Review: Newly Renovated JW Marriott Marquis Miami

Background

I needed a place to stay one-night pre-cruise, and the JW Marriott Marquis Miami is only about 2 miles from the Port of Miami. I walked through the hotel back in 2019 but did not stay overnight, so this was a perfect opportunity to try it out, especially because they recently completed a renovation at the end of 2023.

The JW Marriott Marquis Miami opened in 2010 and was the first-to-market JW Marriott Marquis property. It has 313 rooms, including 56 suites. Based on a current search, rates for a standard room start at $300 a night.

Interestingly, there’s also an older JW Marriott Miami just less than a mile away.

JW Marriott Marquis Miami Takeoff Points

Date of Stay: January 2024
Room Type: One Bedroom Bay Suite
Pros: Renovated rooms, concierge lounge breakfast is solid, and convenient location.
Cons: Lounge offerings during snack time were limited, and traffic outside the hotel during rush hour.
Overall Takeoff Score: A-

Fora Travel Benefits at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami

I work with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays. Fora is partnered with Marriott Stars & Luminous. With this, you can get special perks when booking with me. The JW Marriott Marquis Miami offers:

• Room upgrade upon availability on arrival
• Daily breakfast, for two guests
• Welcome Amenity
• Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability

If you are interested in getting these perks and want to stay at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami, feel free to email me at takeofftotravel@fora.travel or fill out the contact form at the bottom of this post if you have any inquiries.

Arrival & Check-In

Our flight into Fort Lauderdale got in around 10 PM, and then our Lyft took a little over 30 minutes to get to the hotel. That morning via chat, I also asked if there were any Marriott Bonvoy Platinum upgrades available, and the chat associate said they couldn’t guarantee it but would notate it for when I checked in.

The reception for the JW Marriott is located on the first floor. Upon arrival, I was helped by a friendly associate and she said we had been upgraded to a Bay One Bedroom Suite. She also confirmed that we would get a 4 PM late checkout for being a Platinum Member.

Interestingly, there is a hotel-within-a-hotel concept at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami. Located on the top floors (39-41) is the 44-room Hotel Beaux Arts, Autograph Collection which also has its own check-in on the 39th floor.

Lobby

There is additional lobby seating on the second floor, and you can access them via the guest room elevators, or by the large escalators next to reception.

JW Marriott Marquis Miami Concierge Lounge

Platinum Status and above get you access to the Concierge Lounge located on the 2nd floor. It takes the place of the former 345 Restaurant, so it is quite spacious. Overall, it was probably one of the nicest concierge lounges I’ve visited domestically, and certainly the largest one.

Hours of operation during my stay were from 6:30 AM to 10 PM

• Breakfast: 6:30 AM-11 AM
• Snacks and Fruits: 11 AM- 5:30 PM
• Hors d’oeuvres: 5:30 PM- 7:30 PM
• Evening Desserts & Fruits: 7:30 PM- 10 PM

Breakfast

The buffet selection was quite impressive with the variety of selection, and it felt as if it was a full restaurant buffet. In terms of hot items, there were 7 items including French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, and more. Other items included cereals, breads, and pastries.

Snacks & Fruits

Also, I visited during the snack & fruit time, and it was a bit disappointing. Along with the coffee machine and soft drinks being available, there were only nuts, pistachios, and dried fruit.

Due to our late arrival and it being only a one-night stay, we weren’t able to try out Hors d’oeuvres and Evening Desserts & Fruits, so I cannot comment on those offerings.

JW Marriott Marquis Miami One Bedroom Bay Suite

Our suite was located on the 33rd floor, at the end of the hall. The One Bedroom Bay Suite is a corner suite and quite spacious at 1,066 square feet. 

Upon entering, you’ll first pass by a half bath on the left.

Then, you’ll enter the living room area with a large sofa, two armchairs, and a TV.

In the living area, there is a wet bar with a sink and an Illy coffee maker. Additionally, there is a mini-bar filled with beverages for purchase.

Towards the back of the living room, there is a separate dining table with four chairs, which also can serve as an office. I enjoyed this extra space, and it was helpful to work from here.

Bedroom

The bedroom had a king-sized bed, TV, plenty of windows, and an armchair. There was a closet with an iron/board, but only one robe. Normally, hotels give 2 robes at a minimum. The headboard looked very new, and the furnishings seemed refreshed. Cleanliness seemed to be quite good which was appreciated.

Views

In the morning the views were nice and we could see the bay, but we were mainly blocked by other buildings.

Bathroom

The bathroom was quite spacious, with two sinks and a separate tub and shower. The tub had jacuzzi jets, and the shower was quite large. Additionally, a nice touch was the TV in the bathroom mirror which was nice to watch some news while getting ready in the morning.

I don’t believe that the bathrooms were included in the renovation, but they still were in good condition, although you could tell it was a bit dated. Toiletries were provided by Aromatherapy in reusable bottles. Also, cotton swabs and mouthwash were provided as well.

Additionally, I found it quite cute that they put the hairdryer in a purse-style bag.

Location

The JW Marriott is located in Downtown Miami’s Financial District and is within walking distance to plenty of restaurants and shops. Conveniently located across the street is a Whole Foods Market, and the hotel is about a 10-minute (0.5 mile) walk to Brickell City Centre. It’s about 2 miles from the Port of Miami, which is why I chose this hotel for our pre-cruise stay. 

Just be aware that if you are calling a rideshare, a lot of the drivers don’t know how to enter the porte-cochere of the hotel. We had one driver who passed the hotel and then canceled on us, and the next driver ended up pulling into the Kimpton EPIC across the street, so we ended up walking over there to get into our Lyft. Additionally, there seemed to be a lot of traffic in the afternoon outside the hotel, so have ample time if you are going to be leaving during rush hour.

In terms of parking, the JW Marriott Marquis Miami offers only valet parking for $58 per night.

Dining

BouludSud

Located on the first floor, BouludSud is an upscale Mediterranean restaurant by Chef Daniel Boulud and it is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Met Cafe & Bar

Located on the second floor, the Met Cafe & Bar serves American fare and is open from 11 AM to 11 PM daily.

Intermezzo Coffee Bar

The Intermezzo Coffee Bar is the “Starbucks” option on site, and during lunch, they serve salads and even empanadas. I had a chicken empanada to try, and it was quite tasty.

Amenities

Destination Fee:

The JW Marriott Marquis Marriott has a $42 destination fee that includes:

• Daily $42 F&B Credit
• Daily Fitness on-demand class for 2ppl
• General admission tickets to the Perez Art Museum Miami for 2ppl per stay
• 30 minute scalp and shoulder massage & Spa gift for 2ppl per stay

Pool

The Pool Deck was under maintenance when I tried to visit in the morning I believe it was just bad timing as an associate mentioned that it would be open later in the day. It seemed nice, and it was outdoors on the 19th floor.

Golf School, Bowling Alley & Basketball Court

Also, on the 19th floor, are many unique amenities for a city hotel. There is a basketball court that transforms into an indoor tennis court in March. I wanted to visit the basketball court, but it was under maintenance like the pool, and would reopen later that day.

There is also a golf school & a two-lane bowling alley (for a fee). I wish the destination fee came with a few hours of included bowling. The area also featured a lot of seating and could be a good place to get work done or meet up with colleagues/friends. There was also a foosball table. A very fun floor indeed!

Spa & Fitness Center

The Enliven Spa is located on the 20th floor and offers spa treatments, massages, facials, and more. The fitness center is also located on the 20th floor, and when I visited it, a decent amount of people were working out.

The Verdict

Overall, I had a solid stay at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami, which provided an elevated 4 to 4.5-star hotel experience. The clean, renovated rooms and central location are the major pluses, as well as the concierge lounge breakfast. Next time, if my travels bring me back to this property, I’d like to experience the pool and basketball court more.

 

Have you stayed at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami before? How was your experience? Comment below!

 

Cheers,

Ty

 

---

If you are interested in getting Fora perks and want to stay at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami, feel free to email me at takeofftotravel@fora.travel or fill out this contact form below. If you have other trips you’d like for me to help plan, feel free to reach out as well! 

---