JW Marriott Cancun during COVID times

100   Recommended
Room 602 , Grand Ocean Front Suite, ...
September 26, 2020 by

 Map | 2 Reviews | 100% Recommended
Share
Save
Liked:
Location
 
Service
 
Food
 
Amenities
 
Room
 

{{ oRightNav.heading }}

JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa
 Map | 2 Reviews | 100% Recommended

Save

Share

Room 602

Grand Ocean Front Suite, ...

Liked:
Location
Service
Food
Amenities
Room
Stats
Room
Grand Ocean Front Suite, 1 Bedroom Larger Suite, 1 King, Sofa Bed, Bathrooms: 1.5, Oceanfront

Overall

I have started a millions of hotel reviews, but never posted, let’s see if this one makes it...

So overall impression, hotel grade I give it: solid A. Reason I am posting this review: First time I have traveled to a hotel since COVID and even more so in another country, so thought it might be helpful to those who are curious what the hotel is like during COVID times.

 

 

Background

Booked a seven night stay. For 3 nights used travel certificates (2 nights being awards for over 75 nights, 1 night from AMX brilliant card).  4 nights paid of a rate of around $161 USD (plus taxes and fees a night of $31.75 USD). I suggest you pay attention to the rates you book. The cheapest rate was $5 less than I paid, but for $5 more my rate include a $50USD a night in resort credits (to use in the gift shop, restaurants, bar, spa), my rate being called 'Member rate stay longer'. I say a great rate to book, but on the Marriott site the rate can sometimes not be as apparent, so I say click through them to find the real best one. Regarding the credit, it is posted nightly starting on check-in day, and they told me it can be rolled over and used in bulk on the last day, but the credit has to be posted for you to get the benefit (aka cannot spend $100 on first day and get the full $100 credit on the first night spend). I would ask to clarify on your stay just to be certain, but that is how it was treated in my case.

I used suite night awards for all 7 nights for only the highest level suite you could use on the suite night awards (there was a presidential suite that was not selectable with a suite night award). Received confirmation 3 nights before and 1 night before (since booked in 2 separate reservations) for the 'Grand Ocean Front Suite, 1 Bedroom Larger Suite, 1 King, Sofa Bed, Bathrooms: 1.5, Oceanfront'. I have read on this forum that complementary suite upgrades are never really given at this property and so just decided to use my suite upgrades, not sure what it would look like during COVID time since capacity was limited. Regarding capacity, at the time of booking hotels were capped at 30% capacity and then raised when we arrived to 60% capacity by the Mexican government, but it felt to me more like 15% or 20% capacity.

 

 

Pre-arrival

Received an automated email message with COVID instructions, masks need on property at all times, some closure of restaurants and limited in room cleaning (which was not the case, as they cleaned my room daily). Also included an offer that if you booked a spa treatment before your stay you could get an extra 1000 points, so shoot them an email if you are going to book a spa appointment anyway. (email address in case you are curious is [email protected] & spa specific one [email protected]).

 

 

Check In

Hotel arrival is a quick 20 min drive from the airport, in the middle of the hotel zone, close to many restaurants we chose to walk to some evenings. Hotel still had valet parking, and utilized them once, but one of the valets said I could park the car myself in the valet area, so I did just that. Valets were top notch, very attentive, one time one of the valets made a reservation for us when I commented we were walking to an out of property restaurant, so that the 'restaurant could expect us'. (Side note- regarding outside restaurants my 2 favorite that are close by were Puerto Madero and Tora.)

Check-in, took a little longer than expected, not in waiting time, but in checking you in. You fill in a COVID medical form asking various questions (one of the questions being have you traveled to certain hotspots, California where I live being one, but they didn't seem to care). They scan your passports. Welcome gift for platinum and above was pretty standard options, choice I believe was cheese plate with water, fruit plate with water, 1000 points, or breakfast. I choose breakfast, more on the breakfast in a bit. They also asked what time we wanted to check out and appeared to be very flexible, I ended up checking out at 2pm.

 

 

Room

Room was nice. Very large. Amazing views if you get the 'front' view access. Was clean. Felt new. Bed was comfortable. Bathroom (can be very telling) was actually very nice and for the Brian Kelly TPG test, the rain shower could easily fit a tall person, though water pressure was mediocre. I will let you see my photos for you to make your own impressions, but overall I really liked it. As an FYI- I spent some time in one of my friends rooms, which was a standard room. It was also very nice and wouldn't have minded a regular room. The view on these ocean view rooms are more side ocean views, based on how the hotel was constructed. I also took some photos of a standard room. Cleaning by the hotel maids were good and included 2 free half size bottle of waters a day (sometimes they would put 4 out), but it appeared you could call down and ask for more, which I did once and never received a charge for it.

Suite room photos (Room 602):
Hallway to the rooms:

Hallway to the rooms

Suite room door:

Suite room doorHallway in suite:

Hallway in suiteHalf bath:

Half bathSeating area entrance:

Seating area entranceSeating area:

Seating areaSeating area TV:

Seating area TVMini bar:

Mini barCloset:

ClosetBedroom bed:

Bedroom bedBedroom TV:

Bedroom TVBathroom tub:

Bathroom tubBathroom sinks:

Bathroom sinkBathroom toilet and shower:

Bathroom toilet and showerToiletries (standard JW Marriott ones):
ToiletriesBalcony off seating area:

Balcony off seating areaFront ocean view from balcony:

Front ocean view from balcony

Standard room photos (Room 823):

Standard room bed:

Standard room bed

Standard room TV:

Standard room TVStandard room couch:

Standard room couchStandard room closet:

Standard room couchStandard room bathroom:

Standard room bathroomStandard room toilet and shower:

Standard room toilet and showerStandard room view from balcony:

Standard room view from balcony

Pool

Multiple pools, and when looking at pictures of the property there appears to be more pools then in actuality since some look like a typical lazy river but are just for looks and not useable. During COVID times, very easy to get a chair and very few people at the resort. The pools were quiet, and I heard another guest complain that they asked him to turn off his music playing out loud. The pool 'umbrellas' where permanent fixtures and where large and provided good coverage if you care about not getting baked by the sun. The infinity pool is the main highlight, and after trying all the other pools kept coming back to this one, since this had the ocean view. The adults only section had a swim up bar which we tried, but took our drinks back to the infinity pool for the views. There was plenty of waiters walking around the pool area, so easy to order, the only negative was during these times they stop taking orders at 6pm. Did not inquire about the cost of getting a private cabana, since plenty of well covered seats available. Beach in front of hotel was empty, and is great for relaxing, but note it is an open ocean so take that as you will for swimming (if want to be at a great beach go to Isla Mujeres north beach during your stay.)

View of hotel from beach: 

View of hotel from beach
 

Spa

Got a couples massage for 80mins outside in one of their palapas. It is next to the adult only pool. Note that it is open, so surprised my fiancé when they asked her to take off the top piece of her swimsuit given how open it was. Another day I got a full body scrub and she got a pedicure, both took about 50 mins and were also very good. You get access to other sections of the spa area, which include jacuzzi and sauna and steam room (steam room was closed on the men's side). Note these are separate for men and women. There was a men/women shared jacuzzi but it was closed too). The attendances seemed attentive especially since I speak Spanish, with the complementary tea and bottled water, but it was not really offered to my fiancé or other friend who went since they only speak English. This was the only time that we encountered someone who did not speak English at the hotel.

 

 

Breakfast

Now this forum has an extensive discussion on this properties breakfast, and all those comments are correct. The continental breakfast provided as a welcome gift for platinum members and above (I am a titanium ) is mediocre and inconsistent at best. So what you receive is coffee, orange juice from concentrate, fruit (variety that changes every day depending on what they have, but mostly 3/4 pieces of 3 different fruits, the ones I got depending on day were cantaloupe, honeydew melon, pineapple,  papaya), yogurt with some type of fruit liquid drizzle on it, oatmeal (toppings of walnuts, dried fruit, and brown sugar provided) or cereal (basic corn flakes) to which they would inconsistently just bring me one that was available and other times ask me what I wanted, and a bread basket (with a mixture of either sliced bread, Conchas, Orejas, croissants, chocolate croissants, English muffin. All very inconsistent and seemed like their left over undesirable breads or maybe not the bread I was feeling that day). Note there was no buffet open with COVID so all of this food was brought out to the table. Some days I just ordered the breakfast food I wanted, and they were all good, but nothing special. Also this property has a 'Club 91' which is a lounge not given to elites but one you pay for. I did not try that lounge and believe it was closed due to COVID.

 

 

Construction

Now for the worst part of the trip. Typically when you book a room on Marriott's site, a banner on the top tells you if construction is happening and in the hotel about section. When I booked, before my stay, or during my stay nowhere on the site did it indicate that construction was happening. I mention this since you might be going to relax and just stay at the hotel mostly if traveling during COVID times and this could be considered annoying and well frankly I did. Construction was happening in the room above me and it was very loud (started around 10 and ended before 6). I had settled in already in my room once I realized construction was happening in the room above or I would have requested to be moved, since midafternoon naps were ruined. Where breakfast is served (the Sedona Grill) the patio was closed for construction from my second day onward (unfortunate since prefer eating outside during COVID times). Between the main pool and the adults pool, it was also sectioned off with construction material, but saw no construction happening in that area during my time.

 

 

Other COVID Items

All staff wore masks, had these alcohol pads to step on at the entrance of the hotel (and almost all places including other restaurants/convenience stores/etc.) and valets put hand sanitizer on your hands when walking in (weirdly all of the auto self-serve hand sanitizer machines were not functioning). Overall with not many people traveling, seemed very safe.
 

499 Comments

This review lives in the JW Marriott Cancun, Mexico [Master Thread] thread.
499 comments and Y review
Comment In Thread

Hotels you may also be interested in