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

Review - Lufthansa Business Class B747-8 Frankfurt to Miami

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.

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.

Unpack:

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.

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.

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.

Lastly, there was a 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.

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.

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.

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.