JW Marriott Grand Rapids

Every time I’m in Grand Rapids I stay at J W Marriott. It’s a great looking hotel, friendly staff, great views from the rooms, nice spa and gym. They even have an indoor bridge that’s connected around the city. A ton of restaurants within walking distance.

Definitely will NOT be back. In fact, my experience here this weekend puts Marriott on my list of last resorts in my future travels. To begin, I reserved a room with 2 queen sized beds, as I was traveling with my HS aged son for a state choir event he was in. When I arrived, I was told there were no rooms with 2 beds, and that a king sized bed was my only option… oh, and that all would be fine because the room has a chaise lounge that one of us could sleep on. No. Just no. The room was poorly decorated, and dirty AF. Definitely not worth $ 600 for 2 nights.

The best hotel in Grand Rapids area. I personally like the JW Marriott better than the Amway Grand Plaza even though they are both rated as 4 star hotel. The hotel is newer than the Grand Plaza and many of the room are river facing.
One of the problem with the hotel is that many of the room are close to the elevator & next to this high ceiling they have. The music the hotel plays bounces and echoes until 11:00pm and starts at 7:00am, which makes it hard to sleep in.
Another issue is that the hotel is sort of tucked away in the back, so if you’re not familiar or from around the area, you may miss it.
Is the hotel worth $ 250 a night? For me, definitely not. I stay here because I get corporate rates, and that’s the only reason. I would stay next door at the Courtyard Marriott — may not be as new or as luxurious, but price + money wise, it’s more worth of your value.

In over 30 years of traveling on business and pleasure, I have never run into a hotel so greedy!
Rates were high, but that wasn’t the bad part: If you visit Grand Rapids on the weekend, they will NOT sell you a room for just one night. You must book and pay for two nights, even if you only want one!
That’s right, they are so greedy that you can’t book a single night! Really? Wow. I’m surprised that Marriott doesn’t take away their franchise, for giving the corporation a bad name! It is supposed to be the service industry, not the ripoff industry!
I urge you to stay elsewhere. Vote with your wallet and go somewhere else where they are not greedy and out to squeeze every dollar out of you.

We ended up getting a river view room and even though the weather was a little gloomy it was a wonderful view. Great location that puts you within walking distance of almost anything. Attached parking structure makes getting to and from your car a breeze. The only things that would prevent me giving 5 stars is the sauna was broken (but the pool was great), the bar was out of Tito’s (but you’d never guess by the décor) and while our room was very nicely appointed, the large picture of a smiling man above our bed was a little weird. Great place, would gladly stay again.

Pros: Nice rooms, food was okay.
Cons: Stayed with my family the weekend of July 4^th. Did not get the correct room that I paid for several months earlier, I was less then impressed with their customer service. GM did not return my email.

I’m Marriott platinum.
I love the hotel but I hate the scent they use. Too strong and makes my nose run. I mentioned it but it prevails each trip. Points off for stinky air scent.

I travel A LOT and this has become one of my favorite hotels. I first stayed here for work and greatly enjoyed the décor, my room including exceptional dual shower head shower, the speedy internet, the super friendly staff, and the great cocktails and food in the bar. I was really able to recharge.
A month later, our family vacation to Glen Arbor was cut short due to a severe storm. Unable to get to our hotel and trying to decide how to salvage the rest of our vacation, I remembered this JW and we decided to stay there. Getting in late at night, front desk told us we could check out as late as we want. We had a great breakfast with the kids with top notch service. The kids and I played in the awesome pool while my wife got a surprisingly great massage. Then we left for a fun day of dune rides and quaint shopping in nearby Saugatuck.
Love this hotel.

Pros: nice showers, nice property, and a Starbucks. Nice and polite staff.
Cons: stayed two nights with no maid service. We were out of the room by 8:30am so there was plenty of time to come in and make beds. We were in a group with 4 rooms total, none received maid service.
Refrigerator in the room did not work.
TV did not work.
Front desk did not have ear plugs available. Considering I could hear the lobby and my neighbors they should have earplugs available.
Called for assistance checking out at 8:30am, by 9 I dragged my own luggage down.
After complaining about items in the room not working, no discount or remedy was offered. This hotel was pricey… Not worth the price in my opinion.

It’s convenient. It’s updated. It’s beautiful. Every time I visit the JW, they go above and beyond to make it an extraordinary experience that keeps me coming back.
One time I stayed there for our (dating) anniversary, and we were greeted with first class service. We were put in a corner room with two walls of windows on a high floor overlooking the Grand River. Awesome right? Shortly after our arrival, the front desk sent up two splits of champagne, two glasses, and a card that said «Congratulations on the past three years. Here’s to many, many more.»
Fast forward a year, and it was time to plan our wedding — so naturally we chose the JW for our guests to stay in. Every e-​mail I got was promptly responded to in less than 24 hours. When it came time to book the wedding night hotel room, the room block software wouldn’t let me choose between a double or a king size bed. The woman I was working with told me to let her know when I was booking the room and she would ensure that we got a King Sized bed, on a high floor, with a great view. That’s the above and beyond that keeps me coming back.

This hotel is beautiful. We stayed on the 18^th floor which had great views of the city. The staff at the front desk are overly accommodating. We arrived early and they were able to check us in a few hours early. I called to inquire about bike rentals and they offered to print a listing of places for me among other things.
The rooms were very clean. Beautiful bathrooms with huge soaker tubs and double glass showers. The beds were amazing.
The hotels location was pretty central to everything we wanted to see and do. The six.one.six. Restaurant was fantastic. They have tables and cabanas on the river which were awesome.
Parking was convenient. Since we were only in town for a day we didn’t get to use al the amenities but I know the gym offered complimentary water and fruit and they have an indoor pool.
We had plenty of pillows which usually isn’t the case. I slept amazingly.
We had one incident with a hostess that was unpleasant but we were more than accommodated. The manager Sarah was fabulous and gave us breakfast vouchers to compensate. We had breakfast in the six.one.six. which was incredible. The chef for the day was Elvis and he did a great job. I highly recommend the breakfast buffet!
This hotel offers a great view of the fireworks on the 4^th. Room was s little pricy but after the experience I see why.
We had a great stay and I will stay here anytime I’m going to be in Grand Rapids.

Very nice hotel. Smart TVs let you watch Netflix. Nice workout facility. Good staff… check in was easy. On the river with nice views.

Where can you watch Netflix while staying at a beautiful Hotel? JW Marriott! This hotel is really nice. We were upgraded to Concierge Level so the review is based on Concieege level rooms and amenities. Rooms are great! Spacious and clean and so up to date. I didn’t realize the hotel, and rooms, are 10 years old. When we checked in we were told about all the rooms being Netflix accessible. What? So needless to say my evening was spent catching up on my Netflix shows. After eating a spectacular dinner (separate restaurant review) and having a couple cocktails in the Concierge lounge. The staff is so polite and helpful they kinda make you feel like a superstar!
The lobby bar looked vibrant and fun and I will definitely try it out next time but, come on, I had to use the concierge lounge!
I suggest parking in the self park garage if you are looking to save a few bucks. $ 19.00 a day with unlimited come and go. Once checked in, your room key serves as garage key.
I do have to comment on the hotel gym. My husband, who is certainly a gym snob, said it could have been better. He lives for a great hotel gym!

When I travel to Grand Rapids for business, this is definitely my favorite place to stay. It’s clean, modern, and chic. I was even there during ArtPrize for two years. I love that there is so much within walking distance to eat, see, and do. The staff is attentive; they are ready to meet me with a water bottle when I return after a run! The rooms are clean and have great views of the city/​river. The bathroom shower is generously sized, and I love the toiletries.
I appreciate the Starbucks in the lobby (as well as the ample lobby space to work), and the bar and restaurant are great. I feel very safe here on my own as a solo female traveler. Room service is also quick and delicious for when I don’t want to go out!
I highly recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Grand Rapids. There is free wifi in the lobby, as well as in rooms for guests.

Standard JW, which means its beautiful. Great location right on the river and easily walkable (even in frigid temperatures!) to local restaurants. Nice, spacious rooms and great bathrooms. I had some trouble at check-​in which was kind of annoying, but it was resolved pretty quickly.
Overall, a great place to stay. I’ll definitely be back!

I came here for a work trip and stayed for about 3 days.
Service is exceptional and so is the breakfast buffet!
Only down side was I had ordered room service on night one (shrimp salad) and my shrimp was still gray and raw.
…now I’m from Los Angeles, I don’t think your shrimpy pals should be gray.
I should have complained but I’m not a big complainer so I just ended up eating my lettuce and my raw shrimp probably scampered away i to the nearby river.
(I’m sure they would have refunded or replaced my food but I had to wake up at 5am the next day and figured it wasn’t worth the wait a chance of having someone spit in my food.)
Other than that the staff is friendly and attentive and having 2 king sized beds for yourself is spectacular.
OH! I forgot about the shower. The shower is pretty splendid too. Check that.

Dang. I had one plush stay here. From the valet guys at the door to the front desk staff that checked me in/​out and everything in between the service was top notch.
The hotel itself is pretty huge. I believe it’s about ²²⁄₂₃ floors high and beautiful. I stayed in a corner room on the 5^th floor and it was massive. Huge floor to ceiling windows gave me mostly a view of the parking garage (I didn’t splurge for a room with a view) but the right side of the room and the side window gave me a lovely view of the river and the bridge.
My room had an incredibly comfy king sized bed, a chaise lounge in the corner, a desk with plenty of plugins and hook ups, a TV, a mini fridge, and a beautiful bathroom with a huge tub and separate shower. It was very snazzy and I was incredibly comfortable the entire time.
Standard wifi is free but if you need a lot of data/​speed you can upgrade for a cost. I found the standard to be perfect for my needs – surfing, emailing, watching the occasional youtube clip, etc.
I got in early for the evening and decided to check out the fitness center and pool area. Also very nice! The fitness area had a number of machines, including weight machines. Most hotels I visit have only a few machines and free weights. This one was super stacked. Plus complimentary fruit, water, headphones, and jogging maps of the area.
The pool was gorgeous. I was the only one in there and the water looked like glass. Very clean. I spent most of my time in the hot tub which was more like a whirlpool bath, really. The heat was there but the jets were a bit weak for these chronically stiff/​sore muscles. Still nice for a soak though! There were also two steam rooms – one with eucalyptus and one without. I tried the former first and it was intense scent wise (although it did clear up my sinuses!) and moved to the latter after.
Location is fantastic, walking distance to a lot of great places downtown like the arena and art museum. Valet is available as well as self park if you need to go out a bit further. Prices can run a bit higher but you get what you pay for and can find a deal occasionally. Hoping I get to visit again on my next stay in Grand Rapids!

Yes, Yes and yes, stay here when you are in Grand Rapids. This is a beautiful hotel, luxurious, comfortable, and quiet. You can get here lots of rest. You can actually enjoy your stay and relax. The front desk is more than helpful. The hotel has on site Starbucks, and the people that work there are super nice. You can also valet your car or if you are just doing an overnight stay like me you can park down the street. Parking meter starts at 8am.

This place never ceases to amaze. We have stayed here many times. The room is always clean. The beds are so comfortable. I love the shower and the tub. The soaps smell great too– love that citrus scent! There is a movie channel if you want to watch the latest movies, and the views are wonderful. I usually get the riverside view. So nice to see the cityscape at night!
The food is great, and room service is quick!
This is also a great place celebrate New Years!
Of course, being on the top floor and looking over the glass railing down into the lobby scares the bejesus out of me, but you must do it– it’s there specifically for that reason :)
I’m torn about the music is the lobby… it’s an upbeat, sexy techno clubish style groove… sometimes it makes me feel sexy and cool, and sometimes I feel like I’m too old to be there… hmmm… I guess I am middle aged (41), so that’s probably normal? Lol…
Oh! The spa is awesome! My daughter and I stayed here after a Michael Buble concert, and treated ourselves to a massage. Looooooved it. Get one! You will love it too. The atmosphere is perfect for a relaxing massage, and the rates aren’t crazy.

The JW Marriott is a luxury hotel experience. The views of the Grand River and downtown are unsurpassed and amenities abound! The interior, particularly the lobby, is quite modern. We visited at Christmastime and there were a number of tastefully decorated trees and holiday décor. There is a nice little pool, whirlpool, steam room, and sauna for guests. Our room had a gorgeous river view and was impeccably clean, with trendy furnishings and modern accents. The bathroom was very luxe, as were the provided toiletries.
My one (significant) gripe was the Axe-​Body-​spray-​esque scent pumped into the lobby. It was overwhelming and gave me a headache– and I am NOT one of those «I hate scented anything» people.