JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa - Press Kits

Approachable luxury with a Mayan Spirit
The JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa is the first JW resort in the Marriott and Renaissance Offshore Resorts portfolio. This prestigious resort is focused on satisfying the seasoned traveler who is looking for comfortable surroundings, with an emphasis on personalized service.

All bathrooms are equipped with double sinks, separate bath & shower, vanity mirror and ample space for personal effects.

High-speed wireless Internet access is available in all rooms and public areas throughout the resort.

ROOM CATEGORY BREAK DOWN (ALL WITH OCEAN VIEW)

STANDARD
Rooms with king-sized beds = 209
Non-smoking = 171 / Smoking = 38
Rooms with two double beds =165
Non-smoking = 135 / Smoking = 30
Standard Room Total = 374
Connecting Rooms Total = 54 (King-sized bed with 2 double beds)
Room dimensions: 467.48 ft.² / 43.43 mts²
Balcony dimensions: 85.84 ft.² / 7.98 mts²
All rooms have a private balcony with a variety of luxurious amenities.

SUITE CATEGORY and DESCRIPTION (74)

Note all connecting rooms will be charged separately
Non-smoking floors: 1°,2°,3°, 4°, 6°, 7°, 8°, 10°, 11°, 12°, 14°

Wheel-chair accessible rooms:

• There are 4 ADA compliant rooms on floors 1,6,7 and 8 with adjoining rooms available (120, 633, 729,829)
• These rooms are the same size as regular rooms, except for the bathrooms, which are larger
• Bathrooms are easily accessible by wheel chair
• Toilet with handrails (the toilet is the same size as those in standard rooms)
• Bathtub with handrail
• Doorway entrance measures 36 inches
• 2 peepholes in room door, standard and wheel chair height
• All restaurants and out-door areas are wheel chair accessible

ACTIVITIES AT LEISURE

Guests of the JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa have the fabulous beaches of the Caribbean at their doorstep and the history, culture and endless environmental attractions of Mexico within a few hours drive. Following are a selection of attractions in and around Cancun that highlight the diversity of the region. The hotel's concierge can arrange tours and tickets to all of these attractions.

The City of Cancun

Folkloric Ballet
The world renowned "National Folkloric Ballet Mexico" offers visitors a taste of Mexico's rich culture in a procession highlighting regional customs and costumes with live music, dance and theater. The ballet is performed every evening from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The cost is approximately $40 including a dinner buffet and open bar.

Bullfights
This Mexican tradition is held in Cancun's bullring every Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. The presentation begins with a folkloric ballet; followed by a performance of the Charros, a Mexican rodeo; and finally the bullfighters challenge the bulls. The cost is approximately $33.

Caribbean Carnival
Cruise to Isla Mujeres for a nighttime beach party with live music, tropical show and dancing. The evening also features a buffet dinner, open bar, contests and prizes. The cost is approximately $52.

Open-Air Craft Markets
Visitors can bargain with vendors in the many open-air markets downtown including Ki-Huie, Plaza Garibaldi, Plaza Carrillos and Coral Negro. Mexican pottery, jewelry and other souvenirs are all displayed for sale.

Shopping
Cancun offers some of the finest shopping malls in the world with more than 200 boutiques. The hotel zone shopping malls are a 5-minute taxi ride from the resort and the downtown malls are 20 minutes by taxi. The duty-free limit for Mexico is $400.

Ecotourism Sites

Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
Located 80 miles south of Cancun, this 1.3 million-acre national park was set aside by the Mexican Government for protection in 1986 and named an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve contains a tropical forest, mangrove swamp, coral barrier reef, archeological ruins, salt marshes, and unspoiled Caribbean beaches. It offers educational programs for visitors as well as local villagers, mostly Mayans, who farm the land and fish the waters. More than 300 species coexist in the Reserve, including jaguar, ocelot, puma, peccary, and manatees. The goal is to preserve the ecology and enable the population to sustain itself naturally. There are about 20 archeological sites within the reserve, linked by the only known Mayan canal system. Archeologists believe Mayan traders used the canal to travel from cities in the forest to the great city of Tulúm on the Caribbean coast.

Xcaret
Xcaret is a 150-acre ecological water park featuring lagoon snorkeling, botanical gardens, a bird feeding aviary and the opportunity to swim with the dolphins. Visitors can also float down an underground river through limestone caves and grottos, or relax on the beach of a private cove. The park is approximately one hour south of Cancun.

Akumal
Akumal is one of the best snorkeling and dive sites on the Yucatan's Caribbean coast. The coral reefs contain more than 300 kinds of fish and several caves are home to Mexican sea turtles. Akumal is 59 miles south of Cancun.

Aktun Chen
Located about an hour from Cancun on the road to Tulúm is Aktun Chen, a 988-acre nature park whose name means “cave with an underground river inside.” The park features three caves containing thousands of stalactites, stalagmites and other natural formations as well as a small informal restaurant and trails where visitors can spot local wildlife.

Mayan Ruin Sites

Tulúm
Set on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, Tulúm once served as the seminary and retreat house for the high priests of Chichén Itzá. A protective stone wall encloses the landward side of the only known Mayan fortified town on the coast. One of the Mayan's last settlements, which flourished from 1200 AD to the time of the Spanish conquest, Tulúm was still occupied when the Spaniards conquered the area in 1544. Three hundred years later, rebel Mayans fighting the Caste War fled to Tulúm for sanctuary. This site is just 80 miles south of Cancun and is the easiest archeological day trip from the resort.

Cobá
Thirty miles west of Tulúm is Cobá, a huge Mayan city that flourished from 600 to 900 AD, preceding Chichén Itzá. The lofty pyramids and buildings are reminiscent of those farther south in Tikal, Guatemala, and it is thought that Cobá was a trading center where southern Mayans came to buy northern goods.

Chichén Itzá
One of the largest and best-restored ancient cities in Mexico, Chichén Itzá is a two-hour drive west of Cancun. Chichén Itzá existed from 450 to 1200 AD, flourishing primarily in its last 300 years. The Mayan city was at some point taken over by the Toltecs, whose culture, ideology and architecture were integrated with that of the Mayans.

Water Sports

Deep Sea Fishing
The Yucatan's beautiful turquoise waters are considered to be one of the Caribbean's richest fishing sites. Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Cozumel are all ideal starting points for a deep sea fishing excursion. The resort's concierge can make arrangements for boat rentals, private charters and fishing guides.

SCUBA Diving and Snorkeling
The reefs on Cancun's coast make the region a world-class diving and snorkeling mecca. There are eleven reefs in Cancun averaging 35' to 60' in depth. Beginning divers can choose from a variety of sites including La Bandera Reef, Cuevones Reef and Los Manchones Reef. More experienced divers will enjoy diving in the open sea at such sites as El Tunel Reef, San Toibio Reef and San Miguel Reef. Complimentary SCUBA diving and snorkeling lessons are provided at the hotel's swimming pool, and arrangements can be made for excursions by the concierge.

Isla Mujeres
A thirty-minute cruise across the turquoise waters of Isla Mujeres Bay brings divers and snorkelers to this quiet island retreat. Underwater enthusiasts can explore the reef and lagoons. There is also a small fishing village with many boutiques.

Palancar Reef
Jacques Cousteau discovered Cozumel's Palancar Reef 26 years ago. As the second largest coral reef (second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia), Palancar Reef is over 1,200 miles long and boasts some of the Yucatan Peninsula's most outstanding flora and fauna, as well as a variety of underwater species.

Wet'n Wild Water Park
Cancun's newest attraction, the Wet'n Wild water park offers 17.6 acres of aquatic excitement with 787 feet of beach. Activities include a wave pool with the capacity to create waves over 12 feet high, seven different water slides, a kids pool, a dolphin encounter program and a beach club with a marina, volley ball courts, and jet ski and wave runner rentals.

Championship Golf

Pok-ta-Pok Golf Club
The Pok-ta-Pok Golf Course is located less than five miles from the CasaMagna Marriott Cancun on an islet in the middle of the Nichupte Lagoon. The 18-hole, par-73 course was designed by renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones. Each hole is more than 100 meters apart and interconnected by tunnels and bridges. Relics from the Mayan culture are integrated into the course, adding to the challenge of the game. The resort's golf package includes green fees, cart rental and round trip transportation to the course.

Caesar's Park Golf Club
Caesar's Park Golf Club, designed by Aoki Corporation, is a par-72, 18-hole championship course.

The JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa offers approximately 20,300 square feet of flexible space for corporate meetings and social events. The resort can accommodate groups up to 1,800 for receptions and 1,100 for banquets. The JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa has earned such awards as Successful Meetings’ “Pinnacle Award” for 2002.

TULUM GRAND BALLROOM
The Tulum Grand Ballroom features 14,432 square feet of meeting and function space. The room is equipped to handle a wide variety of functions and events accommodating groups of 1,300 in an auditorium or cocktail setting, 800 people classroom style or 1,100 as a banquet. The room is divisible into two equal sections or up to eight smaller sections.

UXMAL AND CHICHEN ITZA MEETING ROOMS
The Uxmal I & II and Chichen Itza I & II meeting rooms offer 1,288 square feet when I & II are combined, or 644 square feet when either room I or II is chosen. These flexible rooms can accommodate up to 100 people in an auditorium setting, 50 people in a classroom or banquet setup, 45 people conference style, 40 people in a horseshoe (U-shape) arrangement, or 70 people for a cocktail party when rooms I & II are joined. When divided, each room can accommodate exactly half those numbers.

COBA MEETING ROOM
The Coba meeting room features 1,287 square feet of meeting space. This room can accommodate 80 people when used for a cocktail party or banquet, 60 people as an auditorium, 50 in a classroom setting, 30 for a conference, or 25 when the seating is arranged in a horseshoe, or U, shape.

PALENQUE AND TIKAL MEETING ROOMS
The Palenque and Tikal meeting rooms, located side-by-side, each offer 544 square feet of meeting space. Both can accommodate 30 people for a cocktail party or banquet, and 20 people for a standard or a horseshoe conference room setup. The Palenque room can hold up to 40 people in an auditorium setting and 30 in a classroom setting, while the Tikal room can accommodate 30 people auditorium style and 20 classroom style.

BALLROOM FOYER
In addition to the meeting rooms and ballroom, the JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa also features a ballroom foyer offering approximately 3,000 square feet of gathering space. When used for a cocktail party, this space can accommodate up to 600 people.

In addition, the resort offers outdoor reception areas ideal for more casual gatherings.

RESORT SERVICES AND THEME PARTIES
The JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa’s multilingual meeting professionals and innovative creative team know how to make things happen...in style. An in-house audio-visual department is available to assist groups with any technical needs. Marriott’s catering professionals have created a wide range of menus to suit any function that can be customized upon request. Signature theme parties feature props, appropriate menus and music.

The resort also offers a business center with a library and lounge area as well as private office space, conference rooms, workstations, fax, photocopying and secretarial services. On-site professional meeting planners can handle all the details of any event. Groups will also enjoy the services of a personal concierge while on property.

CONTACT
Barbara Schmaelzle
Director of Group Sales Marriott and Renaissance Caribbean & Mexico Resorts
Phone: 407.891.9843
Spanish-speaking customers: 1.800.489.2500.

The Marriott Kids program is available year-round for children ages four through 12 and offers a variety of scheduled activities supervised by a team of certified recreation professionals. The Marriott Kids’ facilities are located at the CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort, adjacent to the JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa.

Marriott Kids is available from 10am to 4pm and features daily activities including coconut bowling, Spanish lessons, sand castle contests, arts and crafts, water balloon games, baseball, soccer, movies and much more.

Every day at 9:45am a Marriott Kids staff member will be in the lobby area to meet children participating in the program. Children will be returned at 4:15 pm in the lobby area.

All facilities, activities, food and beverage services have been designed around the safety and entertainment of your children. The staff have been trained and certified to take care of your kids, so that you can be confident that your kids will be safe.

A full-day package costs $20 USD per child and includes lunch. A partial day rate of $3.50 USD per child, lunch not included, is also available.

BABY-SITTING
Baby-sitting services are available and costs are as follows: $10 per hour for one child, $12 per hour for two children, $14 per hour for three children, and $16 per hour for four children (three hour minimum). A babysitting transportation fee of $9 is also charged.

The full-time concierge at the JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa can provide recommendations on family-friendly excursions and activities.