My girlfriend and I just returned from 6 nights at the JW. I used some of my Marriott points to book the stay and they were well spent. I think we both left claw-marks on the door from not wanting to leave! We had room 1209 which has a great view of the coast as well as the infinity pool below.

Service was great, from the Concierge to the room staff. The grounds are immaculate and there is always a small (but unobtrusive) army of staff making sure it is clean and well-maintained. Everyone you pass will say "hola!" and all are very helpful. We used the Prestige Group for transportation to and from the airport and it went very smoothly both ways.

Yes, the beach is not very big (see pictures) but next door at the Casa Magna they do still have a decent amount of beach so if that's your thing its just a short walk next door. The pictures of the beach were taken June 28 so they are recent as of this review.

As noted in other reviews, the service overall was excellent. The ONLY problems we had all week were the first night in Simply Seafood when our waiter "forgot" us and I had to hunt him down to pay the bill - someone had called in sick and they were overextended on the wait staff. We also ate at the Capilla, a steak house next door at the Casa Magna and it was very good. Other places I would recommend are the Sisal Mexican Grill which is near the Kukulcan Mall, and Marakame which is at the North end of the mall - a small place which is great for breakfast and not expensive.

Overall, this was the best vacation we've ever had and certainly the nicest hotel. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the JW to anyone.

This is a beautiful hotel. The service is excellent! The food at the restaurants are not worth the money. Go to local places instead. It's better food and cheaper! Our room was oceanfront suite. It was a dream. Beware, kids heve very little to do except swim and drinks are very weak and expensive. The pool is the best I've seen. Great place for adults but no playground or game room for kids. All in all, if you don't mind the extra expenses, its a great place to stay.

The Good: The Staff at the Front Desk were responsive & helpful
The Food in the Italian Restaurant and the Japanese Steakhouse at the CasaMaga, The Pool was clean and there were lots of places to sit out, Room Service was accurate and prompt, The Buildings were clean, well maintained, The Rooms were large, light and attractive. The Bad: The Beach was almost nonexistant at high tide and about 25 feet wide at low tide, The Beach had huge rocks at the edge of the surf extending out for about 100 feet which would cut and pound your feet. (This was the worst beach I have ever seen and a major distraction if you plan to walk, swim or wade in the ocean) The Help Desk in the lobby was not very helpful, would not follow up on reservation request or reconfirm our flights. Overall a great place to stay if you don't plan to use the beach or use the help desk.

The property is nice but has so much more potential. The exterior of the hotel should have a tropical feel with more flowering foliage (hibiscus, mandevilla's etc.) The management should take a trip to the JW Grande Lakes in Orlando as an example. I did not feel the hotel uses its facilities wisely other than the fitness, spa and the lobby bar. There is alot of wasted outdoor space. The interior should have palms/ foliage/flowers in the interior corridors. The arrangement upon entering was always beautiful and fresh.

The pool is beautiful but the upkeep of the outdoor pool restroom
is below average.

Pros: Our room was always cleaned very well with extra towels, candy etc. Staff at the lobby bar was very nice. The food from the pool restaurant was good.

Cons: Watch out for the Gift shop. We spent hundreds of dollars on breakfast and snacks and they wouldn't even let us have small refill on a cup of coffee...shameful
Hotel is very expensive. I didn't mind paying for the room but the quality of service needs to improve. I don't mind tipping people if they deserve it.
Drinks are very expensive which I don't mind paying if the customer service is good. We had to flag down waiters on occasions. Watch whatever you have at the pool area. Our son had his sunglasses stolen.

I would agree with other writers that this hotel is not JW standard but more like your average Marriott. We spend thousands of dollars at this hotel which we had saved and saved for. It was our sons birthday and high school grad. present. We definitely would have preferred to stay at the JW Grande Lakes or Grande Dunes. Very disappointing.