Review of the JW Marriott Hotel Anaheim Near Disneyland

This might be an unpopular opinion but I’m so glad the JW Marriott Anaheim has opened up near Disneyland.  The area was sorely in need of an upscale hotel near the Disneyland Resort. Read on for a full review of the JW Marriott Anaheim Hotel near Disneyland!

This post contains affiliate links.

Upon arrival at the hotel, we were escorted in by a concierge and then taken up to the second floor to check in. This hotel looks like it belongs in Las Vegas. It’s beautiful with large chandeliers and art installations everywhere.

JW Marriott Anaheim Rooms

The JW Marriott offers standard rooms, suites, and rooms with concierge service. Even numbered rooms face the pool and odd faces out to Disneyland and the Gardenwalk. Our room was on the 6th floor and beautifully decorated. The room had a chair, sofa bed, fridge, large tv, and complimentary bottled water. The bathroom was gorgeous with an oversized tub and a huge walk-in shower. The bathroom had shampoo, soap, and just two large towels.

There are definitely some kinks that still need working out.  There were no additional linens in the room that held a sofa bed.  I attempted to call down to get a blanket and to have our bar dishes picked up but literally, there was no answer.  After multiple tries, I just gave up.

The fridge doesn’t get nearly cold enough, in fact, it was pumping out hot air.  

Just across the JW Marriott hotel is the Anaheim Gardenwalk with multiple restaurants that have outdoor dining, takeout, and happy hour. Restaurants include Cheesecake Factory, Roy’s, McCormick & Schmick’s, and Bubba Gump’s. There are also fun venues like the House of Blues, AMC movie theaters, and House of Blues.

JW Marriott Amenities and Perks!

The JW Marriott Hotel has 11 floors with the top two dedicated concierge floors. The lounge (closed for now) is on the 10th floor. The JW Marriott Hotel has a lovely pool with lots of loungers and it faces the second-floor bar area. The pool was filled with children all day and their screams lasted one night until almost 10pm which is the closing time.

If we return to the JW Marriott Anaheim I will request a room not facing the pool.

There is a gym but since of Covid protocols it wasn’t available. They do have 2 Peloton machines near the pool for those who want to work out. There are several places to sit and relax like the outdoor succulent garden and the bar area that has live music on the weekends.

There is a small grab-and-go counter on the first floor which also serves Starbucks coffee in the morning. On hand were breakfast sandwiches, fruit and drinks. The counter opens at 6:30 am.

The 11th floor has a restaurant Parkestry, that offers outdoor dining/drinks with the deck overlooking Disney for fireworks. To access the restaurant you have to take the elevator to the second floor, head out to the succulent garden, and on the right-hand side is the hostess for Parkestry.

JW Marriott Anaheim PARKESTRY

Here’s where we had a not-so-great experience. I called the front desk to see if I could make a reservation at Parkestry but was told the restaurant was overbooked. She would try to get us in and would call back. Fantastic!

The call never came but when we checked in I was told we had a 7 pm reservation. Since the restaurant was overbooked we got seated about 30 minutes after we arrived. We also got seated on deck #2 which is a crowded and very cold area of Parkestry.

Protip: Ask to be seated in the bar area, if I had known this ahead of time I think our experience would have been much better.

It took forever for our appetizers to come out and since it was so cold outside we ended up taking our food back to our room. More outdoor heaters are needed for the entire space plus the tables felt on top of each other.

I know Orange County is opening up but it didn’t feel like social distancing was possible in this space. Food-wise, the best bets are the truffle fries, pizzas, and charcuterie board. Our sliders were overcooked. Drinks were just ok and at $18 a pop I expected stronger.

JW Marriott Anaheim Parking FEE

There is no self-parking available at the hotel.  There is a $40 per day fee for valet.

JW Marriott Anaheim Location and Disneyland

JW Marriott Anaheim is about a 15-minute walk from Disneyland.  

Overall we had a lovely experience at the hotel but there are definitely a few things that need better attention. If you are looking for an upscale hotel that is near Disneyland, JW Marriott Anaheim is a good choice.

OTHER ANAHEIM ARTICLES

5 Tasty Restaurants Near Disneyland

Good Neighbor Hotels Near Disneyland: Everything You Should Know

101 Things To Do at Disneyland Resort!

Affordable Breakfast Spots Near Disneyland