The JW Marriott Berlin is centrally located near Tiergarten and close to numerous sights. The hotel is being extensively renovated until 2026 while it continues to operate. This large conference hotel already has a brand-new breakfast room, but the Executive Lounge is currently by far too small.
Join us on our tour of the hotel and find out how it is currently doing. If you are curious and would like to try out the hotel, be patient – it could be worth it in the near future. But see for yourself.
Table of contents
Location
The JW Marriott Berlin is located in the heart of the city, directly opposite the Federal Ministry of Defense and the German Resistance Memorial. The Landwehr Canal is just around the corner and Tiergarten is really only a stone’s throw away. There are also several embassies in the immediate vicinity. The Sheraton Berlin Grand Hotel Esplanade is also just a few minutes’ walk away. Take a look at our tribute review of this icon!
Arrival
As the capital city, Berlin can of course be reached in every conceivable way. This time we took the train to Frankfurt Airport and then flew in to BER. Bear in mind, however, that you will have to travel a good 30 minutes from the airport to the main train station by S-Bahn.
Of course, Berlin is also easy to be reached by train and long-distance busses. Certainly, you can also travel by car if you prefer.
How to get to the hotel
The JW Marriott Berlin is not so well connected, but it is still quite easy to reach. The nearest U-Bahn and S-Bahn station is Potsdamer Platz and can be reached on foot in around 15 minutes. You can also take the M29 bus to the Gedenkstätte Dt. Widerstand stop. From there it is a 2-minute walk to the hotel.
Of course, you can also take a cab or an Uber. However, parking spaces at the hotel are rather rare and must be looked for. Parking on the hotel grounds costs €25 per day.
Check-in
As we arrived, we were kindly helped with our suitcases and accompanied to reception. Once there we were very friendly greeted by the front office manager and informed about everything we needed to know about our stay. Everything was well prepared and our keycards were handed over to us after we had signed and settled the deposit. As breakfast was already included in our rate at the JW Marriott Berlin we were able to choose from a number of welcome gifts due to our Bonvoy Titanium status. So we opted for 1000 additional status points. If you wanted to, you can help yourself to the water dispenser during the check-in process or while in the reception area. No other drinks, vouchers or likewise was offered during check-in.
Hotel overview
The building is a larger 6-storey block. On the first floor you can find the reception with lobby, the restaurant, the café, the bar and some of the many meeting rooms. Located on the second floor is the breakfast restaurant, the lounge and the rest of the meeting rooms. The fitness studio as well as the entrance to the spa and pool are located on the 4th floor. The various room categories are spread over the remaining floors.
However, it is important to know that the entire hotel is being renovated while it is in operation. The old interior design is quite outdated and it is about time that the hotel is given a facelift. However, over the coming years, this will also result in some inconveniences for guests and, above all, staff. According to the current plan, the renovation is supposes to be completed by 2026 – quite a long time for everyone involved. At the time of our stay at the end of March 2024, the lobby and the 6th floor had been completely renovated. The breakfast restaurant had just reopened on our first morning.
The Studio
As always, we had booked the cheapest room category. At the JW Marriott Berlin, that is the Classic room. However, due to our status, we were kindly upgraded to an Executive Studio. A few days prior to arrival we always ask via the Bonvoy chat on the app about the current status for an upgrade. In this case there was still capacity and we were offered an upgrade.
Fortunately, we were booked on the 6th floor and given a newly renovated room for the next few nights. As you can see on the floor plan, there are 5 of these studios on our floor. All the other rooms on this floor are also renovated executive rooms.
Our room number was 6025 – let´s take a look!
Welcome
The huge welcome gift caught our eye as soon as we walked in. In addition to fresh fruit, there were also cookies, cakes, cereal bars, chocolate, nuts and jam. Incidentally, the JW Marriott symbol was made of marzipan!
In addition to the delicacies, there were also two! hand-written greeting cards for us. All in all, this really is one of the greatest gifts we have received from hotels. Needless to say, we were very happy about it and snacked away on it over the next few days.
Livingroom
Just behind the entrance door you will find a large three-piece wardrobe to your right. Here you will of course find the safe, ironing board and iron, as well as various pillows, shoehorns and everything to do with laundry services. Bathrobes, slippers and additional towels are also stored here. There is a luggage rack in the middle section. Unfortunately, however, there was no additional space for a second suitcase and no other luggage rack to put up somewhere else in the room present.
At the end of the small hallway, you already enter the living room. Here you will find a sofa, two armchairs and a coffee table. The bedroom on the left is separated by a room divider. The TV is located on top of it. The minibar is located just below. We were able to use the first filling free of charge, however it was not refilled during our stay.
On the right, in an alcove off the living room, there is a small office space. Here you will find yourself directly behind the built-in cupboard. At this workspace you can find all the necessary plugins, a telephone and plenty of storage space. If you’re feeling a little low in energy, you can help yourself to a cup of coffee or tea right at your desk.
Bedroom
As already mentioned, the bedroom is only separated from the living room by a room divider. The king-size bed is at the back of the room. To each side classic bedside tables can be found. There is water already prepared for the night. The bed itself is cozy and equipped with a large comforter for both, as well as 2 firmer and 2 softer pillows.
The room divider consists of the sideboard on which the TV is located and another tall cupboard which was fitted with shelves but otherwise empty. The TV could be rotated so that it could be used in both the living room and bedroom.
Bathroom
The bathroom is located off the bedroom. Two washbasins are set into the washstand below the large illuminated mirror. Here you will find all amities you may need. In a drawer below the basins you will find a hairdryer and a garbage can. The shower (unfortunately not a rain shower) is built into the right-hand side of the room, with a bathtub right next to it. Behind the door and on the left in the bathroom you can find the toilet with bidet.
Shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion are supplied from Aromatherapy. We like!
As we walked through the room, we both thought: “Okay. It’s nicely renovated, but somehow strange… I can´t really figure it out.” But after a short while, we realized what the problem was:
All the walls, floors and surfaces had been redesigned, but the old built-in furniture had simply been left in. A new marble top was placed ontop of it and the rest stayed the same. All the bathroom was also redone, but the built-in washbasin have been left the same old ones, even the surface. We understood that this was an attempt to continue using furnishings which are still good and simultaneously giving the room a facelift. Generally, this is a great approach. However, we have to state that the result is a somewhat strange mixture.
The same applies for the corridors. Take a closer look at the pictures. You’ll see what we´re talking about.
Turndown
JW Marriott Berlin offers a turndown service. In the early evening, your room will be prepared for the night. The curtains are drawn for you, bedside rugs are laid out and slippers are provided. Even the lights are prepared in a way that makes the room look nice and cozy once you come to your room in the evening.
There was also a little chocolate bunny on each side of the bed (because it was Easter time!) as a bedtime treat. We additionally received two macarons in our room on the first evening.
Der View
Well. What can I say. The view here isn’t spectacular, but you can see really far from the 6th floor of JW Marriott Berlin. You can even spot the Siegessäule, the Fernsehturm, the Sony Center and even the Reichstag far in the distance. One could do worse. Or what do you think?
Lounge
As Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status holders, we are eligible to use the lounge at JW Marriott Berlin. In this case, it bears the unusual name of The Executive Lounge. Unfortunately it had not yet been renovated, but was still in good shape. Located on the second floor right next to the breakfast room it overlooks the hotel’s driveway.
Before you enter the room, you find a bar on your right hand side where you have to register stating your room number. The room offers a handful of seats, a self-service coffee machine just to the left of the entrance, centrally located cold refreshments and tea making facilities as well as a few nuts and fresh fruit throughout the day.
Alcoholic beverages could also be ordered from the bar for dinner and a small buffet with hot dishes was set up. Unfortunately, it was completely impossible to take photos of the buffet as at the time of our stay, an incredible 60% of all guests had access to the lounge.
As a result, the room was completely overcrowded and the food on offer was regularly eaten up. The hotel did it´s best and also set up seating in the foyer. However, the bar and kitchen staff couldn’t keep up with the rush. Sure, the staff obviously weren’t used to this rush and the equipment behind the bar didn’t really allow for it to be handled well, but a lot of it was down to poor coordination and preparation. There was solely one lady who tried to keep everything together and work effectively. Everyone else on the team was simply completely annoyed.
We raised the whole issue at reception one night and were forwarded directly to the manager on duty by the member of staff in question. Without us even wanting that. We were immediately passed on as a problem. The manager was communicated with while in our presence in Turkish and obviously informed about the situation. To be honest, the situation was rather unpleasant for us. Unfortunately, we couldn’t understand what the member of staff told the other person on the phone about us. And of course: when in Thailand, I don’t expect conversations via phone in between colleagues to take place in English. But this did have a strange aftertaste.
The manager then came and spoke to us in a very friendly manner. He wanted to compensate us for the inconvenience with dinner in the hotel’s own restaurant. Unfortunately, our evenings were already booked. Regrettably, he didn’t give an explanation of the situation what so ever.
At check-out, we again had a very friendly chat with the front office manager and raised the issue again. Only here was it explained to us that there was such a high number of guests eligible for lounge access staying at the hotel that weekend as well as the fact that they were already working hard on renovating and expanding the lounge. If we had known this beforehand, we would have approached the issue very differently. As always, communication is key!
If you want to know more about our experience at the lounge of JW Marriott Berlin – check out our video on YouTube. There you can see everything in more detail and get an even better impression.
Hotel activities
Pool & Spa
The spa as well as the entrance to the pool area with saunas are located on the 4th floor of JW Marriott Berlin. Directly at the entrance to your left you find two treatment cabins of the spa at the end of a corridor . These are also renovated and quite nice, but nothing really special. They unfortunately have no connection to the outside and we therefore had a rather trapped feeling in the rooms. But that is certainly a matter of taste.
The changing rooms are right next to the entrance area. Up the stairs is the pool with a few loungers, showers, a sauna and a steam bath.
Fitness Center
The gym is also located on the 4th floor of JW Marriott Berlin. It took us 4 or 5 attempts to take photos here – the room was always very busy. You’ll find some cardio and a few fitness machines here. Also there is a small free weights area. Water and towels are available for you to use as well.
Special features
JW Marriott Berlin is also clearly marketed as an event location. The congress hotel with 19 function rooms is aimed at events of all sizes. You can book everything from a small meeting room to a huge ballroom. So be aware that you may end up in a larger congress while staying here.
Restaurants
JW Steak House
The in-house restaurant JW Steakhouse is located on the first floor to the right of the entrance. As the name suggests, it is – obviously – a steakhouse. We did not eat here during our stay. Inside, the restaurant is beautifully decorated with a little plush touch and has a lovely terrace along its entire length outside. If the weather is good, you can certainly enjoy a delicious and relaxed meal here.
Berlin Baking Company
If you fancy a coffee or something sweet, you’ve come to the right place. The small cafĂ© Berlin Baking Company next to the lobby is modern and elegant, but inviting. You can also sit outside. However, during our stay there were piles of dishes that had not been cleared away, especially in the outside seating area by the driveway. You can also watch our YouTube review to get a more detailed look on this.
Lobby Lounge
You can indulge in a little luxury in the really beautifully renovated Lobby Lounge of JW Marriott Berlin. There are drinks from the bar, snacks as well as a separate tea bar. A great place to meet before going out or just to settle down after a busy day in the city.
Bar 26
The hotel bar at JW Mariott Berlin is a real specialty. Bar 26 exudes the charm of the 1920s bars in the USA with every pore. If you like that, you absolutely have to stop by here.
Breakfast
The breakfast restaurant at JW Marriott Berlin is called The Market. As already mentioned, the newly renovated restaurant opened on our very first morning. However, the space between the actual restaurant and the reception counter was not yet ready and was still being renovated. Accordingly, all guests first had to go into the stairwell, cross a larger room (which will be the Executive Lounge in the future!) and through a second stairwell to the breakfast restaurant. Here too, the hotel has made every effort to organize the time while being in renovations as easy and smooth as possible. But to be honest: we didn´t really get it and it felt rather strange.
The room itself shows the same issue as the rest of the renovation. Basically, everything has been refurbished, but the fixtures and fittings have only been pimped a little. The entire breakfast area consists of a central buffet and seating areas to the right and left of it. There is also a gallery placed at the back on each side.
The size of the room creates an uncomfortable noise level and quite some hustle and bustle. A few partitions, niches and noise-absorbing curtains or plants would have done a lot of good here.
Unfortunately, we were not taken to our seats and there were also no Ă la carte ordering options here either. We also had to get our own coffee at the self service machines. The buffet itself was great though as there was everything you usually crave for at breakfast. Taking into consideration that JW Marriott Berlin is a 5 star hotel we felt that the service was not quite where it should have been.
Check-out
As already mentioned above, we had another conversation with the extremely friendly front office manager at check-out. She took a lot of time for us and talked to us in great detail about the problems of this particular weekend and the renovation during operation in general.
We think that explanations and openness help a lot and create understanding among the vast majority of guests. However, when hotel (employees) try to explain away the obvious problems, as a guest you usually just don’t feel like you’ve been taken seriously and are being ignored.
Otherwise, the check-out worked really well. Everything was well prepared and went smoothly. We were also asked if we needed any help with our departure. After this conversation, we left lighter and in a better mood.
Costs
We paid 508 euros for 4 nights at JW Marriott Berlin. There were no further costs for us at this hotel.
Departure and onward journey
We took the bus from JW Marriott Berlin to the main train station and from there hoped on the regional train back to the airport. Please always bear in mind the time needed for the journey and the possibility that a train may be canceled. You can also read more information about departure options in our review of the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin.
Conclusion
JW Marriott Berlin has potential. It was about time to start renovating. The lady is getting on in years. Most of the staff make an effort. But a renovation during ongoing operations and a lounge that is known to be far too small is really quite unfortunate.
I really like the outside of the building, but the inside is a little too plush as by my taste. That of course depends on your own liking.
The hotel still has a long way to go and we’ll see what those responsible make of it.
What are your experiences with JW Marriott Berlin? Let us know in the comments.
Hotel Homepage
Rating
We award JW Marriott Berlin 6 out of 10 possible points for this stay. We deduct one point each for the difficult situation in the Executive Lounge and the handling of feedback at reception. We also deduct another point for the rooms, which have been rather half-heartedly renovated, and the general inconvenience caused by the renovation during ongoing operations.
Go there?
To be honest, you have to decide for yourself whether you want to give this hotel a try. It’s not necessarily bad. But it doesn’t live up to the JW Marriott reputation as a premium brand in their portfolio.
YouTube Review
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