FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - JW Marriott Mexico City Santa Fe, MX [Master Thread]
Old Dec 9, 2022 | 7:42 pm
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ElevatorEnthusiast
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JW Marriott Mexico City Santa Fe, MX [Master Thread]

Overall, I would strongly discourage others from staying at the Santa Fe outpost of the JW Marriott brand due to shameful and scammy USD-MXN exchange rate practices (similar to Marriott Reforma because of the common ownership by Grupo Diestra) and terrible upkeep and cleanliness standards. The Westin across the street is a much better property for those who need to be in Santa Fe. Here are my pros, cons, and photos after a description of my major issues:

Major Issue #1: The hotel uses a ridiculous USD-MXN exchange rate of 21.8 to determine the amount of MXN they charge you when rates are determined in USD, which means that you will end up paying more USD than you planned. For reference, the actual legitimate exchange rate right now is about 19.8. This is a terrible scam committed by bad ownership.

Major Issue #2: I was first assigned a Junior Suite on the 6th floor (hotel was sold out online, so at least there was an upgrade). However, the Junior Suite was in terrible condition as there was chewing gum stuck to the floor (that I stepped on), large brown stains on the pillow case, and dirt/soil/who knows all over the shelves and TV counter/desk. The Junior Suites here are also terribly dark as they are set back from the rest of the building in between two walls. Here are some photos of these issues:





I was able to switch rooms to a 2 Double room on the 15th floor (I needed a different floor to get a different housekeeper) - to the hotel's credit, they placed me in one of approximately 3 or 4 rooms in the hotel that has a balcony. However, the stay still wasn't very good.

Pros:
  • The desk chair and rotatable desk were comfortable
  • The mattress was plush - though, the rest of the bed sucked
  • Dinner at Quattro was not bad - truffle oil ravioli were pretty good
  • Shower pressure was decent
  • The bath towels were pretty large and soft
  • I had to ask, but they gave me 4 PM late checkout
  • The lounge wasn't terrible - service was pretty friendly
    • Evening offerings included a pretty good tiramisu dessert
    • Bacon and eggs in the morning were pretty good
Other/More Cons:
  • Cleanliness still wasn't the best in my new room - some hairs/threads on multiple pillows, as well as one that looked like it had soda stains
  • Bed covers were too thin
  • Pillows were horribly firm/hard
  • Check-in process was like programming a space shuttle - like 5 minutes of typing with no explanation
  • Balcony door wouldn't lock - security issue
  • French toast and coffee in the lounge were gross
  • No Internet TV OS
  • Room stayed pretty cold, even with the heat on maximum setting
  • No body wash in the room - I noticed some in the gross Junior Suite
  • Santa Fe location sucks, but I knew that
Overall, I would not recommend this property - there's always a clunker in my trips, but I have no idea how this hotel manages a 4.7 star rating on Google. Stay at the Westin if you need to be in Santa Fe.

Photos:




















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