dmodemd

The new JW Marriott Houston Downtown is now open for business. I walked by right when they opened last week. I also spoke to the Sales Director checking on rates. I noticed that they don't seem to have very many special rates loaded so are running mostly rack rates in the 300's with some lower rates on the weekends. They also have limited availability as not all floors are completely finished. I am finding availability patchy through the end of the year when checking online. She did assure me that all services including the Lounge are open. I forgot to ask if it was open on weekends.

If you don't see the rate you are looking for loaded, you will probably have to contact them. I did get them working on establishing a rate structure with my local client. They did say that they are trying to compete with the Four Seasons and since they are newer/better can set rates above them, so do expect this property to be the most expensive in downtown Houston.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the info! I'll add the property to exec lounge sticky.

Here's what it says on the website:

"Set in the historic Samuel F. Carter skyscraper, the JW Marriott Houston Downtown eloquently carries the rich legacy of the city forward, blending past and present in a dynamic fusion. Our luxury hotel showcases paintings and sculptures created by local artists for a dose of Southern hospitality. A Houston-themed restaurant, Main Kitchen, paired with our premier Spa by JW and 16,000 square feet of Houston event space make our accommodations ideal for business and leisure travelers alike. Convenient to the George R. Brown Convention Center, Minute Maid Park and the Texas Medical Center, the hotel is linked to the area's popular attractions and dowtown areas via public transit. Technologically advanced guest rooms boast iPads to order room service or summon the valet, 55-inch flat-screen HDTVs with 120 channels and complimentary wireless Internet access. Professional staff members offer personalized service and in-depth local knowledge. The JW Marriott Houston Downtown takes luxury to a whole new level."

Property is a Cat 6. Valet parking is $36/day. It has 58 suites, so possibly good chance at upgrades.

Internet Access

Complimentary High Speed: Check email + browse the Web
Enhanced High Speed: Video chat, download large files + stream video for 15.95USD/day
Lobby and public areas: Complimentary Wireless

Exec lounge seems to be open on the weekends. Open: Sun-Sat, Open: M-Th 6am-10pm, F 6am-8pm, Sa 8am-8pm, Sun 8am-10pm

Cheers.

dmodemd

Sweet!

I walked by again tonight and the lobby and restaurant area was packed. Also, there were many lights on randomly on every floor so they seemed quite busy and fully operational.

An interesting thing I noticed was the check in desks simply had wireless MacBooks for the agents to use for check in. Impressive!

The lobby is pretty small though. They have a cool griffon statue that spans its wings through the window to the outside... pretty wild.

I am keeping an eye out for a discounted rate so I can give it a try at a rate reasonable enough for my client to accept. My client gets c. $100/nt rates at the JW in New Orleans so I am pressing to get Houston at the same level but so far they aren't biting They seem to feel they have the luxury market cornered in Houston and don't need to discount. They may be right, for now.

dayone

I checked a weekday in early December and my corporate rate of a bit more than $200 is available. For fun, I also checked the much-debated government rate and it also is offered.

OT, is there any other city that has two JW hotels?

SkiAdcock

I think Miami is the only other one in the US, but int'ly there are some.

Cheers.

SkiAdcock

Formal opening took place 2 days ago with a big event. Anyone invited to it?

"To celebrate the iconic opening, JW Marriott worked with celebrity event planner and brand partner Colin Cowie to create an interactive grand opening celebration filled with live performance art, memorable culinary experiences and headline entertainment so guests can see, touch and taste their way through the new property. The exclusive party will take place the evening of Wednesday, November 19."

Cheers.

apodo77

IMO the JW Marriott by the Galleria is more like a FS Marriott than JW standards on the few occasions I have stayed there.

dayone

Have you stayed there this year? It has upped its game a bit.

joetro

I stayed at both and found the JW a lot nicer.

apodo77

2013 was the last time. Have they remodeled the rooms?

Last time they seemed drab and outdated to me.

dmodemd

DOH! I was just there. I work about 3 blocks away. Wish I had heard about it earlier...

agentq

I was just able to book using Priceline "name your price" for $120/night for Dec 12-14. Let's see how it goes

dmodemd

I finally managed to get a stay in here, just for one night.

New property of course with a bit of an industrial chic style. Open steel girders cut through the building and even through some rooms next to beds(!) (but not the room I had).

It seems like everyone working there is under 30 and just graduated from hospitality school. They are all very friendly but of course sometimes confused and unable to execute on requests.

I decided to see if I would be given a room upgrade without asking at check in. When I said I had already done mobile check-in they were not aware of what that was so went to normal check in procedures on the MacBook. Agent was prompted with my Platinum status so I was asked if I wanted $10 F&B voucher or points, I took the points. Then I was given my key. I asked if there happened to be a lounge and then she started on the orientation information which I needed. I didn't ask what room type I got because my bag had already made its way to my room, so no opportunity to change it easily anyway.

One of the young assistants who took my bag to my room while I checked in was at the elevator on my floor when I got there. He showed me to my room. It seemed like a typical King room (what I booked was actually the "Deluxe" which is one notch above the basic "Poet" room). The room was nice, with a HUGE Samsung 55" TV that came out of the wall on a precarious mount. iPad in the room that was really only good for ordering services, theoretically, I did not try it. Also serves as an expensive clock/alarm (which did not let you set correctly).

Bathroom was adequate but I couldn't figure out how to adjust the shower head. It looked nice but when I touched it I found it was cheap plastic! You had to pivot the whole head side to side to shift from pulse to spray. It took me a while to figure it out and I came close to breaking the flimsy plastic thing.

I did not sleep very well as neighboring heavy doors were slamming all night due to neighboring jet lagged international travelers at 3am. See other complaints on interior noise on TripAdvisor. I did find that the outside noise was non-existent but I was facing the back opening towards other buildings.

I decided to visit the fitness center and lounge. They are on the 11th floor oddly, even though the property is something like 23 floors. I walked around following the signs wondering how the lounge would be crammed into the thin building. I was directed to a wide and fancy hallway that opened up directly into the spa which had a side waiting room and stocked bar! I walked through it and wondered if I was really in the same building! I walked around the corner to the fitness center which had very modern machines with Windows 8 like touchscreens. I used one of them but found it odd to navigate and not really very functional. Not many TV channels and not labeled correctly. Plenty of machines and a view out the windows. Fresh fruit available as well.

Then I found the Griffin Lounge... whoa.... this was the largest lounge I have ever seen. Numerous sofa gathering areas around large TVs, a large conference room, a business center corner, and various fridges with drinks, but only water and soft drinks really. I found that glasses of juice were available on request. There was a basket of some granola bars you can take to go. Tons of window views wrapping around that corner of the building.

It was clear that the JW had taken over the same floor on an adjacent building and connected it through! Very clever!

Evening spread was domestic-style light. About 3 hors d'oeuvres and 3 desserts, not enough to make a meal of. Alcohol was bill to room only.

Breakfast was a light buffet. Eggs, biscuits and gravy, sausage, fruit, breads, cheese, and thankfully smoked salmon at least. Two juices but that was about it. Lounge was active at breakfast but only a few people in the evening. No option to take breakfast at restaurant.

On check out I inquired about whether I really got a room upgrade and it turns out I didn't. TripAdvisor is full of reviews of non-status people getting upgrades. The property boasts 58 suites. When I was there I didn't even see half that number of people. Agent apologized and said I should say something next time and I will get an upgrade. Jeez, I hate to have to BEG for it! Again, beware the inexperienced staff, you will need to guide them.

Quite frankly, I have a much better quiet sleep experience at the Embassy Suites so I am not sure if I will stay again except to just give it a second try and see if it improves. The property is clearly only doing the minimum required by Marriott.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the detailed trip report. Much appreciated.

Cheers.

dmodemd

Some updates from a recent 4-day stay:

At check-in I was thanked for being a Platinum member as was told that they had a special offer to me to buy up to a suite for an extra $40 a night. I asked if I wasn't supposed to get a free upgrade as a Platinum? They said that they did not have any higher room types available that night, so I challenged shouldn't they upgrade me to the next available room type = suite??
She said she would see if she could move someone :S ... and hence kicked someone out of a "Concierge King" (presumably upgraded THEM to a suite) and gave me that. Oh well. Lesson: you need to press for the upgrade and be armed with current availability information. They have 58 suites but don't want to give them away.
The Concierge King is not on the lounge level (which is a good thing, do not take lounge level as you will be on a high traffic hallway!). It has the bathroom/foyer combo with free standing tub but the toilet is in a separate room with the shower. Its not as weird as it sounds. There is a curtain you can pull to separate the bathroom from the bedroom.
I had a much better sleep experience. By pulling the curtain and putting the fan on high, I did not hear any noise.

I went down to the basement this time and was shocked to discover that it extends into the neighboring building like Floor 11. That provides room for conference rooms but also interconnects with the Houston Underground (in the west direction)! There is also underground access to the adjacent garage where you can drive into from Travis or Rusk.

Evening lounge offerings varied completely every night which was nice. In some cases you can make a meal out of it (e.g. pork sliders). There are usually 2 hot selections, 2-3 cold appetizers and 3 desserts. I don't know for sure what their weekend availability is like but I presume they are open then too.