I stayed at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes from December 22–25 for three nights. The property itself is beautiful and has a lot of potential, especially for families, but the overall experience didn’t quite meet what I expect from a JW Marriott.
The grounds are lovely, and while we didn’t get to fully enjoy the pools, the lazy river and water park looked like a lot of fun for kids. During our stay there was a holiday ice-skating setup with fire pits, hot cocoa, and food trucks over by the Ritz next door, which was a really charming and festive touch.
Dining was one of the highlights. Dinner at Primo was excellent — truly fresh, homemade pasta and great service. Breakfast at Citron was also very good, especially on Christmas morning. The omelet station and pancake/waffle station stood out.
As a Marriott Titanium Elite, I was recognized at check-in and offered continental breakfast, which I appreciated. I was also upgraded to a queen room with a balcony and pool view, a couple of categories above what I booked.
That said, the room itself, while renovated, felt quite small, and the hotel overall does feel dated. One major disappointment was the lack of expected JW amenities. There was only one robe in the room and no slippers, and when I called reception I was told they were completely out of both. The robe that was in the room looked very worn and dingy, which was not what I expect at this level.
I was also disappointed by the lack of turn-down service, especially given that this JW is directly connected to a Ritz-Carlton. While I understand that turn-down service may no longer be standard at every JW, the proximity to the Ritz raises expectations for a more elevated and consistent luxury experience.
To put this into context, I had just stayed one night at The Ben in West Palm Beach, an Autograph Collection hotel, immediately prior to this stay. They covered my entire breakfast and had both a robe and slippers waiting in the room. An Autograph property should not be out-executing a JW Marriott on basic elite expectations, and that comparison is honestly why I took off two stars.
Another issue was a loud alarm going off in the room next to us at around 2:00 AM. It sounded like a room alarm, and it took security about 30 minutes to access the room and shut it off. To the hotel’s credit, they handled this well afterward and offered 80,000 points, which was very generous. Still, these are issues that shouldn’t happen at a JW Marriott.
I also couldn’t get the coffee machine in the room to work, so I relied on the Starbucks in the lobby, which was appreciated.
Overall, this is a beautiful resort with great dining and family-friendly amenities, and the staff does try to make things right when issues arise. However, for a JW Marriott — particularly one connected to a Ritz-Carlton — the experience should be more seamless and consistent from the start. Attention to detail and execution need improvement to justify the brand level.
