Review: JW Marriott Goa – One of the best JW’s we’ve ever stayed at!

At a glance:

The JW Marriott Goa is a fairly new hotel located about 40 minutes south of the new Manohar International Airport. It has about 150 rooms and feels like a resort, but also an urban hotel.

What is actually is: An upscale hotel that feels like a resort but also a city hotel in a tropical urban area.

What it is not: A beach resort, even if you’re in Goa near the beach.

Time of year: Fall

Room Type: King Forest View

Scores:

Hotel Design: 87 – The hotel property is fairly compact in somewhat of a residential area and has more of a mid-rise feel. It blends in with some of the jungle landscaping that remains and the focal point is the rooftop-style infinity pool with views towards the ocean.

Location: 87 – Compared to other spots we stayed at in Goa, this hotel had the best location for access to restaurants and shops. We were able to walk to Anjuna beach within 20 minutes, and we were also able to use Goa Miles (….it took lots of patience…) to visit other spots within about a 20 minute drive, like Candolim and Bouta Waddi. This hotel is about 40 minutes away from Panjim. The hotel is a quick walk to Vagator Beach, which is swimmable at times, but doesn’t really have facilities for a day at the beach.

Sleep: 90 – The bed was very comfortable and the hotel very quiet.

Service: 100 – Service here was exceptional and the best of all the hotels we have stayed at. Every staff member we encountered went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable and resolve an issue we had with our balcony door within minutes. They often remembered us by name at the front desk and breakfast daily despite the hotel being sold out.

Room Design: 90 – Our room was small but stylish and very comfortable. The design blended well with the location and local culture. We had a nice view of the forest and our balcony was very comfortable. Many rooms here tend to be on the smaller side and many have a parking lot view due to the setup of the hotel property.

Room Amenities: 90 – Our room was small and compact. We had a nice shower and even a soaker tub within the shower area. There was a Nespresso machine, robes, slippers, mini-fridge, and water was replenished proactively.

Hotel Amenities: 86 – The hotel is equipped for leisure travelers and special/corporate events. It has one pool, a rooftop bar, 2-3 restaurants/bars, a large entertainment area with games, a gym, a spa, and concierge desk. It does not have a shuttle to the beach or loungers for guests to enjoy on the beach.

Vibe: 85 – Locals and expats on luxury vacations or business trips/special events.

Cleanliness/Maintenance: 97 – No issues to report but the hotel is still new and they do seem to work very hard to keep things in good shape, i.e. the landscaping, the pool area, cleaning glass all the time.

Value / Extras & Perks: 98 – Our SNA was not accepted as the hotel was sold out but we enjoyed our room upgrade to a garden view instead of the parking lot view. The breakfast here was spectacular and we also received a daily happy hour with drinks and snacks. The hotel also left us a welcome bottle of wine and sweet treats and on our last night, a night cap of cognac and snacks. On arrival, we were given flower crown and flower necklace, and a cool local drink.

OVERALL: 91