JW Marriott Essex House New York

Perfect spot to cheer for NYC Marathon but quiet retreat before and after! Great service and large clean rooms. Location. Is great for Central Park, Columbus Circle and boutique shopping.

Location location location! I lived in NYC for nearly 30 years and this location is amazing. Close to many subways, theater, and the Park. I agree with most of the negative reviews but the location and park views make up for them all. I hope Marriott is planning on a face lift for all of the rooms and window cleanings ASAP. It’s hard to see the gorgeous Park views through them!

Extremely disappointing experience at the Marriott Essex House I booked a Junior Suite and specifically asked for a Central Park view. The person who handled my reservation confirmed it and told me she would “leave a note” to make sure it was respected. When I arrived, the front desk informed me that no suite or junior suite with a Central Park view even exists — something that was never mentioned before. I was then given a “city view” room, but the reality is far from that: my room has four windows — three facing a brick wall and only one with a partial city view. This is completely unacceptable for a hotel of this category and price. The reception team did absolutely nothing to fix the issue. On top of that, the mini-bar was completely empty, which makes the stay feel even less premium. Honestly, this hotel does not live up to its reputation or its rates. Very disappointing experience.

The location is the only thing this property has going for it. At check-in, my wife was treated coldly and looked at as if she were trying to scam her way into a room simply because her name wasn’t on the reservation. The front desk crew looked disorganized, unpolished, and completely lacking in management or training. That kind of suspicion and incompetence is inexcusable. When I raised the issue, the Rooms Manager, Kevin Drummond, admitted the front desk “cast a shadow on our stay” — then offered a token 25,000 points. We spent 175,000 points (about $1,750 in value). I requested half back, which would have been a fair resolution, but instead received a dismissive, computer-generated response. He should have at least refunded us half, but nope. Hope those 60k points they clung to were worth losing loyal customers. Management here showed no accountability, no willingness to make things right, and no respect for guests. Cold service, poor judgment, and a laughable follow-up sealed the deal. We will never return — and I strongly advise others to look elsewhere.

We stayed 3 nights at The Essex House. Location is great and the level of service provided from the employees is top notch. The rooms are rather basic and the beds are hard-that’s why it’s not rated a 5. I wanted to point out the club lounge specifically. Each morning, we were greeted by a gentleman named Nolden. I looked forward to seeing him. He took the time to speak with us and was always prompt in taking care of our needs.