I gave some time before writing this review, partially in the hopes that the hotel responded with…read moresome sort of compensation, appropriate apology, or even just to address the issues I mentioned.
Quite frankly, the response I received was lazy, pointless, and missed the mark by a mile. I don't actually know if this response is from someone associated with the hotel directly or with Marriott's customer service, either way, it's a sad excuse of customer service.
I stayed for two nights and immediately upon check in, the front desk attendant (a slightly taller, slim brunette with glasses) was cold, rude, and rushing me out without explaining all the details of the amenities, hotel options, credits, and so on.
I took off to a local event and received a text around noon stating that my room was ready which was a better sign than the response I received earlier.
Returning to the front desk, the next attendant was all alone serving one party, with 2 more behind them, myself, and 3 more after me. The hotel really needs to up the staffing, especially at the front desk.
First impressions of the hotel are mixed. The exterior and even interior spaces are beautiful but the "lobby" is actually up two sets of escalators and the bottom/ground floor is pretty cold and lifeless.
There is also a big leak in the valet/drop off area and of course, when I requested my car, valet attendant parks it right underneath the leak.
Parking is also $68/day and no self-park option. That's just absurd.
My room had a "theme park view" but that view is pretty much the backside of Cars and the building for Guardians of the Galaxy. Not much of a "view".
Getting up to the rooftop bar is pretty annoying, since there is no direct elevator from the interior you are forced to walk through the garden with poor signage until you figure out which door to go through. The rooftop bar is also directly in sunlight so unless you go after sundown, expect to get a tan or even burned. The food is nothing special and pretty overpriced even for hotel standards. What also annoyed me is the Wi-Fi doesn't reach the rooftop bar. I tried both guest and public Wi-Fi, neither connected.
The room itself is nice, fancy accents, and I was treated to macarons upon returning. But cleanliness and upkeep is an issue. Hairs left on the soap bottles, stains on the walls/ceilings, AC kept turning on even after I turned it off, dusty surfaces, and so on. The hair dryer was also filled with dirt/dust
I ordered room service both nights and overall I enjoyed the food. The pizza was great, the gelato was creamy and tasty, the burger was really good although overcooked patty, the turkey sandwich was tasty, the regular fries were super crispy but the sweet potato fries were super soggy and cold. Not very consistent with the food.
And the issues with the dining continued with breakfast. The only two staff members that were a delight were Christian and an Asian girl I forgot to get her name, They were so friendly, attentive, and kind. The rest of the staff? Horrible. The blonde hostess was the rudest and coldest of the bunch, and each morning I saw 3-5 workers just standing around chit chatting. Another shorter girl with brownish hair and highlights was also rude. I observed these issues not just with myself but towards different guests as well.
Half the foods in the buffet were not labeled or mislabeled, foods that should be crispy like bacon or hash browns were kept in a covered dish which created a circulation of steam and turned everything soggy; there was a big tub of whipped cream I thought was cream cheese since it didn't make sense to have whipped cream out like that but since it was not labeled I had no clue.
The floors and couch cushions were dirty with crumbs and food as well.
I submitted these issues through the customer response email I received after my stay and the response meant nothing, reading:
"Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback regarding your recent stay at the JW Marriott, Anaheim Resort. We are delighted to hear that you found the hotel beautiful and appreciated the friendliness of our room service team.
We regret to learn that certain aspects of your experience fell below expectations. Please know that your feedback is important to us, and we are committed to using it to better understand and address areas where we can improve.
Thank you again for your valuable insights and for being a Marriott Bonvoy Member. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future."
As if I would stay here again when an apology wasn't even issued.
As someone who has been a timeshare holder and Marriott loyalist for almost 20 years, this is not the Marriott experience I or anyone should expect to receive.