Construction activity has begun at the long-teased hotel site in East Naples, signaling that the dream of a downtown JW Marriott may finally be entering a tangible phase. Fencing is now in place around the parcel at 2096 Tamiami Trail East — the site formally known in planning documents as the Palm Street Hotel — and site work is underway. (site work start announced Sept. 15)

Earlier approvals cleared the path: final site development plans were approved in mid-August by Collier County’s Growth Management / Community Development Department. The approved project calls for a six-story, 331-room luxury JW Marriott hotel.

What We Know So Far

  • The site preparation phase has begun. Fencing installed is typically the first step in securing the construction zone, clearing vegetation, surveying, and mobilizing heavy equipment.

  • The permitted design: a mid-rise luxury lodging structure with full amenities — part of a broader push to bring higher-tier hospitality offerings to Naples.

  • The East Naples location along Tamiami Trail positions the hotel at a key corridor for visibility and accessibility.

Why This Matters for Naples & Collier County

  1. Filling a luxury lodging gap
    Naples has long lacked ultra-luxury branded hotels within its urban core outside of coastal resort zones. JW Marriott would elevate the city’s hospitality portfolio and potentially draw higher-spend visitors and conventions.

  2. Catalyst for commercial and retail growth
    A brand-name hotel often acts as an anchor for supporting retail, hospitality, dining, and service businesses. The presence of a JW Marriott may boost nearby property values and trigger mixed-use development interest.

  3. Traffic & infrastructure implications
    A large hotel adds demand for parking, roads, utilities, drainage, and traffic circulation. County and city planners will need to ensure adjacent streets and infrastructure can support the increased load.

  4. Risks of scale and absorption
    A 331-room hotel is ambitious. It must prove demand exists for high-end room rates, events, weddings, and group stays over the long term. Market softness or oversupply in hotel space regionally could be headwinds.

What to Watch

  • Timeline updates — When will full vertical construction begin? How long to topping out?

  • Operator / brand confirmation — While JW Marriott is the brand in planning docs, final operator selection and hotel management contracts will matter.

  • Design reveal & amenities — What kind of restaurants, conference/banquet spaces, spa, rooftop features might the hotel include?

  • Retail / commercial integration — Will the project include ground-floor commercial fronts or adjacent mixed-use expansions?

  • Community response — Neighbors and neighborhood associations may raise concerns about noise, height, traffic, and shadowing.