JW Marriott Essex House New York

I stayed here in 2008, back when it was a Jumeirah and still dressed for the gala. It’s now a JW Marriott—and a competent, if corporate, one at that. The location is impeccable: steps from Central Park, ideal for morning runs or mid-afternoon meetings masquerading as strolls. The standard rooms are reasonably spacious (for Manhattan), though they still cling to the shower-tub combo like a faded family heirloom. Furnishings are upscale Marriott—lots of melamine, one-size-fits-all art, and a general air of “clean lines over character.” The Club Lounge is a highlight: spacious, with a respectable food spread and genuinely kind staff (especially the South Asian team who add welcome warmth). The new steakhouse downstairs is buzzy, with solid drinks and an energetic scene, though better suited to networking than lingering. Service is efficient and on-script, rarely warm but never sloppy. You’ll be well looked after, if not exactly remembered. This isn’t the Essex House of old—it’s now geared toward the business traveler in town to close deals, not curl up. The historical charm still flickers here and there, but it’s mostly background music to the hum of productivity.

This was my first time at this JW - after having stayed the Ritz Carlton on Central Park a couple of times. The historical nature of Essex House is really cool and the rooms are well decorated and on par with the JW brand. Great amenities and vibes. The concierge lounge is nice and breakfast was great. In my opinion the Ritz's lounge is better with a fantastic view of the park and better selection of food, but this one is still one of the best. We booked a park view and it wasn't a straight on view - which was no problem, just wasn't want was expected. Service was awesome and the location can't be beat. You can't go wrong with this one.

When you first walk into the lobby, you are welcomed by the beautiful early 20th century decor. The lift continues to give you the sensation that you are in one of these grand NY buildings, until you exit the elevator into mediocrity. Should I have been surprised? No. After all it's a Marriott hotel, the kings of mediocrity in the luxury hotel segment. My room had wonderful views (or what one could manage to see through the dirty window) but the room was more adequate for a standard 4 star hotel in a secondary city. The closet would have seemed adequate in a motel. The previous guest in my room was a woman with dark hair. How do I know? Because the bathroom floor was strewn with long, black, hair. Furthermore, I also know it was "that time of the month" as there was also a left over "Caress" feminine pad sticker on the floor..... Cleaning is really an issue in this hotel, not only in the rooms. The fitness has not had a proper cleaning in a very long time. In addition to dirty machines, the amount of accumulated grit on the skirting was appalling. It is really sad to see that potentially great hotels fall into the hands of these mediocre brands that clearly cater primarily to their loyal frequent stayer guests, overwhelming them with so many benefits (late check-out, upgrade, credit, free breakfast, etc) that they inevitably become less picky about the quality of what they are paying for. If you you are guest that enjoys real five star luxury, then I suggest you book somewhere else.

I typically don't write reviews but after reading so many comments I felt the need to defend this lovely hotel. From start to finish we had an amazing stay. The staff was friendly, the room was spacious and we felt extremely safe with security everywhere. I would especially like to thank Alicia Pagan for going above and beyond to make my children feel so special. I read a few reviews mentioning that there was no water provided in the rooms, while that is true, there was always bottled water provided by the front door, so that was not a problem for us. Our only suggestion would be to replace the mattress in the pull-out couch and rollways. We loved the location and will definitely be staying there again in the future.

Cannot say enough about how wonderful our stay was. We stayed at the property for my son's milestone birthday and the hotel made every effort to make him feel incredibly special throughout our stay. Our room was spacious, the staff incredibly friendly, and the location right on Central Park South was amazing. We had access to the lounge which had a great spread for breakfast and snacks in the afternoon. As someone who stays in a number of properties in the Marriott portfolio, this one ranks at the top of the list. A special thank you to the manager, John Rieman.