We stayed at JW Marriott Anaheim from July 17–24 and while the hotel is modern and the rooms are spacious, our overall experience didn’t live up to the 5-star label. The rooftop bar—one of the key amenities we were excited for—was unexpectedly inaccessible without a reservation, which was never mentioned by staff during check-in or orientation. Both Seth and Joy had highlighted the rooftop as a major perk, but never once said reservations were needed. When we tried to go up, we were denied access and told it was in a text they had sent—something we felt should have been clearly explained in person, not hidden in fine print.
To the hotel’s credit, management did follow up: Duncan reached out and offered us Executive Lounge access for the fireworks and complimentary breakfast (which we appreciated and used for two days). The director, Cindy, also invited us back to the rooftop bar, but we declined based on our initial experience.
Valet service was excellent (although being $70 a day is ludicrous), and the front staff—including Seth and Joy—were kind and welcoming at first. That said, the hotel just doesn’t deliver a true 5-star experience, especially at nearly $400/night when you include daily parking and resort fees, There are other hotels nearby with similar amenities at a better value. One and done for us.