JW Marriott Marco Welcomes New Executive Chef and Plans More Dining Changes

The resort officially joined the top tier of the Marriott brand in January, but it’s making improvements to its culinary offerings as part of a continued $320 million renovation.

Just when we thought things were slowing down, the now-JW Marriott on Marco Island (the hospitality company’s equivalent of foie gras and Lafite) is reminding us its race to become one of Florida’s premier hotels is still going strong.

Eric Vasta has been named the executive chef for the entire resort. An alum of iconic properties such as the Fontainebleau in Miami, the Four Seasons in Chicago and the New York Palace, he most recently held the same position at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai.

Here he is overseeing the culinary program, and he has a deep field of talent in his ward, including Gerald Sombright, chef de cuisine of Ario. The steak and seafood fine dining establishment was one of the first big changes the resort unfurled a year ago (it replaced the former Kurrants), and since then Sombright has made a name for himself locally and on a national level, appearing on Top Chef.

In addition to working with Sombright and the other chefs to keep the hotel’s nine eateries (which have all been refreshed as part of the marathon overhaul) in ship shape and starting an on-site garden to shorten the supply chain for fresh produce, Vasta will also be deeply involved in the launch of an adults-only rooftop restaurant with a celebrity chef’s name attached to it. It will anchor a tower that’s under construction and expected to debut later this year.

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