JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

I first visited this property in 2014 for a conference and was very impressed with the facilities, grounds, staff, and location. It was because of this past experience that I selected this property for a long weekend getaway. Unfortunately, the negative impact of COVID can be felt here too... The staff is still great. They try very hard to please, are very friendly, and hustle! Especially the valet is exceptional. We left the property multiple times per day and never waited more than 3 minutes for our vehicle. Dining options are very limited, so it is suggested that you do your research before you come. We did have a drink on the back patio one evening and the service was good. The pool attendants were attentive and quick as well. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff is hard to find. We had a problem with our shower - it doesn't drain and after a few minutes in the shower you have to turn off the water so that it doesn't flood the rest of the bathroom. In the process, you're also standing in your own filth. We tried calling down to the front desk several times to see if they could send someone up to look at it, but the phone just rings and rings and rings. They are understaffed to the point where they can't even pick up the phone. (We actually noticed this when checking in. The person who checked us in was rushed to get us to our room because she had multiple phones ringing off the hook.) It's not the personnel's fault that not enough people are scheduled to attend to the guests, but nonetheless it makes for a less pleasant guest experience. For us, it feels like we checked into a hostel and are "on our own" once we were given a room key. At a more modest hotel, this wouldn't be so disappointing, but the rates during our stay are $400+ per night. For this type of rate, I'd expect someone to be able to fix a shower drain. This type of plumbing issue, and some electrical outlets in the room not working, is why I say "it's starting to show it's age". Hopefully business will pick up soon so that they can reinvest in the property and staff back up to be able to attend to the guests. It's a nice location with nice views, and the staff is very responsive and wants to please. There just aren't enough of them!

It’s been a while since we were last at this resort. It hasn’t seem to age at all. All the staff members are friendly and accommodating. We are really enjoying our stay of 10 nights...We’re on day 6 presently. Our first five nights we planned to take advantage of the Griffin Club and we booked the Griffin Club rate; however, when we checked in, we were informed that due to COVID, the Griffin Club is closed. They did adjust our rate satisfactorily, so we’ll have to wait until next time to try the club. It would be really nice if they informed guests beforehand that the club is closed, and not make rates available to book. Our next5 nights are just for a regular room on a AAA rate which we are presently on. As a lifetime Titanium elite, we were given an upgrade to a spacious junior suite for all ten nights. We were given complimentary off the menu breakfasts which is so much nicer than other properties that just give continental breakfasts to Titaniums. As mentioned by other posters, there is construction going on at the pool, which crowds sun loungers pretty close together. The noise of the cement saws is annoying as well. I would think they wouldn’t have started this project with the upcoming spring break. Luckily, as Titaniums, we had access to the spa pool which was less crowded and much more quiet. I don’t like resort fees, but it does give us access to the driving range, so it’s not totally worthless like other resorts. The Desert Ridge shopping mall is right across the street with lots of dining and shopping options. We often just walk over there to shop for groceries over at Albertsons, check out restaurants, and shop. We enjoy sitting out by the fire pit on cool mornings with our coffee. This has been a relaxing stay so far. All in all, this has been a welcome getaway at a quality resort!

We found ourselves without family for the holidays and decided to visit friends in Phoenix. We landed at the JW with our two little beagle boys in tow thanks to their new pet policy welcoming furry family members. It was a wonderful stay. We loved the fire pit rooms and expansive pet areas near the pet friendly rooms. Ground level - patio door exit for our fur babies needs. Perfect! I also appreciated the Starbucks on property and all the warmth and friendliness received by that staff. We enjoyed our breakfasts at the hotel restaurant and our evenings at the outdoor fire pit area of the hotel. All the servers were attentive and just a delight. We enjoyed our week stay so much that we returned in January to celebrate my birthday! Traveling during Co19 can be a bit daunting. There are so many personal views on this subject, masking etc. Hotels are barely able to stay open at the restricted level of occupancy. My expectation for the JW was exceeded in so many areas - from the accommodations - food -staffing and the beautiful resort grounds. Thank you JW Marriott Phoenix for being open and for helping us make beautiful memories. We are planning to return for our 35th anniversary this summer!

It was a welcome retreat. This was my first post covid hotel stay. The room was so very clean. The lobby seating was appropriately spaced, employees were universally wearing masks, fellow vacationers were also wearing their masks and the hotel had friendly employees to remind people to keep their masks on. JW got it right! And of course the resort itself was lush and beautiful. One pool was closed but the lazy river and the griffin pools were open with plenty of well spaced places to sit.

So, I want to preface this review with the fact that I am kind of a critical person; however, I am honest. I call a spade a spade. If something is great, I will hail it for being so. If not so great, I call that as I see it as well. Now, for this resort, I'll say my wife and I had a pleasant experience. I thought the resort was nice, but I did have a few bones to pick with them. The people that work at the resort were completely awesome! Everyone I encountered was top notch, friendly, and went above and beyond to make sure that we were taken care of! The only problem was that I felt the resort was understaffed at the bell desk area. I have been to many resorts where you can barely pull up to the entrance, and you will immediately be greeted and have someone grabbing your bags. Here, not so much. Even our driver that dropped us off made a comment as to the fact that we had to carry our own bags. I am not trying to sound like a prima donna here, and quite frankly I am perfectly fine carrying my bags. I just do not really see this type of service at a resort that is supposed to be of such high caliber. Once checked in and settled I did a walk around the property it was pretty nice. However, much to my surprise half of the pool area was under construction! Now, again this is understandable, upgrading things is a great thing to do. However, we were completely unaware that this was going on prior to our travels. So, basically the pool area was halved, and then on top of that the other half of that was reserved for "Griffen Club Members". So, us 'common folk' had to crowd in the area that was left. A lot of people had to just grab chairs off the stack (again self service resort) and plop down in some grass where they could find a spot. So, again I get the fact of construction, but I thought it was poorly handled. More so, it was not high class. Relax all day to the sound of jackhammers, ugh! The resort also draws criticism from me for some other basic things. They may chose to blame COVID protocols, but we have been other places that have handled things perfectly. First, I am an early riser and you cannot even get a cup of coffee till 6:30 in the morning. And when you go down to get a coffee (Starbucks is your only option), plan on all of the early risers to be lined up. So, you may be able to get a cup by 6:45, if you are lucky. Furthermore, like coffee you cannot get breakfast till 7:30, unless you want to get something 'snacky' from Starbucks. Now for the golf. I think the golf area is pretty......well just okay. The driving range is good; however, there were no chipping or bunker practice areas. We all know that these are definitely not a given, but for a 'top notch' place you will generally find them. The course is nice, I played the Faldo, and I enjoyed the round. However, I found it to not impress for $300. I have played several courses in the area, and yes at resorts, that were in the neighborhood of half of this one AND just as nice. Again, in total it was all just okay. I know this is long winded, but just wanted to be thorough. I also know that this was quite a bit negative. We did overall have a good trip, but I was just definitely not wowed. The people are great and doing their best, but I think the resort kind of lets them down. I would guess the resort would claim a lot of it's shortcomings on the current COVID situation, but I just feel that this would be a poor excuse. Other resorts are still doing a great job. In the end, if you book this place, I think you will be able to have a good trip. Will I ever stay here again? Ummmm.......probably not.