At the last minute (like the day before traveling) I gave in to the urge to go to Jazz Fest, and while booking plane tickets, Expedia offered up the JW Marriott as a hotel option. Knowing that rooms would be in short supply, I grabbed it and got a decent deal.
I'd stayed at this hotel in the 90s when it was a Le Meridien, which had a more austere, subtle elegance. It has since been tarted up with the Marriott signature colors -- which are not bad, per se, but result in a sameness among Marriott properties. But standardization is not all bad, expecially when it comes to the supremely comfortable Marriott bedding.
The room in general was comfortable, well-furnished, and of decent size. The bathroom was, however, too small for me and my husband to use at the same time, which made getting ready a challenge. (I understand some rooms have larger bathrooms, or separate vanities, but we didn't have that.). Our room didn't have a view, but we didn't spend much time there anyway. All-in-all, we got an above-average business class hotel.
We took advantage of the concierge to buy bus tickets to Jazz Fest. And we ate dinner one night at Shula's, in the hotel lobby. While we typically prefer to eat local, after a long day in the heat and mud at Jazz Fest, we didn't feel much like going out for dinner and waiting a long time for a table -- Shula's was convenient, seated us right away without a reservation, and served up a steak that was a cut above the typical offerings at high-end steakhouses.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
Absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young Singles, An Amazing Honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older Travellers
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young Singles, An Amazing Honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older Travellers, Families with Small Children, Families with Teenagers, tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Concerts / Music festival