, casual option for lunch and snacks (open 11am-5pm). There is poolside and take out services, as well as tables and chairs to dine next to the FlowRider Experience. 
• Freestyle is also located inside Tidal Cove and offers poolside and take out services and plenty of kid friendly options like pizzas, chicken fingers, burgers, pizzas and quesadillas. There is also a separate section for delicious gelato.  Open from 9am-5pm.
• Starbucks is located next to the Spa, on the right side of the main entrance to the resort. Open every day from 6am-6pm.
• Bourbon Steak (open for dinner each night) and Soff’s Lobby Lounge (drinks only from 4pm-11pm) are best suited for adults.

Tidal Cove Waterpark: The five acre waterpark, located on the Turnberry Resort property, opened in 2019 after a renovation and addition to the Turnberry Resort. The waterpark includes the massive 7,800 square foot Laguna Pool (zero entry and depths up to five feet), Kids Cove (over 4,000 square feet of swimming space and a playscape with miniature slides and a dump bucket), a Lazy River (that runs through a large portion of the park, FlowRider (see how long you can stay on the surfboard or even take a lesson from a certified instructor), and FIVE waterslides at the top of a 60 foot tower (Aqua Drop, Boomerango, Constrictor, Whizzard, and Master Blaster). Note that some of the waterslides have height and weight restrictions. 

Admission to Tidal Cove is included in a stay at the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort. Tidal Cove does offer limited daily passes- more information here– and children ages three and younger are free with a paid day pass. Staff provide lounge chair covers and towels for all guests and there is plenty of space- both shaded and sunny- to lounge. 

We visited on a busy day of a holiday week and the space did not feel crowded or noisy at all. The staff is pleasant and attentive, and does a great job of keeping everyone safe while also being welcoming and kind. Lines for the popular water slides were far shorter than most waterparks. Every space we explored was clean and staff was constantly refreshing towels and attending to guests’ needs with food and drinks. 

Logistics: 

• Tidal Cove is open from 9am-5pm everyday; waterslides open at 10am, and most dining is open by 11am.  Information on day passes here. 
• Guests enter Tidal Cove through the gift shop (to the left on the main resort entrance). The gift shop has swimwear apparel, other swim necessities like hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses, and plenty of sweet treats and souvenirs. 
• All guests must go through a bag check and check in to receive wristbands. Outside food and beverages are not allowed inside the park.
• Paid self parking (a daily rate of $36) is located in a garage across the main entrance to the resort; there is a handicap lot in front of Tidal Cove.
• Restrooms and changing rooms are available throughout Tidal Cove- directly next to the entrance/ exit and Gift Shop, and near the Surf House Bar and Grill. 
• There are many Cabana rental options– check here for pricing and availability. All 25 cabana (spaced out throughout Tidal Cove with locations near the Kids Cove, FlowRider, Lazy River, Oasis, and main pool area) include flat screen televisions, safes, stocked mini fridge, plenty of seating, and food and beverage service. 
• Dining Options (see our note above) include Freestyle and the Surf House Bar and Grill.

Other amenities  at the Turnberry Resort:

• Âme Spa and Wellness Center: With offerings that include everything from massages, facials, and full salon services to fitness classes and group exercise programs, the Spa and Wellness Center is open every day from 8am-6pm and is a great spot for a workout AND be pampered in one visit. See the full list of services here and the fitness schedule here. 
• Golf: The Turnberry is home to two 18 hole championship golf courses: The Soffer Course and the Miller Course. Bonus: Hotel guests under age 15 play for free with a paying adult everyday after 2:30pm.

Other nearby attractions: Located in Aventura, Florida (about 20 miles north of central Miami and 15 miles south of Fort Lauderdale), the area is home to the Aventura Mall (a massive luxury mall with over 300 retail shops and 50 restaurants!) and Heritage Park (playgrounds, splash pads, and sports fields).

Looking for some of our other favorite resorts? See our index here. And see this post about some of our other favorite Marriott properties.  And follow along on our adventures on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and X.