JW Marriott Hotel Rio de Janeiro — Hotel in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

We just left the JW Rio de Janeiro after a 4 day stay. Here is my assessment:

Service - 10 stars! Every person who works in this hotel was gracious and accommodating. Everyone went out of their way to make us feel special. I must give a special thank you to Yasmin at the front desk. She assisted me prior to the trip (via email) coordinating car service and reservations. During our stay I was always greeted by name and we were treated like honored guests. Again, everyone from the front door, to servers to the pool staff were extremely gracious. Everyone at the front desk and the lobby and pool bartenders we encountered were fluent English speakers. This is NOT common in Rio. I was with a Portuguese speaker and frankly other than the hotel, it would have been difficult for me alone.

Food - We only had breakfast here but it was delicious and had a large assortment of items including custom omelets', etc. We chose not to eat dinner the only night we didn't have other plans because it looked a bit on the pricey side and we were looking for something quick - not full service dinner.

Pool - the pool is small but the water was perfect. I can see how it might be a little too warm in the summer months. Yes, it is older but it is extremely clean and again - the staff were extremely helpful making sure we had towels and moving the umbrellas to perfectly accommodate us (1 full sun and 1 full shade).

Rooms - the standard JW beds and linens which are like heaven but after a couple days are too soft for me. That is just a preference. Unlike most places in Brazil, the JW has fully functioning toilets so you can flush your paper. This is a big deal! Nice shower products and good water pressure. If you are like us, you might need to request 1-2 extra wash cloths but they are quick to bring them. The A/C works, but the rooms can be a bit humid (especially if you have an interior room) but it is not bad at all, just takes a little longer for towels or sink washables to dry.

Location and Extras - the hotel is right in the middle of Copacabana so it makes everything easily accessible. Also, make sure you check in with the desk upon arrival about all the activities. As part of your room you have access to beach chairs, towels and umbrellas. They also provide daily yoga, dance classes and music on the beach. There are several different restaurants within walking distance including the beach huts - some of which are quite good. You also have relatively quick car ride to all the major attractions.

I would highly recommend this hotel for anyone visiting Rio. Thank you...

We stayed four nights at the JW Marriott Copacabana as a family of four, booking two ocean-view rooms. Having stayed at JW properties around the world, we’ve come to expect a certain level of elegance, refinement, and oasis-like calm. Unfortunately, this hotel doesn’t meet those expectations.||As many reviewers have rightly pointed out, this property no longer meets the standards of the JW brand and would be more appropriately labeled a standard Marriott. The rooms, while serviceable, feel dated and lack the luxurious touches typical of a JW. The public spaces are also in need of a refresh — from worn furnishings to a generally tired atmosphere. One example: the rooftop pool has lovely potential, but the views are hampered by an encasing plastic barrier. Replacing it with clearer, higher-quality materials would make a significant difference.||That said, the staff are outstanding. Warm, professional, and consistently attentive, they are the one element of this hotel that does live up to JW standards. Their dedication and service elevated our experience and ensured our stay remained enjoyable despite the surroundings. It’s clear they are doing their absolute best in a space that Marriott corporate has neglected to maintain.||The location is prime — directly across from Copacabana Beach — and the hotel provides access to beach chairs, umbrellas, and towels via a local partner. Unfortunately, the beach experience itself is less relaxing due to the relentless stream of vendors interrupting your day. That’s not the hotel’s fault, but worth knowing.||The area around the hotel is central but a bit rough around the edges, especially at night. In hindsight, we would have preferred to stay in Ipanema or Leblon, which offer the same beautiful beaches but feel safer and more upscale, with fewer crowds and less visible homelessness.||A final tip: Use Uber Black for getting around Rio. We initially tried taxis, but fares were higher, the cars less comfortable, and the experience more stressful. Uber Black was seamless, affordable, and reliable — even without speaking Portuguese.||Bottom Line: The JW Marriott Copacabana is not currently at JW caliber. Marriott should either rebrand or renovate. The only thing keeping this property afloat is its exceptional staff, who deserve better support and investment from corporate. If location is your priority, it may still work — just manage your...

First time at a J.W. Marriott and what a disappointment this was. One would expect a brand with such name to reflect luxury, attention to detail and superior service. Instead, you are left with a headache, still trying to resolve issues, poor service, poor quality and frustrated at how much money you spend at the J.W. Marriott Rio De Janeiro which could be spend at another property for much less and receive 10 times better service.

Extremely poor service throughout stay. During the check don't expect to be recognized as a Platinum Elite Member or any level for that matter; they don't care. They will check-in whoever wherever! Even though there is an "elite" check-in line...they do not observe it. So expected a long wait time for being checked-in in either of their TWO stations.

They have a very crammed and small Gym on the top floor. However, the equipment was ALWAYS dirty during the entire stay...you could see the sweat stains on the machine that had been there for a while. Clearly the machines had not been wiped down at all! Didn't matter if we went in the morning, afternoon or night; it was always dirty.

Requested clean glasses, ice and limes to the room multiple days and each time took them MORE THAN 45 minutes to delivered!!! Ordered more pillows and it took over an hour to get delivered. Complete lack of urgency at this hotel for anything! Don't make dinner reservations and ask for something from the hotel because they will take their time with anything.

Ordered a basic club sandwich at the restaurant downstairs and that was over an hr to get it - which we had lost our appetite by then. Ordered a burger upstairs in the pool and it took as well over an hour to receive.

The pool is small and be sure that you will have a hard time getting chairs. You can go to the beach but also note that the hotel only has 32 chairs at the beach as well. Very limited quantities for everything.

Used the iron in my room and it stained my shorts because the iron was dirty. Housekeeping is not checking all items in the room before turning them over.

Overall extremely dissatisfied with this property...waste of money! For how much money this stay was one would expect the service and quality of the likes of Marriott's higher luxury brands. This...this was just BAD!...