JW Marriott Grosvenor House London
After lots of dreaming and drooling over hotels for a stay in London, and being a huge fan of the JW Marriott brand, I just reached down and paid the amount that was needed to stay here at the JW London. This is - I think - the second most expensive JW in the world (it was when I was checking a few years ago when I first fixated on this property).Arrival
I was jumping around London from one affordable hotel to another during my last trip there. (They change prices all the time through the week and it's just crazy, there seem to be no rules to it). I'd rented a car and drove up to the hotel on a Friday afternoon. Despite the frontage of the hotel being just outside the congestion zone, the porte cochere is 1 block inside it, so bam £15 charge for entering the center of London. It's supposed to alleviate cars going through it more but doesn't seem to work to me.The Room
Trying to use suite nights had initially looked really promising. But as things got closer, well it's in Mayfair and the money there is astounding. So all the suites evaporated by the time my request would clear and I ended up with the same base room I booked. After some very humble conversation, I was able get upgraded to just below a suite without using the upgrades. In retrospect, I was only in the room while awake for about 3 hours over 2 days, and I did find wanting that suite a bit silly, even if it would have been nice. The room I ended up with was spacious and comfortable.The Lounge
I was looking forward to seeing my first lounge in a JW in Europe and this one was astounding and massive. During the daytime it is frequented by many of the guests visiting the hotel from the Middle East, but as soon as the alcohol service begins later in the evening, the guests change.Dining
It's a class establishment in the fanciest district in the city, so there are a few places to dine and drink. Hrm... more than 3, that's Rob's resort level criteria!Facilities
As true of most hotels, it has a lot of small event rooms, a gym, ballrooms and a spa.Summary
As a continuation of my goal to hit all the JW Marriotts in the world, this was a gem among gems in my experience. The level of service and quality of detail in the hotel, and the incredible Executive Lounge, just wow. Yes, this is a very expensive place to stay, but I'm willing to make the sacrifice to visit here and experience all the luxury to be able to blog it. I know, how magnanimous of me.I will tell you all this, after I keep going to these super top end hotels, it gets harder to stay at what most would consider regular level. I continue to do it, but places like this make it seem like a much lesser experience.
And well, as with every JW that has a lounge, getting a room with the access is probably worth it.