JW Marriott Essex House - Review
JW Marriott Essex House is an amazing historic building right on Central Park with fantastic views. The hotel is a solid option as a base for a New York trip with great transport links and an executive lounge
Introduction
The JW Marriott Essex House New York occupies a prime spot on Central Park South, offering a blend of comfort and convenience in the heart of Manhattan. As someone who enjoys exploring luxury hotels, I recently had the chance to stay at this well-known property. In this review, I'll share my experience, covering everything from the room views to the Executive lounge. Whether you're a regular New York visitor or planning your first trip, I hope my insights into the JW Marriott Essex House will help you decide if it's the right choice for your stay.
How to book
JW Marriott Essex House is part of the Marriott LUMINOUS program, which offers some great perks when you book through a travel agent. Here's what you can expect:
- Daily breakfast for two
- $100 hotel credit to use during your stay
- Room upgrade at check-in (if available)
- Local welcome amenity
- Early check-in and late check-out (if available)
- All your Marriott Bonvoy status benefits, points, and status nights
For Marriott LUMINOUS bookings, I use QX Travel. You can request a free quote from them here. These rates are cash rates based on the flexible rate, not the members' rate. Sometimes there are promotions for longer stays, so it's worth checking.
If you prefer to use points, the JW Marriott Essex House starts at 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. Just note that there's an additional resort fee to be paid on top of the points redemption.
Location
One of the best things about this hotel is its location on Central Park South. It's easy to get around by public transport or on foot from here. For those who find New York a bit overwhelming at times, being right across from Central Park is a real plus. You can easily escape the city noise for a bit of green space and relative calm.
The hotel has two entrances: one on Central Park South and another on West 58th Street, which is handy depending on where you're headed.
The room
When it comes to rooms at the JW Marriott Essex House, the views are really what make it special. I'd recommend going for a 'Central Park View' room or one of the suites if you can.
Our room had great views over Central Park, and watching the sunrise in the mornings was a nice way to start the day. The windows only open a little for fresh air, so clean windows are important for the best view.
The beds are comfortable, and our room was in good condition overall.
Central Park View King room - Little bot of luxe
Executive lounge & breakfast
With my status, we had access to the Executive lounge on the ground floor. The lounge hours are back to normal after Covid, but they can be a bit confusing:
- Monday - Thursday: Open 6:30 AM - 10 PM (Breakfast 6:30 - 11 AM; Dinner 5 - 10 PM)
- Friday: Open 6:30 AM - 11 AM for breakfast only
- Saturday & Sunday: Open 7 AM - 11 AM for breakfast
- Sunday evening: Reopens 5 PM - 10 PM for dinner service
The breakfast selection was good, with the fresh fruit options being particularly nice. In the evenings, there were two hot dishes, along with cheeses, charcuterie, some vegetables, and fruits.
Executive Lounge at the JW Marriott Essex House New York - Little bit of luxe
Final thoughts
The JW Marriott Essex House New York is in a great spot for exploring Manhattan. Being so close to Central Park is a big plus, especially if you want a break from the city buzz. After a busy day out, it's nice to be able to just cross the road and take a walk in the park.
While many hotels are cutting back on their lounge offerings, it's good to see the JW Marriott maintaining theirs. This was a short stay, so I didn't get to try the restaurant or gym, but I'm looking forward to checking them out next time.
Have you recently stayed at the JW Marriott Essex House? I'd be interested to hear about your experience in the comments below!