I just finished another stay at the JW Marriott Shenzhen, my 5th since the hotel opened slightly more than a year ago.
The growing pains I described in my original post have settled out. The staff seem more in tune with the expectations of Western travelers. Overall English skill has improved. Taxi drivers are generally familiar with the hotel now.
Service and amenities are as good as ever. Rooms are still beautiful, large, and comfortable. Complimentary breakfast for elite members is still served at Cafe Chinois on the 2nd floor. The buffet is huge and is the best I've found at a Marriott property. The offer a huge variety of foods designed to appeal to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, US, and EU tastes.
The order-in restaurant food at the CL in the evening has been replaced with an hors d'oeuvres buffet. This is a slight downgrade, but even so, the free buffet is still among the best I've experienced at Marriotts. The regular dinner buffet at Cafe Chinois on 2F is a tad pricey at around $40US but the selection and freshness are phenomenal.
The JW has become my go-to hotel in Shenzhen. When I'm headed out here, nearly 7000 miles from home, it's the one part of the trip I genuinely look forward to.