The JW Marriott Hotel Lima sits in the heart of the city’s Miraflores district, one of the prettiest parts of town. It is perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the bustling Larcomar Shopping Center. During the day, paragliders, joggers and pedestrians bustle past the hotel. Most striking is watching the long waves make their journey ashore, making unique shapes along the beach. These are five reasons why JW Marriott Lima and its prized location make it the ideal place to stay in the Peruvian capital.
The food
La Vista is the main restaurant here and has become popular with more than just guests, but also locals. Breakfast features an elaborate buffet with the option to request made-to-order dishes. It features an incredible array of freshly baked bread, including focaccia and sourdough, all produced at the hotel. Local fruit (I learned to love the chirimoya), Peruvian breakfast dishes and a wide range of salsas and condiments are all on offer.
The restaurant’s name, which means the view in Spanish, makes sense since it overlooks the street and busy square across from the hotel. A private dining room features walls of glass and is popular for social functions and business meals.
Lunch has an a la carte and buffet menu, and it draws in area business people for an executive meal. On weekends, the Peruvian lunches are especially popular. The culinary team at the hotel works especially hard to add a new twist to traditional food from the region, but also take care of guests with dietary preferences like vegetarian or vegan. A particular focus on Nikkei cuisine (the blending of Japanese and Peruvian recipes) is a highlight.
The JW Market in the lobby has lighter bites such as pastries, salads and sandwiches plus barista made coffee. JW Lounge has its own menu that goes beyond cocktails to also include light snacks and meals.
The design
Fresh from a beautiful renovation, the lobby shimmers with marble and stone surfaces. Designer Raimundo Morales was at the helm of the project and he weaved in the Peruvian landscape and history through subtle elements throughout the building. During the remodel, his focus was to use natural materials as much as possible.
Subtle influence refers to various regions of Peru and their geometric patterns like the Incan Moray ruins and even the motion of the Pacific just in front of the property.
In the renovation, the reception area was moved from the second floor to the first floor, which makes the second-floor lobby feel more open and less hectic. It features dramatic views of the square in front of the hotel as well as a cocktail and sushi bar, gourmet market and private meeting space.
As with all JW Marriotts, there is a lot of greenery and natural walls bringing a bit of the outside into the hotel. And the signature JW Garden onsite produces herbs and ingredients for the hotel’s bar and restaurant menus.
The rooms
Remodeled in the past year, they all feature hardwood floors, duvet-wrapped beds and wide windows. There really is no bad view here. Urban rooms tend to face mostly the area’s tall buildings, but the majority of rooms have at least some view of the ocean.
The junior suites on the corners have long hallways that lead to a spacious bedroom with wider sitting area and dual views. Their bathrooms have larger marble showers. Larger suites have whirlpool tubs and extra living rooms with a wet bar.
Bathrooms have beautiful stone walls with wide vanities featuring brightly lighted mirrors, Aromatherapy Associates toiletries in large pump bottles and a wide array of extra products like shaving and dental kits. Rainfall showerheads have excellent water pressure, too.
The recreation
This hotel counts one of the best onsite gyms in town. It features the most recent cardio and weight equipment as well as a series of workout classes. All of this is complimentary for guests to enjoy, but it is also good enough to attract local membership.
There are also treatment rooms for massage and beauty treatment options. A separate series of elevators takes guests and visitors from the street level to the lobby and to the health club. This means that another bank of elevators goes to the guest rooms assuring privacy.
The hotel complex is made up of two glass towers: one for guest rooms and the other is an independent office building. In between them, is an elevated platform with a swimming pool and sun deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Perhaps the most enjoyable workout is a jog along the oceanfront, clifftop jogging paths in front of the hotel.
The extras
Guests with top-tier Marriott Bonvoy elite status as well as those booking club category rooms enjoy access to the panoramic lounge on the 24th floor. It is more substantial than other executive lounges since it goes beyond the traditional breakfast buffet and evening appetizer spread by offering a midday lunch meal. This includes soup, several hot dishes, freshly pressed panini sandwiches, salads and a dessert spread.
I really like how this hotel has to-go cups always available for coffee and tea. There is also a basket with fresh fruit, homemade granola bars and snack mixes that are great to stuff into your briefcase or purse to enjoy while you’re out and about in Lima.
The evening happy hour offers a wide range of Peruvian and international wine, beer and more snacks (enough to be dinner for some people).
Turndown service here is detail-oriented. They fold clothes that are left strewn over luggage, tie together electronic cords and leave behind a sweet treat.
All rooms feature complimentary glass bottles of water. This is part of the hotel’s larger eco-friendly initiatives to eliminate single-use plastics. Each floor has its own water refilling station.
Another fun activity for guests is the late afternoon cocktail-making session with one of the bartenders in the lobby. Guests that attend get to enjoy a free drink and learn how to make a local favorite.
Lastly, I really loved the natural touch in the closets where a sachet filled with rosemary and other aromatic herbs from the hotel’s garden keeps your clothes smelling fresh. The attention to detail here was truly impressive.
