Grand Rapids, Michigan / JW Marriott

September 2012, Weekend, King concierge guestroom #2311

I gave a review of this property in February and April 2011, so this review is only a brief report of differences from those stays.

Status perks

This was my first stay at this hotel as a Platinum member. I had Gold status at the time of my other stays. The only difference in treatment was the Marriott offering of bonus points or an onsite amenity. I chose the amenity--merlot wine and cheese--which was a better value than I have received at other hotels. Usually, the wine is a half bottle, and the JW delivered a full 750 ml bottle of Canyon Road with the cheese plate.

Guestroom 2311

This guestroom is a non-corner city view room. It offers an excellent view of Rosa Parks Circle. I observed only one difference in the guestroom from my previous stays. The brand of bathroom amenities had changed--Aromatherapy Associates brands were provided this stay.

At check-in, I asked the agent if he had been able to give me a corner room, and he said that there were not any available on the concierge floors. He said he could give me a corner room on the 12th floor, and still code my key for concierge floor access, if I wanted. I initially said I wanted to do this, and then changed my mind after seeing the room on the 12th floor. The corner rooms I have been in on the concierge floors do not have connecting room doors; the corner rooms on the 12th floor do. And, even though 12 floors seems like a decent height, the view from the 12th floor is not nearly as great as the view from the concierge floor rooms. The corner room on the 12th floor had a river view; however, the fireworks would not have been fully visible from this room because other buildings would have obstructed the view.

Food & Beverage

The cheese plate delivered with the wine was excellent, and we also ordered a Club Sandwich from room service. The order taker happily accommodated my request for a different bread type when I placed the order. The sandwich was excellent quality and a great price--only $11.34 with the 20% delivery tip added--although it did not arrive within the stated time. I had been quoted a delivery time of "no later than 11 PM," which was about 34 minutes from the time I had placed the order, and it arrived at about 11:07 PM. The room service server apologized for the delay during delivery; however, I probably would not have placed the order, if I had known it was going to be over 40 minutes before it was delivered.

Concierge lounge

The concierge lounge offered similar foods and beverages as I have listed in my previous reviews, although the food items were not as impressive this time. There was not any sushi or seafood this evening, and the hot food item was not as good as the pot stickers we had during a previous stay. It was some kind of dough puff pieces that were not stuffed with anything substantial. The beverages and service were both excellent, as has always been our experience at this hotel. Beer and wine is complimentary, and high quality mixed drinks cost $5.

Our stay was during the Celebration on the Grand, and the view of the fireworks from the lounge was fabulous. Staff members turned out the lights in the lounge when the fireworks started for even better viewing.