Points Pals Rating
Overall Rating : 7.76
Hotel: 7.5 points
Location: 9
Fitness Center: 8
Pools: 7
Restaurant: 7
Lounge: 7
Bar: 7
Room: 7.8
Bed Comfort 9
Room Cleanliness: 10
Natural Light: 9
Wifi 8
Room Size: 7
Bathroom (amenities/size): 7
USB/ Charging Outlets: 5
For the Business Traveller: 8
Workspace: 9
Bigscreen Connectivity: 10
USB Connectivity: 5
Introduction
This is my first stay in a long time at a JW Marriott property. In the past, I have stayed at airport hotels in Mexico City. This time I was southwest of Mexico City in Santa Fe, which was only a 30 minute Uber ride from the airport and a great alternative to downtown Mexico City. Granted, this was at midnight, and the traffic was light. I am a Gold member with Bonvoy (Marriott loyalty program) not because of my stays (25 Stays) but because of status granted through my American Express Platinum card. There are a few Marriott properties in the Santa Fe area, including a Westin, but the Westin was fully booked, so maybe next time.
Front Entrance roundabout 360 view:
Booking
For this stay, I booked the hotel using my corporate rate. It was 25% cheaper than the posted rate. To book Marriott hotels in the Mexico City/Sante Fe area using Bonvoy points, typically you can expect to pay 30,000 points per night at the JW Marriott Santa Fee; 60,000 points per night at the JW Marriot in Mexico City; or 15,000 points per night at the AC hotel in Santa Fe is 15,000/ night. Booking via the website or within the app is very easy. I am starting to really like the features on the Marriott app. For instance, when I forgot to extend my stay by one night, I simply started a chat session with the front desk on the app and they added the extra night, which was very convenient. Also, from the app you can make a service request. I ordered an additional shaving kit as I stayed here for more than one night.
Location
The JW Marriot is centrally located in Santa Fe. There are lots of restaurants/cantinas to choose from within walking distance. One of my favourites is Barrio, which is just a few steps from the hotel. In addition, across the street there is a mall for your shopping needs and it also has a decent food court.
Check-In
Check-in time is 3 pm, like most hotels. I arrived at around 1 am, so, needless to say, there was no lineup at the desk. I typically like to do in-person check-ingas, in a few cases, I have been upgraded to a superior excellent room. Of course, upgrades depend on the availability and discretion of the front desk staff. This hotel also supports digital key access, so if you wish you can bypass the front desk altogether.
The check-in desk was close to the front door and easy to find. The lobby was warm and inviting, with lots of natural wood accents to enhance this feeling. I spent a decent amount of time in the lobby sitting in the comfy chairs since I did not have lounge access.
have a few
360 view of Check-in lobby 1:
360 view of lobby 2:
Accommodation
I stayed in a Deluxe Guest room, with a King bed and City view. It was reasonably spacious and well laid out. When entering the room, it smelled fresh and clean. The bed and pillows were very comfortable.
The wall between the bedroom and bathroom has a unique feature. The wall looks like a mosaic mirror with lots of mirror rectangles boarded by frosted glass. When the light is on in the bathroom the frosted grass illuminates giving off a nice ambiance in the bedroom.
360 view of the bedroom:
I do have a couple of complaints about the Nespresso machine in my room. 1) I found the water reservoir too cumbersome to replace when filling with water; 2) The supplied cups should fit nicely under the spout, which wasn't the case.
The thermostat was analog, which was odd given that this seemed to be a modern hotel.
The office desk was cleverly hidden and was revealed only when swiveled out. The only complaint I have is that were no USB charging ports and only two AC power sockets (hidden behind the phone).
The bathroom was very modern and well laid out. Having a separate toilet from the rest of the bathroom is nice.
I will start considering shower drainage as part of the bathroom rating. I have to give kudos to the hotel for having a well-draining shower. Far too often when I travel, I use hotel showers that leave me ankle-deep in water as the drain struggles to keep up with the shower spray.
360 View of the Bathroom:
Hotel Amenities
The property had all the amenities you would expect from a typical Marriot Hilton hotel, including a fitness room, pool, hot tub, and spa. Below is the full list of amenities as promoted by the hotel:
One thing I would like to see in the elevators is an indication of what amenity is on the floors. I had to go to the reception and ask what floor the pool was on, as the elevator did not indicate this.
The fitness room had a decent selection of equipment and was well-spaced. When I went to use the facilities, there was nobody else.
The hotel pool has an indoor portion and an outdoor portion, as you can see from the picture. I like the glass wall design on one end of the pool. The pool is constantly in the shadow of the hotel, which might be good in the heat of the summer, but I prefer to enjoy the feel of the sunshine when lying by the pool deck.
The hot tub was outdoors, with quick access to the pool. I did notice that the hot tub was more frequent than the pool could because of the cooler weather.
360 view of the pool area:
The hotel also has a bar/lounge area across from the front desk. I spent some time at the bar and lounge. I ordered a "carajillo" which I only just discovered here in Mexico. I also ordered a delicious salad called the "superfood" bowl. Of course, when I am in Mexico, I have to order "tres leches cake," which is so good. Incidentally, the best tres leches cake I have had thus far was in a Guajajara (GDL) terminal shop called Maria’s.
Breakfast
The breakfast at the hotel was not complimentary, and I was charged about $ 25 USD, which is reasonable for this hotel. It came with your typical buffet breakfast, or you could also order a la carte from the menu. The noise level was acceptable and reasonable, so you could conduct a business meeting without shouting.
Conclusion
The location of the JW Marriott Hilton at Santa Fe is central and a great alternative to Mexico City Center. It is an excellent option to get away from the city center. I won't hesitate to return.
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