Jul 25

Jul 25 Justly...Worldly? - JW Parq Vancouver

This has been a frequently requested review, not only by my degenerate gambler friends, but also by those looking for a bit of a higher end experience in expensive Vancouver without breaking the bank. The hotel is actually two hotels, one called the Douglas (review here), and the actual JW Parq. Overall, I enjoyed the vibes of the hotel, but would be a bit hesitant to pay some of the prices offered ($1,000 for a suite!!).

Overview

The JW Marriott brand is seen as a more affordable, new, luxury brand of the Marriott International portfolio, and certainly an upgrade from the standard Marriott Hotel. The JW Parq has 328 hotel rooms, and along with a downtown casino, high end spa and restaurants. The casino boasts all the standard games you would expect, such as poker, roulette, slots, as well as a high roller area; given this is catering to Vancouver / a more Asian crowd, there are definitely more Asian influences in the design of the casino.

The hotel is situated, like the Douglas, right besides False Creek, with stunning water views. However, this means that it is a bit of a trek to Downtown Vancouver proper, as well as other attractions like Science World.

There also is a sign right beside the “tower” side of the hotel which displays that everything is to the left of it - must be designed by a lawyer, because while technically correct there isn’t any actual use for it.

The actual hotel entrance is quite nice, and the bellhops were certainly attentive to hotel guests needs.

Check in was done in a fantastically decorated lobby - I felt this balanced between the ostentatiousness at some casinos (cough Las Vegas) and being too bland. There were also several concierges dedicated to planning activities, though I didn’t use them.

Also on the first floor was a well attended and crowded Honey Salt Restaurant, and a decidedly less crowded Golf Shop.

We checked in, and were informed that given the hotel was an at capacity long weekend, there was no availability for an update (which was fair). However, we did manage to get those cute room cards!

And off to the elevator bank to head up to our rooms, 937 (for the double room), and 2211 (for the suite).

Room

The hotel’s design can be best described as neutrally boring, with lots of white, lighter colors, and woods, in contrast to the darker colored Douglas Sister Hotel. I personally like the lighter colors, as you can see your surroundings and it doesn’t feel like a prison.

Let’s start with the 937 room, the standard 2 Queen, 380sqft/34sqm. Having been to Europe, I appreciate in North America that base rooms at 300 sqft+.

The extra room from 300 to 380 sqft was noticeable: for example, the Bellevue Marriott in Seattle was 300 sqft, and it felt a bit tight. The room had all the standard higher end hotel amenities, including fridge, coffee maker (though not of a good variety), desk, and Molton Brown amenities.

Now, moving on to the cooler stuff: the 1 Bedroom Suite. In a funny reversal, this suite is probably smaller than most actual suites, and can be compared to many junior suites at 548sqft/49sqm.

The room opens to a king sized bed, with a cute butterfly picture on the wall.

One of the best parts of the JW Parq is the views, and it’s no different here: this is above BC Place!

This picture gives a bit more of an idea of how the room is laid out, with the long hallway that contained a closet.

The living room is dominated by a large sofa area, along with a desk. My first impressions is that I wish the JW Parq copied from the Douglas, and put several more seats as opposed to one massive sofa.

Similarly to the Queen Room, there was also a pretty poor coffee maker, fridge, and more bottles of water.

Beside the TV was a fairly standard suite bathtub and shower, along with the same lovely Molton Brown amenities.

Overall, this is a fairly standard, ablet on the smaller size suite. I definitely wouldn’t pay $1,000 a night for it, especially given how good the base level room is.

Amenities

One of the best parts of the JW Parq is how it has so many great amenities, even as a city hotel. Let’s start with the lounge, which my friend calls it “the best in Canada” - I will temper it, and say it’s the 2nd best (go Delta Toronto)

The lounge is located on the 6th floor, beside some conference space as well. There are 2 main service times: breakfast, and appetizers (which can be enough for a proper dinner), with a wide snack selection available at other times. And to top it offer, this is a lounge that can be accessed by Marriott Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador members!

The decor of the lounge is definitely darker than the JW Parq, matching the Douglas’. There were several TVs dotted around the area, and given the ongoing Olympics, the screens were quietly playing the Olympics.

Breakfast was a hearty affair, with cold options including eggs, cheese, meats, smoked salmon, pastries and fruits. For the hot options, there was some type of egg dish, bacon, potatoes, waffles, and my friend and I thought the potatoes were especially well seasoned.

Not pictured (my bad) was the coffee machine during breakfast: it was a fairly standard corporate coffee maker, though with REAL milk.

After breakfast, but before appetizers, there was a wide selection of snacks and soft drinks, as well as still and sparkling water.

The dinner appetizers were also well cooked - I remember last time I had beef with potatoes, and this time it was chicken with asparagus and potatoes (someone likes potatoes). The dishes were a step above traditional lounge food, and were well seasoned and sauced.

Next up was the gym and spa. The spa, called the Spa by JW, boasts of an “Aqua Lounge” on the 17th floor. To be honest, this is extremely overhyped, and it’s just a small rooftop hot tub with some loungers around it.

What is nicer is the rooftop bar, as one can walk around it the entirety of the space whilst sipping the beverage of your choice. Or take some cute instagram photos.

On the same floor is the gym, which is extremely comprehensive, with weights that go beyond 50lb, and a proper squat rack.

As for dining, there are quite a few options: Honey Salt, The Victor, D/6 Bar & Lounge. I asked my friend what he thought of the Victor, and all I got was “the bread was good”. That being said, look at the view from the park connecting the Douglas!

The Service

The service initially felt a bit short, although I imagine this was also because there was a long weekend, and the hotel was full, so I won’t hold it too much against them. Our party had a few requests, extra chairs in the suite and a crib in the other room, and while the hotel acknowledged them via chat before we arrived, they never actually actioned on them. However, upon reminding them, they quickly rectified it. Otherwise, service was what you expected at an excellent North American hotel: prompt and diligent, but not overly effusive.

The Point

The JW Parq Vancouver is a great hotel, but unfortunately for it’s price point, admittedly during a long weekend, of more than $1,000 meant that the bar was high. While I did enjoy my time there, I felt that given the size of the suite, as well as the smaller “hydrospa”, I would probably only pay $700-800 for it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fantastic hotel for Vancouver, and I would certainty recommend it. But a 1 bdr suite at the Douglas, it’s sister hotel, costs $740 over a long weekend, and I could book it over the JW Parq. Overall, great hotel for Vancouver, and I can very happy to have stayed in it!

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