Review: JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa
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Foreword
Located in the center of the hotel area, close to the luxury brand boutiques on Luxury Avenue, the JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa was one of the best hotels I have stayed in Cancun.
In September 2019 (low period), I stayed three nights in this fabulous resort that is part of Marriott International’s portfolio of brands.
With two properties in Cancun, the JW Marriott stands out as a luxury hotel alongside the Ritz Carlton in this Mexican city. As a Category 6 hotel, points required per night can range from 40,000 to 60,000 points.
The price was 126 USD/night. I preferred to pay given the low cost rather than using points. And by paying with my Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card, it allowed me to earn 5 points per dollar.
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600$100 deferred bonus, excluded from the first-year estimate and not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Booking with Club 91 access
Even though I had Platinum status, as it is a resort, access to the VIP Club, which offers all-day meals, is not included.
The hotel emailed me a week before my stay to offer me access to Club 91, which includes several benefits at the cost of $30/day. No matter how many people are in the room, the daily price stays the same.
For a family of two adults and two children (12 and under), the rate for Club 91 benefits is the same. We were two, so it was advantageous to opt-in for this offer.
The room
Access to Club 91 guarantees a room on the upper floors (8-15th floor).
I got a room on the 14th floor which was ideally located with sea views and a large balcony.
The bathroom
The bathroom consists of a separate bathtub and shower.
The balcony
Only floors 14 and 15 have such a balcony. If it rains, the water does not go to the balcony by the roof’s configuration of the hotel.
The Club 91 Lounge
Access to Club 91 at the JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa provides five daily meal services:
- breakfast (7 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)
- lunch (12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.)
- light afternoon meals (>3:00-5:00 p.m.)
- Discovery Hour (6:00 p.m. – 7:50 p.m.)
- cheese and sweets service in the evening (8 p.m. – 10 p.m.).
There is a bar where we could consume alcoholic beverages (wine, beer, cocktails, etc.) between 6 pm and 10 pm.
I found the Discovery Hour very original because every day there is a different culinary specialty where the chef of each specialty restaurant of the hotel comes to present his dishes.
Thus:
- On Monday, the “Champions” restaurant offers fine American food
- On Tuesdays, the “Gustino” offers Italian cuisine
- On Wednesdays, the “Beach Walk” offers Caribbean specialties
- On Thursday, it is the turn of the head chef of the Japanese restaurant to make a show by cooking the requested dishes (restaurant “Mikado”).
- On Fridays, Argentina’s kitchen offers excellent steaks cooked according to our tastes (restaurant “La Capilla”)
- Saturday the “Sedona Grill” makes us enjoy Mexican cuisine
- On Sundays, the “Sasi-Thai” restaurant offers a variety of Thai culinary specialties
So we were able to taste excellent dishes that would have cost a lot more if we had gone to the various a la carte restaurants.
Even in Canada, no restaurant offers such a high-quality meal at such a price.
The spa and the gym
In addition, Club 91 includes access to the spa rooms,i.e.:
- The sauna,
- the steam room
- The inner Jacuzzi
The value is USD 25 per person per day, so by paying the USD 30 a day, I was able to enjoy these luxurious facilities offering the brightness of the sun throughout the day.
Pools
The hotel has outdoor hot tubs, numerous swimming pools and comfortable chairs by the sea. In addition, there is a section reserved for adults.
The hotel has recently been renovated compared to the Ritz Carlton, which would need to be revamped: I am delighted to have chosen this property in Cancun.
The outdoor pools and hot tubs are open 24 hours a day and since I went to bed late, I spent a few hours in one of the illuminated Jacuzzis.
There is a gift shop and a fashion boutique inside the hotel. Hotel guests receive 20% discounts. I bought clothes that I charged on my room:
- That way, I earned a lot of Marriott Bonvoy points from the hotel (15 points per dollar as a Platinum member)
- That with my Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card(5 points per dollar for purchases at Marriott locations).
The 91 Club fee also earns Bonvoy points and is very beneficial on my Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card (since it is the total CAD$ bill that is multiplied by 5, which benefits us as Canadians).
The hotel is very clean with a neat decor.
At the entrance to the hotel area, the big sign “CANCUN” is there, but there is a long waiting time to take a picture in front of it. At the JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa, the badge is also there, this time, without waiting.
In terms of service, it is flawless. The staff adjusts according to the customers, and so the employees are sometimes formal, sometimes familiar. The individualization of the needs of guests is taken into account as soon as you enter the hotel.
In addition, there is an activity program where several choices are offered at each hour of the day. I went to do the cooking classes, and it is the chefs of the specialty restaurants who teach us their secrets.
It is essential to mention that this is not a suitable hotel for children. There is no water slide, and the children I have seen are supervised by their parents. Pools for adults and children do not include games for the little ones. The hotel lends water balloons on request, but I only saw one child using them during my three days at this hotel. It is very quiet throughout the resort and compared to other hotels, the number of children is minimal. For the off-season, I was impressed with how many people there were at this resort, because in all the other hotels I have stayed in, the capacity was about 50%.
Finally, if we compare the price with an all-inclusive hotel of the same level of quality and service, a new 5 star, we quickly realize that for two people, including access to Club 91, we save money.
I bought my liquor at the downtown Wal-Mart for cheap with my American Express Cobalt™ Card, which gave me 5 points / 1 CAD$. The hotel allows us to bring our own alcohol to the pools and the beach even though there are several bars both inside and outside the hotel. Since I don’t drink a lot, I was happy not to waste my money in an all-inclusive.
The customers are distinguished and friendly, as well.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, since I love refined food from several countries, the JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa amazed me with the excellence of culinary gastronomy combining different flavours with culinary art. This hotel stands out from its competitors.
The JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa is a luxury hotel at a very competitive price, where I will certainly come back on my next holiday in Cancun.
A thousand thanks to milesopedia: before I knew your site, I was only going in all-inclusive and all calculations made, it was more expensive for me to proceed that way.
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600$100 deferred bonus, excluded from the first-year estimate and not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Our travel guides to Mexico
Ulysses Guides offers a wide range of guides to Mexico, so don’t hesitate to visit their site to plan your trip! Here are our two suggestions:
Our suggestions for activities in Cancun
Go further with Marriott Bonvoy
To maximize your stays and points earning, check our complete Marriott Bonvoy program guide and our best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards ranking. For personal use, see the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. For business expenses, the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card earns points on every business purchase. And if a points purchase promotion is running, take advantage via our Marriott Bonvoy points purchase guide.