JW Marriott Hotel Marina — Hotel in Dubai

I stayed at the JW Marriott Marina with family (Wife and 3 kids) for 9 night and my visit was slightly mixed. While the staff's efforts were often exceptional, several fundamental issues with the room and facilities served as a constant, nagging reminder that the experience could have been better.||||Initial Impression & Booking Process||The hotel lobby is large, airy, and looks very premium, featuring some shops, seating, and the Griffin Lounge. It was not busy at all when we arrived at 2 PM on a Wednesday. We chose this hotel for three key reasons: its location connected to the mall, its TripAdvisor rating (being in the top 5% in the city), and its status as part of the luxury Marriott brand. As frequent guests of Marriotts worldwide, we associate the JW name with a high standard of luxury.||However, our check-in experience was plane sailing. We had specifically booked two executive city view rooms for our family, requesting interconnecting rooms and confirming via multiple contacts with the hotel that we could have interconnecting rooms, pending availability. Upon arrival, the receptionist stated no such rooms existed in that category and suggested previous staff had made a mistake. They immediately proposed an upgrade to a marina view for 2,000 AED, which was not an ideal start. After some pushback, they offered us interconnecting marina view rooms as a complimentary upgrade.||||After we entered the room we discovered one room was an accessible room. This became an issue not immediately, but over time. The rooms felt significantly smaller than average for a luxury hotel, with very limited storage for five people across two rooms. One room had a twin bed setup and the other a single large bed, which required us to request an extra bed.||||An Extra Bed Request||The process of getting the extra bed was strangely difficult. Although a concierge offered to arrange one when dropping off our luggage, nothing materialized. When we asked at reception, we were bizarrely dismissed and told to call room service from our room. This felt like an unnecessary runaround. We later figured out that all requests must indeed be made through the room service telephone line, where the staff were subsequently very helpful and polite.||||Dining: A bit of a let down||Having contacted the hotel beforehand, we were aware the executive lounge was closed. For us, lounge access is key for tranquillity, afternoon tea, and snacks. The alternative offered was complimentary lunch and dinner buffets which on the face of it sounds fantastic. I believe the hotel should resolve the lounge closure rather than offer this alternative as it felt slightly subpar.||||The breakfast was very good and quite a few options available but the orange juice dispenser would get used up quickly and on one occasion it was not refilled, I assume due to not having any more juice but other occasions it was so a bit inconsistent. The food for lunch and dinner was consistently mediocre. The menu was repetitive across days, typically featuring white rice, daal fry, and a single curry like chicken or fish. Dinner alternated with a couple of extra options, but nothing to write home about. The restaurant's lack of patronage compared to breakfast time and this demonstrated the food options need a revamp. By the end of the holiday, the kids were tired of it and preferred to eat out. Furthermore, air conditioning is quite strong and this caused the hot food to become cold very quickly.||||Noise and Pool Environment||The large pool was a key reason for our booking as we have been to hotels where the pool is too small and can get crowded, especially for a built-up area. We were aware from reviews that an external company hosts parties there and have a club/bar, but you don't grasp the reality until you experience it. While quiet in the mornings, after 3 PM the pool area gets busy with external clients (but they generally remain out of the pool). The environment did not feel family-friendly due to very heavy bass music and the presence of many scantily clad women making use of the offers held by the company (Wanes). On a couple of occasions, we saw couples smooching in the pool, which is not suitable for a public family environment in Dubai.||The loud music from the pool/club area grew progressively louder throughout the day, detracting from the luxury ambiance. We were on the 7th floor directly facing the pool. The soundproofing was actually quite good, containing most of the noise, it only really disturbed me on two occasions. I also noted no noise from adjacent rooms, which is a major plus for me; either they were empty or the soundproofing is excellent.||||The Room: Comfort Marred by Flaws||The rooms were plush, neat, and tidy, though on the small side. With the interconnected setup and an extra bed added next to the double (after moving a lounge chair), the space felt squashed but workable. Storage was an issue; with five suitcases, a couple had to be left out, highlighting the limited space. The sliding doors on the wardrobe got stuck a couple of times, though room service resolved this immediately.||||Positives: The beds and pillows were exceptionally comfortable, ensuring great sleep. There was a good-sized desk (though it could get cluttered), and the balcony with seats and a small table offered a pleasant, picturesque view of the marina lights at night. We were never out of water, as glasses and water bottles were regularly replenished. The tea and coffee facilities were on a nice leather drawer with high-quality cups, making having tea a pleasure (though they didn't provide Earl Grey, so we used tea bags from the restaurant).||||Puzzling Design Flaws:||Bathroom: The non-tinted bathroom window had signs stating this, but closing the blinds was a stretch across the bath. The accessible room's shower curtain and disabled supports immediately downgraded the premium feel. Critically, the walk-in shower's floor wasn't sloped correctly, causing water to congregate near the toilet. We slipped once, and after every shower, we had to meticulously dry the floor, using a lot of towels. This was a frustrating and annoying flaw that became more apparent over time. Despite this, the bathroom was fairly large, featuring a tub, a big sink with a dressing table, a bidet, and a bottom shower.||||Controls: The light and air conditioning controls were on a panel only on one side of the bed, forcing the other person to roll over or ask to adjust them.||||TV: The large, new Samsung TV flush against the wall had very good picture quality and a good selection of English channels (OSN for movies/kids). However, it would randomly reset or display the Samsung Tizen welcome screen. Accessing features like mirror casting was inconsistent; it seemed blocked from the home screen and only available after a number of random resets. We used it to stream live football from a phone a couple of times. The HDMI ports were completely inaccessible due to the TV's flush mounting, preventing any external streaming device connection.||Missing Basics and Loyalty Issue||||For a luxury-brand hotel, the unbranded, generic toiletries (toothbrush, shower cap, soap) were surprising and more akin to a 3 or 4-star hotel. It was also surprising that basic amenities like a hairbrush were not available upon request. Furthermore, I was unable to add this stay to my Marriott Bonvoy account because I booked through an external website, which is a policy that differs from other hotel chains.||||The Positives: Where the Hotel Shines||It's only fair to highlight where the JW Marriott Marina excels, largely due to its incredible staff.||||Exceptional Service: The staff is undoubtedly this hotel's greatest asset. Anurag at the egg station, Alfrrin, Baha, Abdulnasar, Ayoub in the JW Kitchen, and the team in the Griffin Lounge provided warm, attentive, and excellent service. Alfrrin and Baha were always exceptionally courteous, friendly, and welcoming, making us feel at home.||||Griffin Lounge: We ventured into the Griffin Lounge, a serene and relaxing environment in the lobby. It's open to anyone, being a club lounge members, we were provided with drinks. The service was very nice, though it only offers drinks; any food like cakes or afternoon tea was not included (as that was covered by the lunch/dinner alternative).||||Oceanic Brunch: The standout dining experience was the Saturday Oceanic Brunch. The variety was excellent, with chefs available to make specific, tasty items. The live entertainment, with a singer taking requests, added to the fantastic atmosphere. The service here was also superb.||||Excellent Facilities: The pool is fantastic and large, a key requirement for us. Unlike our experiences at the Grand Hyatt (large) or the Intercontinental at Festival City (too small), this pool was never overcrowded; even when the bar was busy, the clientele generally stayed out of the water. The consistent 1.2m depth was great, and the provision of complimentary water was a welcome touch compared to other hotels like the Atlantis that charge for it.||||Gym: The gym was very well-equipped with multiple running machines, cross-trainers, and weight machines. It was large and busy with both guests and external members, but there was always availability on equipment.||||Prime Location: The connection to the Marina Mall is a huge draw. It was incredibly easy to walk directly from the hotel into the mall without needing transport, which is a major plus in the Dubai summer heat. While the mall is smaller than the Dubai Mall or Mall of the Emirates, its food court was sufficient for us, though a few more outlets would have been welcome. It provided a perfect place to walk and get steps in without going outside. The nearby tram service offers good accessibility around the marina, though getting to "The Walk" at JBR isn't straightforward—it requires changing directions at Marina Mall, making the time and cost only marginally better than a taxi.||||Conclusion||This hotel has a strong foundation: a great location, fantastic pool, comfortable beds, and arguably some of the best staff in Dubai. I think if the club lounge (providing it provides snacks throughout the day) is available I think that would warrant a...

I’ve traveled the world and many Marriotts and sad to say not very impressed with this one. The lobby and gym and amenities are great! People are sweet. But let me explain:

Room: My room had a very damp funky mouldy smell. I called the front desk and they said they would send someone, but unfortunately nobody arrived to take care of it. I was in my room all afternoon. I feel like somebody forgot.

My room did not have a hair dryer and one night when I was rushing out, I had no time to call for one, so I just did it later. But how does a 5 star hotel not have one to begin with?

Breakfast: maybe it was Eid and they were low on staff, but except for one guy who got our green juices and was super attentive the first day (thank you for paying attention and I appreciate it very much), the other staff was so slow and not very attentive unfortunately. They never came to our table today to take our beverage order and I had to flag someone to have them bring coffee to our table…that took forever! And this is was for my older parents :( and this trip was a special 5 day trip for them before I head back home to San Francisco. We had to ask three different people for coffee! I mean come on, it’s basics! Please try harder with your customer service. When you pay extra for breakfast and you get this service, it’s kinda annoying. I should’ve just had breakfast elsewhere. I’m going to cancel my breakfast here and just eat someplace else tomorrow.

Point is it is a 5 star hotel and these are basics. A bit disappointed for my 5 day trip to Dubai :-/

I’m sitting at breakfast and typing this out. I’d like another cup of coffee, but forget it! Not worth waiting forever for it…I’ll just go buy a cappuccino and waste the $$ I paid for breakfast here at the JW :-/

And to be clear, everybody is nice and sweet and smiley. But that’s not the point. Please pay attention to details.

Location of this hotel is great. Nice walking area around with lots of shops and eateries

Edit (last day: march 5th) - I gave constructive feedback to the manager, Jose and he evaluated my concerns and waived the breakfast fees from the first two days and the laundry fees from day 1, which I very much appreciated. I really do appreciate when hotels are receptive to constructive feedback and make an effort to rectify to the best of their abilities. They fixed the AC for my last day as well. So thank you, Marriott staff for your quick action. While I can’t re-start my trip, I definitely appreciate you acknowledging the issues experienced and trying to...

I have had nothing but problems in this hotel from the moment of check in. The hotel has done everything possible to ruin my trip. The hotel is old and in need of a face light. From the one lousy restaurant, to the service in the restaurant, literally everything possible has gone wrong. This hotel is not a 5 star hotel in any respect. In fact I think it is the worst hotel in Dubai. I have never experienced anything like this. I would never stay in this hotel again even if it were free. Perhaps a few small examples would be appropriate. Tonight I asked the concierge to make a reservation at Maison de Curry. 15 minutes later he called me back to say that there is no Maison de Paris in Dubai. When I again told him the name of the restaurant, he said he would call me back, but did not. When I called back, I was told that he made the reservation but that the restaurant would send me a link to leave a deposit. The hotel had an old phone number and I gave them my correct number. I received the link, but could not leave the deposit, because the hotel concierge gave them my correct restaurant a spelling for my name that was not even close. This was embedded in the link and I could not change it. So with a completely different name, my bank would not authorize the transaction. At midnight I tried to turn on the reading light. I could not figure out how to turn it on. I called reception and he asked if he could send someone to the room. I said of course not. I said isn’t it possible to explain how to turn on the reading light. He said he would speak to the engineer and call me back. When he did he said “you pull it down to up and light on.” I asked to speak to someone who spoke English understandably. I spent an hour on the phone but was unable to turn the light on. The halls and the rooms are in terrible need of a facelift. The grouting in the bathroom looks like it was done by a 3-year old, the service in the restaurant is terrible and the food mediocre. Cigar smoking is permitted at the pool. In short the only thing 5 star about this hotel is the exorbitant price. I sat for 30 minutes in the lounge trying to get someone to serve my client and me a cup of tea. Finally I had to get up and find someone and ask them to serve me. I can’t remember when if ever I have stayed in a Marriott hotel that was even close to being as terrible as this hotel. I am a “platinum elite” member of Marriott’s loyalty program. And yet I have received the worst imaginable service. Avoid this hotel...