HotelChatter

While browsing the kit can seem overwhelming at first (there's a lot to look at!), it's actually full of pretty useful information. You know when you arrive at a hotel and you look up what to do in the area in the in-room compendum? The kits have all this information plus video, photos and useful links. And the best part is that you can learn all this before you even book the hotel.

Under the Tour & Explore category, you can see where the best spots are for different groups and interests like families, outdoor activities, the perfect vacation snapshot or where to go at night. For instance, we clicked "Family Fun" in the kit for the Aruba Marriott and Stellaris Casino and four spots were highlighted on the island. One was the Baby Beach where parents can take their toddlers as the water never rises above the waist. Not that we have babies of our own but we liked that thoughtfulness.

However, the most important section to check out is probably the Resort Revealed where you can find video room tours and learn about the rest of the services at the resort. We also like the Escape Now feature which shows you flights to the destination from major U.S. hubs.

Overall, these kits are huge improvements from Marriott's usually bland and uniform websites. And this should help you have a better idea of what your resort will look like and will have to offer before you get there.

As of right now, there's only kits available for the Aruba Marriott, the St. Kitts Marriott Resort and The Royal Beach Casino and the St. Thomas Frenchman’s Reef & Morningstar Resort. The rest of the kits are expected to be up by December 1st.

Related Stories:
· Paradise By Marriott [Official Site]