Review - JW Marriott Grosvenor House London
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London
May 23rd, 2024
Posts in this series:
Introduction - A Random Jaunt to Europe
Review - Virgin Atlantic Premium Class A330-300 Miami to London Heathrow
Review - JW Marriott Grosvenor House London
Review - Imperial Riding School, Autograph Collection, Vienna
Review - Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras
Review - Austrian Airlines Business Class A321 Vienna to Frankfurt
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Enroute:
We breezed through the UK border and were soon on our way to Mayfair. Unfortunately, any time-saving was offset by traffic. When we pulled up to the hotel, there was some kind of event being set up.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Entrance
Check-in:
We were quickly checked in and were told our room wasn’t ready. However, the receptionist did invite us to use the executive lounge while we waited. This turned out to be unnecessary, as we got a text saying our room was ready 10 minutes later.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Lobby
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Lobby
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Lobby
Unpack:
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Hallway
We were informed at check-in that no upgrades were available due to high occupancy. I did briefly checked the Marriott app when I was stuck in our Uber and saw a myriad of rooms available for booking. Since we were only there for one night, I chose to save my battle for another day. Not that I would’ve waited for a better room to be cleaned anyway. Therefore, we were in the superior king room, as we booked.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Superior King Room Entry
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Superior King Room Foyer
Upon entry, there was a small foyer before the bathroom. This was a rather exposed design, as anyone can see straight through the bathroom when you open the front door.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Superior King Room Bathroom
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Superior King Room Bathroom
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Superior King Room Bathroom
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Superior King Room Bathroom
Given it’s an old hotel, the bathroom was pretty compact, in particular the tub/shower. Bath amenities were from Aromatherapy Associates, a standard at JW Marriott hotels.
The bedroom looked très dated as well. The room here and the hallway had that musty odor you often smell in old buildings.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Superior King Room Bedroom
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Superior King Room Bedroom
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Superior King Room Bedroom
Lastly, there was a closet.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Superior King Room Closet
Refuel:
We didn’t eat or drink anything at the hotel, with the exception of some coffee in the executive lounge. Below you can find the lounge hours.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Executive Lounge
The breakfast buffet was generally underwhelming, not to mention this lounge was consistently crowded - regardless of it being 10am or 10pm, there were always people everywhere.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Executive Lounge
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Executive Lounge
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Executive Lounge
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Executive Lounge
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Executive Lounge
We walked past the Red Bar, which looked somewhat intriguing. The JW actually offered numerous f&b venues on property, you can see the full list here.
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Red Bar
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Red Bar
Depart:
The JW London suited our purpose for our layover in London. We used an expiring free night certificate for this stay, which is the only reason why I’d choose this property. It just didn’t have anything going for it other than the location. The room was dated, the lounge was forgettable, and even the linens felt worn. I think the paid rates were only 200 quid cheaper than the Rosewood, so that’s a no-brainer. For hotels within the same range, I stayed at the Conrad St. James’s Park years ago and remembered it being much more upscale than the JW. Their breakfast was fresh and extensive, and their bed was so plush that I still think about it sometimes.