Martin Aquatic Recognized for 2022 Dream Designs Award

With the addition of first-in-class amenities at the prestigious Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort of Naples, Florida, Martin Aquatic’s work on the poolscape has been recognized by Aquatics International, netting the firm a 2022 Dream Designs Award.

Having completed construction in May of 2021, the new outdoor amenity called The Reservoir at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples showcases many new and engaging features available to the resort’s guests, including a 630-foot-long lazy river, slide tower, stylish adult pool with rentable cabanas, and children’s wet play structure. This project marked the first lazy river at a Ritz-Carlton property, as well as the first raft slide.

Another focus of this project was developing a poolscape that was accessible to family members of all ages, while upholding and further building upon the themes of luxury and style that patrons of Ritz-Carlton have come to expect. Because this property is the second Ritz-Carlton in the same town—the Ritz-Carlton, Naples is directly on the Gulf—it was decided that the poolscape for the Golf Resort couldn’t directly compete with the beachfront property, but still appeal to families in a different way.

“The owners sought to create a destination that people would want to visit and increase their length of stay, but with a waterpark experience that delivered the same luxury that guests expected at the Ritz-Carlton.” says Josh Martin, President and Creative Director of Martin Aquatic. “The attractive color scheme of cool blues and stark white doesn’t detract from the hotel’s ambiance, but enhances it in a crisp, modern way.”

Martin Aquatic’s attention to detail extended beyond the look and feel of the Reservoir project’s design, and into the precise engineering of the pools. Through an advanced simulation technology known as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling, Martin Aquatic developed an engineered design that precisely mapped the movement of the lazy river, offering the client a cost-effective solution without sacrificing quality. The CFD modeling allowed Martin Aquatic’s engineers to determine the exact number and placement of thruster pumps to propel the lazy river, rather than an educated guess on how to best create a uniform flow. This project helped Martin Aquatic set the standard for the company’s basis of design in all other aspects of engineering large and flowing bodies of water moving forward.

In addition to this project, Martin Aquatic has received numerous Dream Designs Awards for other waterparks, resort poolscapes, and athletic swimming facilities the team has been involved in. Some of these include Morgan’s Inspiration Island (a universally accessible water park garnering the award in 2017), Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort (a sophisticated poolscape honored for its unique water features and relaxing environment in 2021), and Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay Thrill Waterpark (the gamechanging private island destination offering ultimate thrills in a waterpark that won in 2020).