A Tough Stay - Not Yet Ready for Prime Time
I was excited to stay at a JW Marriott for the first time. In town for the Indy 500, it was the perfect location for access to Indianapolis's great downtown and terrific restaurants. I checked into my room Thursday night and noticed a damp spot near the A/C unit. By Friday afternoon, the damp spot was significant. I called downstairs and asked for someone to come up in 30 minutes - I needed to shower first after a long day in the heat. Less than 15 minutes later and not a minute after I stepped out of the shower, the engineer is at my door. I didn't want to send him away so I used the hotel robe for coverage. I asked if he had gotten the message about waiting 30 minutes and he said no, they only get minimal info on their radios. OK, fine. He said he would fix the A/C and bring up a blower to dry the carpet. The hotel was full so he said there weren't any more rooms so I didn't ask (my mistake). Saturday AM comes and the area is still damp. By Saturday PM, the room is a mess with half the carpet wet and now I really need a new room. They have had some no-shows so they get me a room 14 floors below. All is well until I discover the toilet runs in that room! I had 2 more nights but just couldn't bother packing and moving again. But I felt like the fixtures, finishes, and overall quality was closer to a 3+ star hotel than a true 5 star.
Also, the walls are paper thin and the windows do not compensate for city noises. I could hear my neighbor coughing and water running in the bathroom next door. Sunday morning at 5:30AM I was awakened by the sirens of some police escorts on their way to the track and it sounded like there was no muffling from the windows. On Monday at 4:30AM my neighbors got home, slammed the adjoining door, argued, laughed, cried, and generally carried on and I could hear everything. The towels and amenities were only mid-grade. Again, very 3-star and hardly the serenity and luxury of many other 5-stars (or even 4-star) hotels I have stayed in.
The staff was very friendly and nice but somewhat inefficient. Thursday night, I called down for someone to pick up my room service tray, which was outside. Friday AM it was still there. It took nearly 45 minutes and 2 phone calls for a bell man to come and help me move to the new room. The room service guy just stood there while I wrote out the bill instead of pouring coffee like so many other hotels. The managers really tried, and I was offered a free breakfast for the room issues, a cup of coffee at Starbucks for the delayed valet and 2,000 point for all my issues. But in terms of being a 5-star hotel, well, it just isn't there. With a rack rate of $1,400/night, this hotel staff needs more training.
The lobby area is really fantastic and the food is amazing. The eggs Benedict was perfection and the event space is large and well appointed. I just don't think I would stay here again because of the quality of the construction and the really loud rooms.