JW Marriott Mall of America
I have stayed at the JW Marriott Mall of America location a few times, but I have never photographed or blogged it, which given its proximity to my home is just nuts! Given my inability to use my suite nights in London, I tried them here and I was successful near the end of the year, and you better believe it Skippy that I was going to go and enjoy the hotel.Arrival
Well, I drove up. It was a bit of a twisting around the ring road of the Mall to get to the main entrance, but I did get there eventually. A typical Minnesota sloppy winter day where I carried my bags from my car over the road to a clear spot on the sidewalk. This was a completely new build, purposefully designed as a JW from the start, and it's pretty darn nice. Easy access to the mall (my daughter loved being able to just pop in and out).The Room
As I mentioned, I had used suite nights, and I got the second biggest room in the hotel (they don't typically upgrade people to the presidential suite). It's an astounding room with a toilet room that has doors on either sides to make it a private one or the guest bath given your preference.The Lounge
Sadly the Executive lounge was not fully in operation, only coffee, tea and cold drinks in the mini fridge, but it's a larger lounge that I have utilized before. As you can see it's a comfortable space even when "closed".Dining
So there are two options here, the Bar which has the full menu and Cedar + Stone which is the restaurant.Facilities
I think this was supposed to be a minor convention hotel and celebratory destination, with a ballroom (it's huge) and an array of smaller event spaces, lead towards the ability to hold a decent shindig. Also the gym, has every machine I have ever seen. The pool was a legit size for a hotel and my daughter enjoyed it.Summary
I've been here many times before without the time to relax and enjoy the property. So I didn't really get the correct experience here, until this trip. It was fantastic. If you stay at JW Mall of America, make sure you have time just wallow in the room (if you get a suite, and I highly suggest them). The bar is a great spot, and the food was amazing at Cedar + Stone.
The front desk, exceptionally open format
Lovely living room
Ahh, a bar, what a great place to put good booze
Where I planted by butt for a couple days, and it worked well
Roomy and lovely private secluded bedroom
Biggest room on the floor, 2nd biggest at the hotel, little to complain about
In lieu of the executive lounge being open, I got a $40 food credit per day which did not suck or go to waste
Huge bathroom with great soaking tub, shower big enough for you and 3 other people (I don't know what would warrant that but I don't judge)
Guest/Toilet vanity
Main bathroom vanity, identical to the other
My favorite brand!
Basically any item you might need
Drinks, 24/7
The old sitting area where you could relax back in the day
Where the morning and evening food service usually is during better times
Cedar + Stone, yes it is that dark in the morning
Very talented bartenders taking care of you rapidly. The bar was super pretty and lit just right
More laid back bar seating
Rob's breakfast, very American
All the standards and several unique items for breakfast
Every machine you could imagine, I've never seen some of these before
Clean, bright, and a really good temperature in the dead of winter
2nd floor breakout rooms
Smaller event room for like 8 or 16 people
Medium sized event room could handle about 25 I think
The grand ballroom, and it's super large, capacity of a hundred or so
And of course, the entrance to the 2nd floor of the hotel from the Mall of America