Hotel Review: JW Marriott Washington DC

Hotel Review: JW Marriott Washington DC

If you're planning a family trip to America's National Capital and looking for a great place to stay, I would highly recommend checking out the JW Marriott Washington DC.  From its prime location in the city and modern accommodations, it is the best place to consider for its Marriott Bonvoy benefits for Platinum and higher level members.

Hotel Overview

Washington, D.C. is a popular destination for travelers, with a wide range of accommodation options to suit every budget and preference.  

For our recent trip, we stayed at the JW Marriott Washington D.C., which is conveniently located near the White House and National Mall. I was able to use Marriott Bonvoy points to cover the cost of our stay and our Marriott Bonvoy Titanium hotel status got us a room upgrade and free breakfast (club lounge access).

This stay was a part of our 2022 trips that were covered with Marriott Bonvoy points: 

• How I Redeemed 2.1 Million Marriott Bonvoy Points to Save over $35,000 on Family Travel Hotel Stays in 2022

This upscale hotel is pretty large at 750 rooms and I'd say more geared towards business travelers, but is perfect for family travelers as well due to its excellent location to all of the main sights in Washington DC.  

Onsite hotel amenities are spread out across a few floors from the main lobby floor and include a fitness center, restaurant and lounge, as well as lots of meeting space.

Accommodations

The JW Marriott Washington DC underwent a renovation back in 2015 to give the property an updated and sophisticated look synonymous with the JW Marriott brand design ethos and aesthetic.  

We booked a standard guest room with two double beds and a Monument View and were upgraded to a much larger corner JW Premium Room.  The larger room was nice, but a little awkward in my opinion,  with a long narrow entry hallway and lots of wasted space throughout the room (see the pictures below).  This corner room could connect to another room, so if you need more space then that would be an option.

The room featured a view of the Washington Monument, two double beds, a sitting area and standard bathroom.   

Dining

There are two onsite dining options that include Avenue Grill, which is open for Breakfast & Lunch and 1331 Bar & Lounge, open for Dinner & Evening Drinks.  

We had breakfast at Avenue Grill on the day of our arrival since we had a red-eye flight with an early morning arrival to the hotel around 9:00am.  Since we arrived too early and there were no rooms available, we had a long leisurely breakfast at Avenue Grill, which is a standard American fare restaurant.

Since we have Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status, we had access to the club lounge, which featured free breakfast in the mornings and evening snacks and drinks.  Our stay was during the week, so the lounge was open, but on weekends the lounge is closed with no alternative given.  If we had a weekend stay, I may have considered other area hotels options to make use of our Marriott Bonvoy status.

Depending on occupancy levels and how many people have access to the club lounge, it can get very crowded, especially in the morning for breakfast, making it hard to find any seating.  We lucked out most mornings by arriving early and heading towards the back of the lounge, where we found enough space to enjoy a quick breakfast.

There are many great dining options near the hotel, as Washington, D.C. is home to a thriving food scene, with a wide range of dining options to suit every taste and budget.

Here are a few top places we dined at during our stay that are located within a few minutes walk from the JW Marriott Washington DC:

• The Hamilton: A uniquely eclectic experience located just steps from the White House, The Hamilton has quickly become Washington, DC’s favorite gathering place for music, art, entertainment and inventive dining.
• Old Ebbitt Grill: Established in 1856, Old Ebbitt Grill is Washington's oldest saloon, just steps from The White House and museums on the national mall. 
• Vue: Located on the 11th floor rooftop of Hotel Washington, with views of the White House and Washington Monument

Overall Impression

If you're planning a trip to Washington, D.C., the JW Marriott is worth a look, especially if you have Marriott Bonvoy status.  If you have a stay planned over a weekend, just know that the club lounge is closed, with no alternative given.  

Overall the JW Marriott Washington DC provided a comfortable place to stay that was close enough to all of the things we wanted to see including the White House, National Mall, monuments, museums and more. 

For more on Washington DC, be sure to check out our Family Travel Guide:

• Washington D.C. Family Travel Guide: What You Need to Know for Your Next Trip to America's Capital City