JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa — Hotel in Phú Quốc

Our recent Christmas stay at JW Marriott Phu Quoc was a blend of delightful moments and a few missed opportunities. The property itself is spectacular, with its unique university theme adding charm and character to the experience. It’s a fun, vibrant place to stay, and we appreciated many aspects of it.

What We Loved:

Breakfast buffet: The breakfast spread was one of the highlights of our stay. The variety and quality were exceptional, with pastries that were absolutely top-notch.

Friendly staff: The staff were warm and eager to assist, making an effort to accommodate our requests despite some challenges.

Room design: The rooms were beautifully designed with high ceilings and thoughtful details, creating a luxurious and comfortable environment.

Areas for Improvement:

Check-In process: Upon arrival, there was confusion with the room keys, which were misplaced by staff. This happened again to our friends who checked in the next day, suggesting it might be a recurring issue.

Cleanliness: We found hair in the shower upon entering our room and had to request twice to have it cleaned. This was a disappointing oversight, though the team later apologized and ensured the bathroom was thoroughly cleaned.

Amenities maintenance: the clock radio in our room was non-functional and had to be replaced, which was a minor inconvenience but detracted from the seamless experience we hoped for. They’re also bikes around the property for anyone to use. Some of them had chains falling off while riding them.

Dining service: At Red Rum, the food was enjoyable (the pizzas were excellent), they forgot to serve a margarita pizza we had ordered. It was eventually addressed after everyone was half done with their meals. Additionally, the kids’ burger was dry, and the sticky chair cushions were uncomfortable. These issues could be easily resolved with better upkeep.

Welcome gift: We had to request the welcome gift twice, and it was only delivered after the second follow-up. To their credit, they apologized and included additional fruits as a gesture.

Food safety: One of our friends unfortunately experienced food poisoning, likely from the breakfast buffet. I do not know for certain and making this assumption based on the account of events. While the grilled chicken may have been the cause, this raises concerns about food handling that should be addressed promptly.

Other Notes: • Chemistry Bar: A fun spot with good drinks and a lively vibe, but sticky cushions were also an issue here. Perhaps providing towels or refreshing the cushions more frequently could improve comfort.

• Yoga Class: I wasn’t aware of the need to pre-register and was turned away, despite the class not being full. A bit of flexibility could have enhanced the experience.

Overall:

JW Marriott Phu Quoc is a beautiful property with immense potential for a truly memorable stay. The stunning design, delicious food, and friendly staff set a solid foundation. However, attention to detail—cleanliness, maintenance, and service consistency—needs improvement to align with the high standards expected of the JW Marriott brand. Despite the hiccups, we enjoyed our stay and hope to see these enhancements on a...

I recently stayed at JW Marriott Phu Quoc for our anniversary and was deeply disappointed with the experience, which fell significantly below the standards I expect from such a reputable luxury brand. While the resort's architecture and breakfast offerings were impressive, the poor communication and mismanagement of resort activities marred our stay.

Resort Activities Planning and Booking Issues:

Outdated Timetable Provided: Upon arrival, we were given an outdated timetable for resort activities. As a result, many classes we intended to join either didn't happen or were already fully booked when we tried to reserve a space. The staff didn't provide updated schedules, so we had to rely on a public timetable we photographed ourselves.

Yoga Class Booking Failure: After using the public timetable, we booked a yoga class for the following morning. However, we discovered the next day that the staff had failed to secure our reservation. Fortunately, the yoga instructor kindly allowed us to join the session. Interestingly, another couple who hadn't booked was also allowed to attend. This raises the question: What's the point of a booking system if it doesn't prioritize those who reserve in advance?

Transportation Failure: We were assured a buggy would pick us up for the yoga session, but it never arrived. We had to run to the class, arriving late and causing a scene as the instructor didn't see our names on the attendance list.

Missed Massage Class Booking: A similar situation occurred when we attempted to book a massage class. Despite making a reservation, we were told at the door that the session was fully booked. This wasted our time and disrupted our plans for other resort activities.

These repeated issues lead me to question:

How can a luxury hotel like JW Marriott fail so significantly in planning and delivering basic guest services? Why advertise classes to guests if the resort cannot accommodate demand, even when bookings are made a day in advance?

Miscommunication About Late Check-Out:

After raising our concerns with a front desk supervisor—who was empathetic and assured us the matter would be handled internally—we were offered a late check-out without a time limit as a gesture of goodwill. However, this promise was not upheld. We received a phone call urging us to vacate the room before 2 PM. The supervisor later explained that a colleague hadn't seen his message, but this inconsistency and lack of coordination only added to our frustration. We eventually checked out around 2:30 PM, but by then, our trust in the resort's service was severely diminished.

Final Thoughts:

We chose JW Marriott Phu Quoc expecting exceptional service and attention to detail for our special occasion. Unfortunately, significant lapses in communication and planning overshadowed our stay. I urge the management to take this feedback seriously and implement corrective measures to prevent future guests from encountering similar disappointments. A brand like JW Marriott should consistently deliver on its promise of luxury and...

My family and I stayed at J. W. Marriott in Phu Quoc in March 2023. After the horrible experience, we do not even consider coming back. Please read below for our reasons:

1. We booked 3 rooms with bay views for 6 adults (4 seniors) and 2 young kids. The front desk gave us the rooms on the 2nd floor although I booked the rooms on the 4th or 5th floor. I asked why they didn't give us the bay view rooms as we had booked. She said it was because they had upgraded us to beach front rooms. It sounded very nice as if they were doing us a favor. However, it wasn't. Without informing us about the details of the rooms and the location of the building, they just drove us around on a golf cart for a quick tour of the property and then to our 3 rooms. We (most seniors and young children) walked up 2 flights of stairs to reach our rooms. To our disappointment, the bay views were blocked by coconut trees for all 3 of our rooms. This building is located at the very end of the J. W. Marriott property and really far from the kids club, kids swimming pool, and the breakfast/dining areas.
2. Since it was already late in the afternoon and we were all hungry, we called the front service desk and ordered hot lunches to be delivered to our room. We waited for over an hour for the hot lunches to arrive. The hot foods arrived all cold and tasted bad. We ate whatever we could and got some rest.
3. At about 4 pm, we changed into our swim gear and walked down the 2 flights of stairs to the beach in front of our building. We played on the beach for some time and my youngest daughter asked to go swim in a pool because it was too sunny and hot on the beach. We went to the pool in front of our building. Unfortunately, that pool was too deep for my youngest daughter. We asked the pool service person and he said the kid's swimming pool is some walking distance away. Since the kids swimming pool was quite far from our building, we decided to stay at the pool in front of our building. We put on life vests for both of my daughters so that they can float around. We left about half an hour later because they did not enjoy the pool at all. We went to our rooms and showered before heading out for dinner. My kids hate this hotel so much. In fact, they even kept asking us to leave because there were no activities for them.
4. The buggy service is awful. You will need to order the buggy service at least 15 mins in advance. We ordered the buggy service in the morning to go to the breakfast area. They said that in 5-10 mins they would arrive. Instead of waiting 5-10 minutes, we waited for 30 mins and nobody came. We experienced the same buggy services the night before. My dad was so hungry and walked to the breakfast area by himself. My aunts went separate ways. Honestly, when we got there I didn't have a good breakfast because I lost my appetite.

In conclusion, if you have kids and seniors, do not book here. It's not the best place for you to stay when you are...