JW Marriott Auckland, New Zealand [Master Thread]
Nov 1, 2023, 10:14 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,778
JW Marriott Auckland, New Zealand [Master Thread]
Could not find a thread for this one, a conversion that opened earlier this year in the CBD.
Fine location if that is where you are looking to be, the Elite experience was upgrade from standard Deluxe to Premium Upper Floor room, a bottle of Pinot Noir in the room, 1000 points and breakfast. The happy hour offerings were a bit meagre, choice of one drink and no snacks served in the lobby bar.
There is apparently some kind of lounge area in the hotel, unclear if they are planning to open this soon or if just inherited from previous hotel and will convert into something else.
A indoor pool on the smaller side is available.
Fine location if that is where you are looking to be, the Elite experience was upgrade from standard Deluxe to Premium Upper Floor room, a bottle of Pinot Noir in the room, 1000 points and breakfast. The happy hour offerings were a bit meagre, choice of one drink and no snacks served in the lobby bar.
There is apparently some kind of lounge area in the hotel, unclear if they are planning to open this soon or if just inherited from previous hotel and will convert into something else.
A indoor pool on the smaller side is available.
Nov 2, 2023, 8:15 am
#2
Moderator, Trip Reports
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA GS-2MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 3,715
Yep stayed here in Oct 2023. Had a quick layover and thought exactly the same as the OP. This is the old Stamford Hotel. It still has a way to go to get to JW Marriott standard, but its perfectly decent, the breakfast is excellent and the staff more than friendly and helpful. They also seemed to more on top of acknowledging elite benefits than most. I'd stay there again. Here's a good review of the property https://thepointsguy.com/reviews/jw-marriott-auckland/
Jan 8, 2024, 12:03 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Silver, IHG Gold
Posts: 454
Has anyone stayed here since the above post? Got a stay booked for end of January and wondering if it’s better to go for the Four Points given the reviews of the refurbishments ongoing and many normal JW features not yet being there.
Jan 8, 2024, 2:06 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2018
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 33
I am also staying there the beginning of February. I did some research and people are saying the Four Points is fantastic for a Four Points whereas the JW is average/slightly below average for a JW. That said, if you compare the two purely on experience, the JW is meaningfully better than the Four Points. On points, the two are reasonably close together and the JW is much closer to ferry terminal.
Will report back once I stay in a month or so.
Will report back once I stay in a month or so.
Jan 10, 2024, 1:17 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Silver, IHG Gold
Posts: 454
I am also staying there the beginning of February. I did some research and people are saying the Four Points is fantastic for a Four Points whereas the JW is average/slightly below average for a JW. That said, if you compare the two purely on experience, the JW is meaningfully better than the Four Points. On points, the two are reasonably close together and the JW is much closer to ferry terminal.
Will report back once I stay in a month or so.
Will report back once I stay in a month or so.
I tried to reach out to the General Manager for the JW (email found on Tripadvisor) and asked a couple of questions. Awkwardly the chap has now moved on from GM at the JW to... GM at the Four Points (in my email I stated that I was considering both hotels) but he kindly forwarded it on to the new GM at the JW.
Just as an aside, it appears that for the JW:
- The lounge is not open and will be open later in 2024
- Guests with lounge access will "have these [benefits] extended in the lobby bar of the hotel"
- They offer "complimentary beverages and antipasti for Elites daily" (I had asked about the "one drink" policy as this seems counter to most lounges that provided unlimited drinks and food for a period, to be honest the reply didn't really answer that)
- The first of the new refurbished rooms will be available from March 1
Jan 10, 2024, 8:04 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 733
Not sure if I reviewed this in another thread or never posted a review, but I stayed here in August last year.
I was upgraded to "JW Marriott Suite, 1 King, Sky Tower View, Balcony, Fireplace" before arrival and received a bottle of wine with a card from the FOM waiting in my room.
The suite was 1044 sq ft, 1.5 bathrooms, separated living room (with full dining table and couch area) and bed room, and with a very gorgeous art gallery-esque entry hall adorned with knick knacks and sculptures. Fireplace was pretty but didn't seem functional, balcony was small with no furniture, so both would be limited utility if paying cash. Note I found street noise (night club across the street) bothersome until around 2am when the club seemed to stop playing music outside, although it may have just been a weekend issue. I was on the 8th floor, which is one of the higher floors but not the top.
Despite the lack of renovations in their reflagging to become a full JW, I found the furniture in good order and the suite well-appointed. One of my better upgrades in 2023, and I say that as someone with almost zero North America stays in 2023. JW linens and toiletries were already in place at the time of my stay.
Breakfast offerring (restaurant) was strong but crowded with families and seating was high density.
The lack of lounge was annoying and I wasn't a fan of the 1 drink allowance (plus no food option at that time). I may have talked the bartender into giving me a second round though. It was an awkward arrangement as there was no "lounge" signage, so people would go up to the bar, ask about the lounge, and be shown a printout listing out the allowable drink options.
Service was generally good on-site, but not off-site. No reply to my response to their pre-arrival email asking about transportation options. I also checked out using the app and sent a message in the chat to confirm I cleared the room early, but folio was never emailed and the stay never posted. I emailed them a few days after the stay to ask for the folio (using a generic front office email address they had used during my stay to late reply to my transportation email) but also never received a reply. After the 10 days, I reached out to Marriott corporate per usual missing stay procedure, who the hotel also ghosted until I followed up with corporate after yet another 10 days.
Suffice it to say, the pre-renovated rooms may be nicer than you expect, they may be generous with elite upgrades, the location is great, and it's cool to see New Zealand's first JW, but the hotel may be a bit unresponsive off-site and the lack of lounge is a disappointment. Whether it's enough of an upgrade over the Four Points to justify the cost is a personal decision. I've only ever stayed at one Four Points before, but many many JWs, so it was an easy decision for me that I'd probably still repeat.
I was upgraded to "JW Marriott Suite, 1 King, Sky Tower View, Balcony, Fireplace" before arrival and received a bottle of wine with a card from the FOM waiting in my room.
The suite was 1044 sq ft, 1.5 bathrooms, separated living room (with full dining table and couch area) and bed room, and with a very gorgeous art gallery-esque entry hall adorned with knick knacks and sculptures. Fireplace was pretty but didn't seem functional, balcony was small with no furniture, so both would be limited utility if paying cash. Note I found street noise (night club across the street) bothersome until around 2am when the club seemed to stop playing music outside, although it may have just been a weekend issue. I was on the 8th floor, which is one of the higher floors but not the top.
Despite the lack of renovations in their reflagging to become a full JW, I found the furniture in good order and the suite well-appointed. One of my better upgrades in 2023, and I say that as someone with almost zero North America stays in 2023. JW linens and toiletries were already in place at the time of my stay.
Breakfast offerring (restaurant) was strong but crowded with families and seating was high density.
The lack of lounge was annoying and I wasn't a fan of the 1 drink allowance (plus no food option at that time). I may have talked the bartender into giving me a second round though. It was an awkward arrangement as there was no "lounge" signage, so people would go up to the bar, ask about the lounge, and be shown a printout listing out the allowable drink options.
Service was generally good on-site, but not off-site. No reply to my response to their pre-arrival email asking about transportation options. I also checked out using the app and sent a message in the chat to confirm I cleared the room early, but folio was never emailed and the stay never posted. I emailed them a few days after the stay to ask for the folio (using a generic front office email address they had used during my stay to late reply to my transportation email) but also never received a reply. After the 10 days, I reached out to Marriott corporate per usual missing stay procedure, who the hotel also ghosted until I followed up with corporate after yet another 10 days.
Suffice it to say, the pre-renovated rooms may be nicer than you expect, they may be generous with elite upgrades, the location is great, and it's cool to see New Zealand's first JW, but the hotel may be a bit unresponsive off-site and the lack of lounge is a disappointment. Whether it's enough of an upgrade over the Four Points to justify the cost is a personal decision. I've only ever stayed at one Four Points before, but many many JWs, so it was an easy decision for me that I'd probably still repeat.
Jan 10, 2024, 8:19 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 733
"Lounge" drink option (no, not sure why they had to keep only a grimey copy): 
Singular "lounge" pour, for reference:
Beautiful suite entry corridor:
Also beautiful suite living room:
0.5 bathroom in entry corridor:
Not sure why I don't have pics of the bedroom or main bathroom in my gallery, but it's probably related to the long night I had dealing with Qantas abruptly cancelling my flight 😂
Singular "lounge" pour, for reference:
Beautiful suite entry corridor:
Also beautiful suite living room:
0.5 bathroom in entry corridor:
Not sure why I don't have pics of the bedroom or main bathroom in my gallery, but it's probably related to the long night I had dealing with Qantas abruptly cancelling my flight 😂
Jan 10, 2024, 9:35 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Silver, IHG Gold
Posts: 454
Not sure if I reviewed this in another thread or never posted a review, but I stayed here in August last year.
I was upgraded to "JW Marriott Suite, 1 King, Sky Tower View, Balcony, Fireplace" before arrival and received a bottle of wine with a card from the FOM waiting in my room.
The suite was 1044 sq ft, 1.5 bathrooms, separated living room (with full dining table and couch area) and bed room, and with a very gorgeous art gallery-esque entry hall adorned with knick knacks and sculptures. Fireplace was pretty but didn't seem functional, balcony was small with no furniture, so both would be limited utility if paying cash. Note I found street noise (night club across the street) bothersome until around 2am when the club seemed to stop playing music outside, although it may have just been a weekend issue. I was on the 8th floor, which is one of the higher floors but not the top.
Despite the lack of renovations in their reflagging to become a full JW, I found the furniture in good order and the suite well-appointed. One of my better upgrades in 2023, and I say that as someone with almost zero North America stays in 2023. JW linens and toiletries were already in place at the time of my stay.
Breakfast offerring (restaurant) was strong but crowded with families and seating was high density.
The lack of lounge was annoying and I wasn't a fan of the 1 drink allowance (plus no food option at that time). I may have talked the bartender into giving me a second round though. It was an awkward arrangement as there was no "lounge" signage, so people would go up to the bar, ask about the lounge, and be shown a printout listing out the allowable drink options.
Service was generally good on-site, but not off-site. No reply to my response to their pre-arrival email asking about transportation options. I also checked out using the app and sent a message in the chat to confirm I cleared the room early, but folio was never emailed and the stay never posted. I emailed them a few days after the stay to ask for the folio (using a generic front office email address they had used during my stay to late reply to my transportation email) but also never received a reply. After the 10 days, I reached out to Marriott corporate per usual missing stay procedure, who the hotel also ghosted until I followed up with corporate after yet another 10 days.
Suffice it to say, the pre-renovated rooms may be nicer than you expect, they may be generous with elite upgrades, the location is great, and it's cool to see New Zealand's first JW, but the hotel may be a bit unresponsive off-site and the lack of lounge is a disappointment. Whether it's enough of an upgrade over the Four Points to justify the cost is a personal decision. I've only ever stayed at one Four Points before, but many many JWs, so it was an easy decision for me that I'd probably still repeat.
I was upgraded to "JW Marriott Suite, 1 King, Sky Tower View, Balcony, Fireplace" before arrival and received a bottle of wine with a card from the FOM waiting in my room.
The suite was 1044 sq ft, 1.5 bathrooms, separated living room (with full dining table and couch area) and bed room, and with a very gorgeous art gallery-esque entry hall adorned with knick knacks and sculptures. Fireplace was pretty but didn't seem functional, balcony was small with no furniture, so both would be limited utility if paying cash. Note I found street noise (night club across the street) bothersome until around 2am when the club seemed to stop playing music outside, although it may have just been a weekend issue. I was on the 8th floor, which is one of the higher floors but not the top.
Despite the lack of renovations in their reflagging to become a full JW, I found the furniture in good order and the suite well-appointed. One of my better upgrades in 2023, and I say that as someone with almost zero North America stays in 2023. JW linens and toiletries were already in place at the time of my stay.
Breakfast offerring (restaurant) was strong but crowded with families and seating was high density.
The lack of lounge was annoying and I wasn't a fan of the 1 drink allowance (plus no food option at that time). I may have talked the bartender into giving me a second round though. It was an awkward arrangement as there was no "lounge" signage, so people would go up to the bar, ask about the lounge, and be shown a printout listing out the allowable drink options.
Service was generally good on-site, but not off-site. No reply to my response to their pre-arrival email asking about transportation options. I also checked out using the app and sent a message in the chat to confirm I cleared the room early, but folio was never emailed and the stay never posted. I emailed them a few days after the stay to ask for the folio (using a generic front office email address they had used during my stay to late reply to my transportation email) but also never received a reply. After the 10 days, I reached out to Marriott corporate per usual missing stay procedure, who the hotel also ghosted until I followed up with corporate after yet another 10 days.
Suffice it to say, the pre-renovated rooms may be nicer than you expect, they may be generous with elite upgrades, the location is great, and it's cool to see New Zealand's first JW, but the hotel may be a bit unresponsive off-site and the lack of lounge is a disappointment. Whether it's enough of an upgrade over the Four Points to justify the cost is a personal decision. I've only ever stayed at one Four Points before, but many many JWs, so it was an easy decision for me that I'd probably still repeat.
Mar 14, 2024, 3:14 am
#10
formerly kiwi_norway
Join Date: May 2011
Location: London, UK
Programs: A3*G, NZ*S, Avis PC
Posts: 390
Apr 12, 2024, 9:28 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
Programs: AC*Super Elite (100K) / PR*Elite / AY*Platinum (OWE) / SPG*Bonvoy Titanium (LTT)
Posts: 2,272
Mixed feelings but overall a positive
Stayed here twice last month before & after visiting my 109th Country, Fiji.
Very close (about 5 min walk) to britomart station so easy access to/from airport instead to taxing a cab.
There is an ongoing renovation at the lobby and during the day, it's very difficult to speak to front desk as sometimes you have to be shouting to be heard. Thankfully the noise can't be heard from the floors up.
It seems like the place is full of college level staffs. While very cheerful and bubbly, can come off a little bit unprofessional considering this is a JW. I dunno, perhaps they are trainees. Anyways doesn't feel like a JW. As an example, water and juices were not refilled by these very young staffs working at the restaurant during breakfast time. Plus I was once told "I cannot sit there" even though the seat where I originally wanted to sit is only 2-3 tables away from where they had me sit.
I do however have to say the property provides excellent elite benefits. As there is no lounge, breakfast is provided complimentary + your welcome amenity choice.
In lieu of lounge, free flowing drinks can be ordered from 4PM - 6PM at their bar plus a choice of snack.
Complimentary charcuterie board and alcoholic beverages for eligible elites in lieu of lounge.
Lobby Bar
I ate dinner at their restaurant for the entire several nights stay and the food as delish. Kodus to the chef!
Was also pre-upgraded to their suite about a week prior to arrival as a Lifetime Titanium Guest and it had fantastic views of the Sky Tower.
Anyways, overall a great stay. The front desk staffs were excellent, management was excellent, the chef was excellent, recognition as a Lifetime Titanium Guest was excellent. But they really need to do something with the restaurant staffs during breakfast and dinner time. Being told by the restaurant supervisor "you cannot sit there" when youre literally the only person having dinner at their small restaurant is a little bit unpolished for a JW.
Very close (about 5 min walk) to britomart station so easy access to/from airport instead to taxing a cab.
There is an ongoing renovation at the lobby and during the day, it's very difficult to speak to front desk as sometimes you have to be shouting to be heard. Thankfully the noise can't be heard from the floors up.
It seems like the place is full of college level staffs. While very cheerful and bubbly, can come off a little bit unprofessional considering this is a JW. I dunno, perhaps they are trainees. Anyways doesn't feel like a JW. As an example, water and juices were not refilled by these very young staffs working at the restaurant during breakfast time. Plus I was once told "I cannot sit there" even though the seat where I originally wanted to sit is only 2-3 tables away from where they had me sit.
I do however have to say the property provides excellent elite benefits. As there is no lounge, breakfast is provided complimentary + your welcome amenity choice.
In lieu of lounge, free flowing drinks can be ordered from 4PM - 6PM at their bar plus a choice of snack.
Complimentary charcuterie board and alcoholic beverages for eligible elites in lieu of lounge.
Lobby Bar
I ate dinner at their restaurant for the entire several nights stay and the food as delish. Kodus to the chef!
Was also pre-upgraded to their suite about a week prior to arrival as a Lifetime Titanium Guest and it had fantastic views of the Sky Tower.
Anyways, overall a great stay. The front desk staffs were excellent, management was excellent, the chef was excellent, recognition as a Lifetime Titanium Guest was excellent. But they really need to do something with the restaurant staffs during breakfast and dinner time. Being told by the restaurant supervisor "you cannot sit there" when youre literally the only person having dinner at their small restaurant is a little bit unpolished for a JW.