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After spending the night at Bran Chalet (review here) and attending a Halloween party at Dracula’s Castle (more here), we were back in Bucharest for a night. We had stayed at The Marmorosch Bucharest, which is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection (review here) and decided to try the city’s other luxury Marriott option, the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel. It’s not near Old Town, but is a good option for visiting the Palace of the Parliament and several parks.
Anthony’s Take: The JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel is a huge hotel that seems to cater to Viking Cruise passengers (they have a dedicated desk in the lobby), affluent vacationers, and business travelers. It offers a well-appointed lounge, comfortable accommodations, a pool and spa, several dining options, and even a luxury mall within the sprawling property.
Booking
I booked a 1 King Bed, Executive Lounge Access, Executive Suite directly from Marriott.com on a “Member Flexible” rate. It cost around $284, which is not cheap for Romania but seemed a decent value to me. The hotel can also be booked with Bonvoy points (20,000-38,000 points per night) with rates varying since Marriott eliminated its award buckets.
Transportation to/from the Hotel
I again hired a driver through DayTrip to take us from Bran Chalet to the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel. It cost around $250 and we were with him for around 4.5 hours. It should have taken just under three hours according to Google Maps, but traffic got worse and we ended up being in the car a lot longer. Our driver was friendly and patient with the traffic. I’m happy I booked a van that seats 6-7 people so that the two of us could spread out. When we left the hotel, we were headed to Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP). The ride took around 30 minutes and cost $24 with Uber Black.
Location
The location of this hotel is convenient if you’re visiting the Palace of the Parliament. It’s a short ride to Old Town and there are lots of restaurants, cafes, and stores right outside your door.
Check-in
We arrived at the hotel around 4:45 PM and our suite was ready. There were multiple employees at the desk and the process was quick and efficient. Breakfast, elite benefits, an overview of the lounge, and a brief rundown of the hotel were given. My welcome amenity was 1,000 points as well as breakfast in the lounge. Platinum and above elites get access to the lounge, so taking the points amenity makes sense. We were not given an upgrade. There were several other suites larger than ours for sale, but none were offered. We were only staying the night, so I did not push the issue. Late checkout was offered, but I declined since we were leaving the next morning.
Complimentary Orange Iced Tea is found near check-in.
I’m a sucker for Orchids (my favorite). I loved the floral display near the elevators.
A Chocolate violin was also showcased near the restaurant.
The lobby is massive and it houses a restaurant/bar, a mall with high-end stores like Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Rolex, and more.
It also has a casino. We didn’t have the chance to check it out on this trip.
A stairwell in the lobby leads to a full gym, pool, and spa. This World Class Health Academy seemed popular with the locals and memberships were sold.
The elevator lobbies on each floor reminded us of being on a cruise ship.
The hallways are clean and look like they have been recently refreshed.
1 King Bed, Executive Lounge Access, Executive Suite (715)
There are 402 rooms including 23 suites at the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel. Our suite was located on the seventh floor and the lounge is on the eighth floor.
Immediately inside the suite is a half bath.
It had a vanity and toilet.
Closets line the wall opposite the half bath. The one closest to the door held the safe and some drawers.
Next to that door was another with an iron and ironing board.
A third closet held some hangers and laundry bags.
Around the corner was a desk area. The desk had plenty of outlets.
The desk was perfect for a few Zoom calls that I had to take.
Behind the desk was the minibar, Nespresso machine, tea kettle, bottled water, and glassware.
The refrigerator had limited space for personal beverages.
Near the desk was the living room. It held a couch, chairs, several tables, and a TV.
On the coffee table was a lovely welcome amenity consisting of a bottle of wine, two bottles of water, and a cheese plate.
The TV was mounted on the wall across from the couch.
The bedroom was off of the living room with French doors to separate it from the living room.
The bedroom held a king-sized bed, nightstands, another chair, and a second TV.
I love when hotel rooms have live plants.
The second TV was mounted across from the bed.
The closet in the bedroom held robes and slippers.
The entrance to the bathroom was next to the closet. It had a huge vanity (but only a single sink).
There was a nice assortment of toiletries on the counter.
A bar of Aromatherapy Associates soap was also found here.
There was a freestanding tub.
Toiletries in the tub and shower were Aromatherapy Associates brand.
The shower was a decent size with good water pressure.
More full-size toiletries were found in the shower.
Executive Lounge
The JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel has an Executive Lounge on the eighth floor. It’s open for breakfast, afternoon tea/snacks, and an evening spread.
Directly inside is a desk that had an attendant verifying room numbers and access.
The lounge is spacious and was never crowded during our stay.
There are plenty of seating options.
TVs are located around the lounge.
I liked the wall of air ferns near the front entrance.
There is also a small area with two computers and a printer for guest use.
We first checked out the Executive Lounge during its afternoon service. There were some delicious sweets.
Snacks and fruit were available.
Soft drinks were located in a refrigerated case under the buffet.
There is also a coffee machine.
Iced tea with herbs from the hotel’s garden.
We came back later in the evening and found a decent buffet. This included several types of bread.
Several types of cold cuts were on offer.
Cheese and a selection of salads
Roasted Turkey
Roasted Salmon (this was overcooked)
Falafel and Stuffed Mushrooms
Another great selection of desserts
A selection of wine and beer was also available.
Breakfast was the busiest time in the lounge and the staff struggled to keep things refilled. There was another selection of bread.
Lots of cereals, granola, and yogurt
Pastries and more bread
Scrambled Eggs (not many left)
Sausage and Bacon
Potatoes and Vegetables
Eggs Benedict
Fruit, meats, cheeses, and other cold items
Smoked fish
Public Areas & Amenities
The JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel offers lots of lobby seating, a spa, fitness center, indoor pool, casino, business center, laundry, and the mall, lounge, and restaurant listed above.
The fitness center was packed, so I only got a photo of the empty aerobics/yoga room.
The pool was also pretty crowded. I had to wait to snap this photo.
The spa is located within the fitness center.
A laundry and dry cleaning window is in the back of the hotel.
A pair of computers and a printer are found in a small business center near check in.
Overall Impression: The JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel caters to a mix of business travelers, affluent travelers, and those taking Viking Cruises. It is a huge hotel with everything you could need under its roof. Service was good throughout our stay and I would return if we were in Bucharest.
Anthony’s Credit Card Pick: When I’m staying at a Marriott hotel, I want to maximize my points earned. My card of choice is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. With it, I earn six Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program. It also includes up to $300 statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month ) for dining in restaurants worldwide. Plus, a free night award that I can redeem at any Marriott hotel with a redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points. Rates & fees. Terms apply.
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6 comments
I’m glad to hear you had a good experience. I had my wedding there, two decades ago, and both the ballroom and the suite we got were beautiful. I
Nice. It’s a lovely hotel. Hope this brought back some happy memories.
What did the building used to be?
I found this: It was built in the 80’s as part of the same urbanism plan as one of the satellite buildings, adjoining Parliament Palace, the second largest building in the world.
Hello, I’m staying there in Jan 2024. Did you happen to see the prices for the SPA? I’ve searched the internet but can’t seem to find a listing.
Thanks
Unfortunately, I did not. Sorry.