JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa in Venice

Extremely disappointing arrival experience – not what you’d expect from a JW Marriott.
The hotel looks beautiful in pictures, but the overall experience was a major letdown. The property is located on its own island, which sounds exclusive, but in reality, it’s very inconvenient. There were no clear signs or staff at the designated pickup point in Venice, making it stressful and confusing to find where to go.
We arrived around 3 PM, during normal check-in hours, but the hotel shuttle only runs once every hour. If you miss it, the only alternative is a private water taxi costing about €100 one way. Between finding the pickup point, waiting, taking the shuttle, and checking in, it took us nearly three hours to finally reach the hotel.
Because of this, we lost a huge portion of our short two-day stay and couldn’t fully enjoy Venice. The location makes it very difficult to go back and forth to the main city, especially in the evenings, so you end up feeling isolated.
The breakfast was very basic, with limited options — definitely not up to JW Marriott standards. The pool was not heated, and the jacuzzi water was cold, making it impossible to relax even though the setting itself was nice.
The only positive was that the staff upgraded us to a Junior Suite, which was spacious and comfortable. However, that small gesture couldn’t make up for the poor logistics, lack of coordination, and overall disappointment.
Honestly, even if I were offered a free stay, I wouldn’t return. Venice has many stunning and convenient hotels — unfortunately, this one simply isn’t worth the hassle.