recent stay
As part of recent trip to Peru, I enjoyed a multi-night stay at the JW Cusco after staying at the JW Lima (which I also did a review of - see JW Lima thread).
I must stay, Marriott has totally nailed it in Peru! They only have 2 properties there (JW Lima and JW Cusco), and both are absolutely amazing!
While Lima is a large, metropolitan city, Cusco, at approx. 11,000 feet elevation, is more a like a small village nestled in the mountains. A striking difference between Lima and Cusco was that Cusco really had that old-town charm with a central city courtyard (Plaza del Armas) and narrow cobblestone roads strewn with shops and cafes.
The JW Cusco is also ideally situated. It's about a 20 minute drive from CUZ, costing about 40-50 soles (~ $20) for the entire vehicle. It's about a 10 minute walk to Plaza del Armas.
In keeping with traditional architecture, the hotel is designed with 4 sides surrounding a central open-air courtyard. Very stunning! There's also a very nice indoor sitting area with a fireplace.
Upon check-in, though I am platinum, no upgrade was given because one was not available for entire duration of my extended stay and I didn't want to switch rooms mid-stay. I am confident that if I would have been offered one if that were not the case, as others in previous posts had reported good success with platinum upgrades. The room I had was the room I booked - floor level with a view of the courtyard. I was perfectly pleased with it.
There is no Concierge Lounge. However, as others had noted, breakfast in their hotel restaurant was complimentary 7 days a week. And wow - what a spread!! It had different cheeses, meats, pastries, fruits, yogurts, made-to-order omelet station, and FRESH-SQUEEZED juices!
All staff were cheerful and eager to assist. It's virtually at full occupancy year-round and for very good reason.
Enjoy your stay - you won't be disappointed!