How strange is to rate the JW Essex house only 2**? Well, if you don’t feel welcome at any point of your stay ( not to mention the fact that I am Marriott Titanium Elite), get unfriendly and even rude behavior from a front desk manager and need to argue for what is suppose to be Titanium guaranteed benefits, thank I guess that would be the appropriate rating for me. This is a luxury hotel ( so luxurious that the US president himself spent a night there at the same time that we were there) the location is great and the room spacious and clean. BUT the front desk service was so terrible. They don’t even try to be nice- not even a smile ! So why come back to a hotel that doesn’t want me as a guest? Luckily there are very kind and pleasant staff members at the lounge ( like Juliette Johnson) that make a difference with their very friendly and attentive behavior. Don’t get me wrong, I was very upset with the incidents I had at front desk and I complained . I was compensated but I am still left with a very unpleasant feeling that will prevent me from returning here. It’s all about the service! And in that area there should be quite an improvement! I shouldn’t really be surprised that this is the general front desk attitude as I reached out to Mr Montoya, the front desk manager ( left several phone messages, emailed him and the hotel ) and never got any reply. I guess that says it all unfortunately !

Absolutely wonderful- we traveled from California and this was our families first time in NYC. From the minute we arrived the staff were accommodating and friendly. The location is superb and the hotel lobby and guest rooms are updated but with an old school New York vibe that we loved! We had a Jr suite for our family of 4 and we had plenty of room. We did not eat any meals in the hotel restaurant so I cannot speak to the food. Several great restaurants are within walking distance. The hotel is right across the street from Central Park and we very much enjoyed exploring the park with our two children! This is a great place for families and the location can’t be beat! 5 stars all around!

I love the location of this hotel, its staff and the flowers in the lobby. I stay in it whenever I go to New York. For me, they did not need to have mono colored updates or a sleeker, contemporary look. But I still love it. The location with Central Park across the street, Lincoln Center a few blocks away and subways accessible in a couple of blocks makes it easy to get around the city.

No longer a clean easy go-to when visiting NYC. Stay away. Was given two rooms with peoples items already in them when checking in. Stains on carpet. Dirty sheets. Previous guests items in mini fridge. Previous guests dirty beauty products in bathroom. No bellman at night. Hour or more for room service. Staff not friendly.

My glorious stay here at the JW Essex was memorable due in part to Yamira of the Front Desk team! Yamira knows how to cater to Bonvoy Elite members. Upon check-in and seeing my status, she inherently knew to roll-out the red carpet. Not all front desk agents have this knack and I applaud her for it. Hence, this well-deserve review. And BIG THANKS for an upgrade to a suite. She definitely made this Easter weekend memorable. The concierge club lounge is under renovation but the make-shift ballroom for breakfast works quite well! What a spread! Definitely come hungry. Conveniently located across Central Park, walking distance to steakhouses, pizza places, Magnolia Bakery for famous banana pudding, Broadway Shows and the Ed Sullivan theater for Late Night with Stephen Colbert. Great location for everything. The rooms are premium so if you’re gonna splurge and want to enjoy a quiet room with spa amenities like Aromatherapy lotions, the JW Essex is where it’s at! Titanium members and above - look for Yamira. She’ll take care of you. Silver and Gold - the Fairfield Inn is in Queens. Hahaha. J/K. Don’t embarrass yourself asking for a suite upgrade at the JW touting your Silver/Gold status and asking for Yamira. Unless you enjoy getting laughed at behind closed doors. Overall, great property! I’ll be back!!!