itslow

Unless it's changed from last year, no breakfast for Elite members. If you stay on the "Club 91" level, then a 3x daily food spread is provided.

Buses stop frequently almost directly in front of the JW. They will take you to the "top" of the Hotel Zone, which is where most of the tourist activity is located. You can continue on the bus on into Cancun proper if you desire. Trip duration isn't very long, especially if the bus doesn't have to stop for passengers wanting on/off. Cost was something like 6 pesos/person.

If you're still undecided, JW has an adults-only pool area (suits required) and has access to the pools at the CM. CM doesn't have JW access. Purchases (ie; restaurants) between the two properties can be billed to a room at the other.

FinnishFlash

Trying to decide whether to stay at JW or CasaMagna (we have stayed at JW earlier but never at CasaMagna). Both seem to have pretty good prices, CasaMagna has every fourth night free kind of offer which would result in us only paying $150 per night after that discount, including all the taxes AND $50 per day resort credit as well. Sounds almost too good to be true? And JW would be $237 inc. taxes, no resort credit but including breakfast for two and -25% discount on all food and beverages. Both offers include internet access as well, which they might or might not give to plats anyway, don't remember.

These both are offers that are available to any MR member.

I think I would choose CM because it's so much cheaper but on the other hand, the gym at JW is excellent and the one at CM seems to be a lot more basic even if I have never been there.

llbad

nvr mind

lsugolfer

Read the Cancun resort thread and seems to have mixed reviews on both...thoughts?

johnaalex

Unless you get access to the lounge for the 10,000 then I would say not.

jtwiz

We stayed at the Cancun Casa Magna last year and were very happy with our stay. I was Gold at the time (Plat, this year) and we were upgraded to an oceanfront room on the top floor. The view was stunning. No, the pool and seating at the Casa Magna were not as plush as the JW, but for 10K of points per night extra - I'd go with the Casa Magna.

And by the way, during our weeklong stay, the JW hosted a corporate event and had a huge part of their pool area roped off for those attendees. I would not have been pleased if I was staying at the JW.

Service was great at the CM. Our rate included the breakfast buffet, which was plentiful and good (although nowhere nearly as awesome as the Puerto Vallarta Casa Magna breakfast buffet...) We never had problems finding chairs at the pool, although we like sun. If you wanted an umbrella, you had to get out there pretty early in the morning.

4getofn

We stayed last Christmas at CM .. Generally a good stay but the JW people have the right to use the CM pool (small) however the CM people do not have the ability to use the JW pools. JW is quieter, the CM seems to have more families (kids). If I were going again with my wife I would do the JW ... If I had kids, I would do the CM ... CM had staff laying out towels for people who slipped them a few bucks. By 9am 75% (and all the good spots) of the lounge chairs were "occupied" with nobody in them Management didn't seem to care ....

llbad

Might try calling the reservations line and seeing if you can get the JW for its old cat pricing

lsugolfer

Never heard anyone doing this...just call and ask or does their need to be more to it?

VickiSoCal

Why on earth would that work

pinniped

We redeemed a Travel Package to the JW Cancun once. In retrospect I wished I'd spent more time in other parts of Yucatan, but that's not Marriott's fault. It was a very nice hotel and had a much plusher feel to it than the CM.

That said, I *think* they were the same category at the time. Maybe both 6's? Or maybe the CM was a 5 and I was willing to spend the extra 5k a night or whatever the difference was in a Travel Package back then. Today, I would almost certainly book CM if it meant an extra 70,000 points in my account on a weeklong stay.

The facilities of both are nice. It's in a very touristy area. Our most enjoyable days there were when we rented a car and drove inland to various Mayan sites and other attractions. (Hertz is across the street from these hotels...or you can pay somewhat more for the rental agency that is actually onsite.)

llbad

It probably won't, but if you're a platinum it's definitely worth trying since the category just recently switched over. I'd probably make some excuse like "I would have booked earlier had I known the category was changing". That's just me though I like to pull all the strings before giving up on things.

twoner32

no lounge at JW...only Club 91 (costs extra).

I'd say yes, JW is so nice....better pools. better place.

catsassy

I've stayed at both a couple of times and also done a split stay between the two properties (with a condo stay in the middle).

I much prefer the pools at the JW and tend to hang out at the pool rather than the beach.
If the pool isn't a top priority for you then go with CM..
Or split your stay and try both!

johnaalex

I did mean Club 91 when I posted my reply and I should have made clear that it does cost extra. i quite liked Club 91 and if the extra 10k meant it was included then I would go for it, otherwise not.