For this stay in New York, I chose the JW Marriott, a historic property located across from Central Park.
Booking
I made my reservation about six weeks before my arrival.
At the time of booking, I used a Nightly Upgrade Award, which secured me a suite upgrade that was confirmed three days before my arrival.
A few days prior to my check-in, I received a welcome email outlining the hotel’s facilities.
48 hours before my stay, I completed the online check-in via the Marriott Bonvoy app, indicating an arrival time of 12:00 p.m. and requesting a late check-out (guaranteed as per my Ambassador benefits).
I also received confirmation of the early check-in via email from my Marriott Ambassador.
Arrival
I arrive at the hotel by Uber from JFK airport for the modest sum of… $112! That’s the new American standard…
I headed straight to the reception and completed the check-in formalities. As previously confirmed, my suite was ready, and after explaining the hotel’s amenities, the receptionist directed me to the elevators.
The lobby and common areas are stunning and impeccably maintained.
Suite
My suite was located on the 11th floor.
As described, it didn’t offer any notable views, overlooking an interior courtyard instead.
The entry opens to a hallway with a powder room directly ahead.
On the left, a large lounge area is available, with a spacious table, a large corner sofa and a very comfortable armchair. Opposite the sofa is the TV, set above a cabinet that doubles as a minibar, this time fully stocked.
Continuing through, there’s the bedroom with a king-size bed flanked by two large nightstands, facing another television set above a wide dresser, perfect for a longer stay.
On the side, two closets provide additional storage.
Lastly, the bathroom completes the suite’s layout with a shower (with mediocre water pressure and a low showerhead), a bathtub, a single vanity (a bit disappointing for a suite), and, unfortunately, non-separated toilet facilities.
A comfortable suite, but the lack of view is a real problem. Decoration is passable, although more could have been done.
Hotel facilities
The hotel features a fitness center and a spa, both located on the third floor.
The spa does not offer a relaxation area with a sauna, steam room, or jacuzzi, and I didn’t have time for a massage on this occasion.
However, I did use the adjacent fitness center one morning during my stay.
The fitness center is embarrassingly small for the size of the hotel, and one morning, I gave up and decided to go for a jog in Central Park instead—a happy alternative!
The equipment is fairly old but in excellent working condition.
A few Peloton bikes have been recently added.
Catering
The hotel features a primary dining option, Bourbon Steak New York, with a menu crafted by celebrity chef Michael Mina, as well as an Executive Lounge accessible to Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members and above.
Dinner Service – Bourbon Steak New York
On my first night, I chose to dine at Bourbon Steak, the hotel’s restaurant located just off the lobby.
Even without a reservation, the delightful hostess found me a table quickly, and I was seated promptly.
The waiter was charming and professional, though another waitress was overly sweet and quite annoying.
The menu was to my taste and of good quality.
The prices were not modest.
I started with a Negroni, which was perfect.
As an amuse-bouche, various fries with dipping sauces were served—an original and comforting touch.
For the main course, I had the bacon-wrapped scallops with foie gras sauce which were outstanding, perfectly cooked.
As a side, I chose the truffle mac and cheese, which was also excellent.
Executive Lounge
The hotel has an Executive Lounge located on the ground floor, facing 58th Street.
It is open from 6.30am to 10pm and offers breakfast service from 6.30am to 10.30am, and a happy hour from 5pm to 8pm with hot snacks. Note that, as in most Executive Lounges in the USA,alcohol is charged during these happy hours.
The breakfast served in the lounge is of good quality. The buffet is of good quality and I’ll be enjoying it both mornings of my stay.
Service
While most of my service interactions during this stay were positive, I had one truly unpleasant experience with the reception the day before my departure.
At Marriott, late check-out is guaranteed for Platinum members and above, excluding resorts and Conference Centers. So I wanted to make sure that my room card was encoded for my departure at 4pm the next day… And then someone came up with some lame excuse, like “Here it’s only on availability” and I had to insist politely but firmly, arousing the exasperation of the Manager on duty who ended up re-encoding my room cards…
I emailed the General Manager to report this unpleasant experience, but I never received a response. No comment! No comment !
Departure
The departure formalities were simplified because they were done through the Marriott Bonvoy application.
Bottom line
A well-rounded stay, but tarnished by the unacceptable attitude of the reception staff.
Itinerary
As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:
| # | Type | Post |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diary | Conference in New York |
| 2 | Lounge | Delta SkyClub, Boston Logan A8 |
| 3 | Flight | Delta Domestic First, Boston Logan – New York JFK, Airbus A220-100 |
| 4 | Lounge | Delta SkyClub, New York JFK T4 |
| 5 | Hotel | JW Marriott Essex House, New York |
| 6 | Restaurant | Daniel, New York |
| 7 | Lounge | Delta SkyClub, New York JFK T4 |
| 8 | Flight | Delta Domestic First, New York JFK – Boston Logan, Airbus A220-100 |
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