JW Marriott Essex House

Having researched extensively for months before our trip to NYC to celebrate our 30th anniversary, my husband & I ended up picking Essex House among the few reservations I made. In contention were The St. Regis, The Luxury Collection Manhattan and Langham, all within similar price ranges for our visit. We were literally tearing our heads apart one week before departure, not knowing which of these hotels to choose from. While the latter 3 offered rooms/suites which were not only larger but also more luxurious and modern than Essex House, what tipped our decision were a combination of a few factors. Firstly, the communication right from the beginning with the Essex House reservations team, to the very end of our stay was absolutely on point, quick, helpful and efficient. Ms. Olivia Ribbe made sure all our needs were taken care of, as far back as 6 months before our trip! Very often, communication between the central reservations team of a hotel or brand and the front desk check-in agents goes awry. We have experienced countless times when prior written requests were lost or ignored by check-in agents but not this time. She made sure we were upgraded to the best possible room, the Manhattan Suite, although we had only booked an entry room. When I saw from the Marriott app that we were upgraded to this suite, I proceeded to cancel the other three bookings. The other tipping point - the Executive Lounge here I read, is one of the best in the country. Coming from Asia, we are spoiled with the spread these lounges offer on this side of the world, so we prepared ourselves for a more parred down experience. However, the lounge in Essex House did not disappoint at all. Newly renovated, it delivered on all accounts. The breakfast spread every morning was wide and very substantial. We also dropped by in between hours to pick up a snack & drink and the ambience was very conducive to just spend some down time here. They also dished out a respectable evening offering with desserts to end the night! I would say though that if we hadn't received the upgrade, we may not have chosen this hotel. Reading reviews of dated & dusty rooms, some with no views at all, no coffee machines in the room (not acceptable for a 5-star hotel nowadays), bathrooms which are tight, dirty windows, for the price range and calibre the JW name carries, being an older building, Essex House needs to upgrade if it wants to keep up. I would like to mention though that upon request, a coffee machine can be put in the room prior to arrival at no charge. So, one just has to ask. Still, why not furnish all rooms with one to keep up with the other 5-star competition? The Suite was large and very comfortable, not exactly luxurious nor modern, housekeeping was efficient each time, and we had a city view mainly looking towards the south and a side view of Central Park. One weak point is the bathroom. For a suite this size, the main bathroom was small, with a single sink. And true to other reviews, the windows truly need a good thorough cleaning from the outside! Housekeeping always delivered, replenishing all supplies with much efficiency. The few times we interacted with front desk agents and concierge were pleasant, though slightly inconsistent. Some were more approachable & friendly than others, one struggled to make sense of the computer screen in front of them, and there is a slight disconnect between concierge and front desk agents with regards to items offered complimentary, also the ever mind-boggling destination fee credits. Ultimately, one needs to review based on the price paid, and because we had secured a really decent rate for our Essex Room and subsequently received an upgrade several notches above this, we feel that our experience here was well worth it. Having said that, I am not sure if we will always return to Essex House, especially if the rates here tend to be on the higher side for dated rooms & bathrooms. Read less

Hotel is in an ideal location for exploring Central Park and midtown. Staff were friendly. Our room was so disappointing for the money. There was no view and felt dark. It was junior suite and not the same room pictured on the website. No upgrade for Titanium member. We were not even granted a 4pm checkout. If you have Marriott status stay somewhere else where you will be treated with better perks … we’ve stayed nearly 100 nights at Marriott properties this past year alone and never spent so much on a disappointing room. I highly suggest you stay elsewhere when visiting NYC. Read less

The hotel location and amenities are very nice. As diamond members we receive additional amenities. This hotel charges a “destination fee” of $45 and although we had a view of Central Park the room was ok - no wow factor as I would expect for the price and location. I must say the service is definitely premium!! My compliments to the hiring and training managers! The bellman John and Arthur to the warm welcoming smiles and hospitality of everyone we encountered. The hostesses at the restaurant- Bisi (Olabisi) and Beatrice went above and beyond which made us look forward to returning for a longer stay despite the small room. I will remember how welcomed this hotel made us feel. Read less

We had been to the Essex House when it was a Jumeirah in 2008, we really wanted to return and we do on April 28th 2025. The Hotel is dated and uncomfortable the reception small and unwelcoming. There seems to be a problem with leadership in this property as some staff members are warm, efficient and professional (doormen, bell staff, security and bartenders) an exceptional Head Concierge, and very average front desk attention, some clearly incompetent others OK. Our first room was terribly small with a window that was more like a square port-hole than a window so we couldn’t say we had the view we were paying for. We asked to be moved to a different room, luckily the front-desk attendant that gave us the first room wasn’t there so we were treated in a much warmer and efficient manner by a different one. The cleaning of the room was mediocre and superficial, and the carpet seemed to be insufficiently clean and the corridors were stuffy and sometimes smelly. The hostesses for breakfast were slow and no very welcoming unlike the servers at the restaurant who were extremely warm and professional. Frankly for the price we payed you have far better options in NYC. I don’t think I’ll ever return. Read less