THE GEN X WANDERER / JW Marriott Miami Marquis Review: A Free Bonvoy Points Pre Cruise Stay

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JW Marriott Miami Marquis Review: A Free Bonvoy Points Stay Before Our Cruise

Some hotel stays are just a place to sleep before the real trip starts. This was not one of those. My husband and I booked the JW Marriott Miami Marquis for two nights before boarding our cruise onboard the Celebrity Beyond (we were celebrating our 25th wedding anniverary), and it turned out to be a proper start to a milestone trip rather than a placeholder.

The best part was that we booked the whole stay for free using Marriott Bonvoy points, which made splurging on a nice dinner and a lounge upgrade feel completely justified.

If you are searching for a JW Marriott Miami Marquis review before your own pre cruise stay, look no further, I’ve got you covered.

JW Marriott Marquis Miami

JW Marriott Marquis Miami Room Tour

First Impressions of the JW Marriott Miami Marquis

The hotel sits right on the Miami River in Brickell, which we did not fully appreciate until we started exploring on foot. The lobby feels grand without trying too hard, all marble and warm lighting, and the check in process was smooth even with the usual chaos of cruise season traffic moving through the doors. Staff greeted us warmly and had our room ready early, which after a long travel day felt like a small gift.

We are Marriott Gold Elite members and one of the perks is to have a 2pm late checkout, which we always request for regardless of the time we are leaving. On several occasions, if we came a bit earlier than the standard 3:00 or 4:00 pm check in, they had rooms available for us.

The hotel felt very elevated and the JW Marriott Marquis brand is in the Classic Luxury category tier. The room itself was super spacious by hotel standards, with a soft neutral colour palette and views that stretched out over the river and the downtown skyline. Nothing about the room felt dated or worn. The bathroom was amazingly large, with a TV embedded into the mirror. The king bed was comfortable enough that we slept through most of the humidity outside, and the little touches, like proper blackout curtains, and the bathrobes made a real difference.

The M Club Lounge Made a Difference

One of the highlights of our stay was access to the M Club (or the 345 Executive Lounge), located on the 2nd floor of the hotel. It offers complimentary daily breakfast, evening hors d’oeuvres, and all-day snacks.

I honestly don’t even know how we snagged this because it’s reserved for Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador Elite members, or guests booking a Concierge Level room. Perhaps my husband spoke with them, but I was totally oblivious so I just road on the coattails.

We were not expecting much beyond coffee and a few pastries, but the M Club offered a full breakfast spread each morning along with evening appetizers and drinks. For a pre cruise stay where we wanted to relax rather than hunt down restaurants at odd hours, this was a nice bonus. The lounge had comfortable seating, quiet corners for planning our cruise itinerary, and staff who checked in without hovering. If your room rate or status gives you access to it, take advantage. It quietly elevated the whole stay.

Dinner at Hell’s Kitchen Miami

For our first night, we walked over to Hell’s Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant located just a 5 min walk away.

The energy in the dining room was lively without being loud, and the open kitchen gave us something to watch while we waited for our courses.

We ordered a mix of shareable plates and mains, and everything came out well timed and properly seasoned. It felt like a fitting way to mark 25 years together, celebratory but not stuffy, and the staff even brought out a small dessert with a candle when they heard it was our anniversary.

Walking the Waterfront and Across to Brickell

The next morning with coffee in hand, we spent a good chunk of time just exploring. It’s a quick walk down to the water, and from there you can walk what feels like miles. We wandered toward Biscayne Bay, taking our time along the promenade.

Boat watching became an unplanned favourite activity of the trip. Yachts of every size passed by, and we spent longer than we probably should admit trying to guess which ones belonged to actual residents of the area versus charter companies. If people watching and boat spotting sound like your kind of relaxed afternoon, this stretch of Miami delivers.

We also crossed the pedestrian bridge over to the W Hotel in Brickell, mostly out of curiosity about the neighbourhood on the other side. The walk gave us a good look at how much this part of Miami has grown, with cranes and new towers seemingly on every block. We also hit the bridge just as they pulled it up to let a large boat pass by.

The Aston Martin Residences

Somewhere along our walk we came across the Aston Martin Residences, the striking curved tower that has become a bit of a landmark along the water.

I quickly did a Google and saw the penthouse in the building listing for around sixty million dollars, and seeing the tower in person made that price tag feel slightly more believable.

The design is sleek and unmistakably different from the surrounding glass towers, and it was worth the short detour just to look up at it and imagine the view from the top floor. The pristine water at the base of the tower is what actually caught my eye.

Bayside Marketplace and a Sweet Detour

We’ve been to Bayside several times and it never gets old for us and was another easy stop during our wandering. It has a slightly more relaxed, touristy feel compared to the polish of Brickell, with waterfront shops, live music some afternoons, and plenty of spots to grab a snack or a cold drink.

We ducked into IT’SUGAR while we were there, which if you have not been, is worth a stop for the sheer novelty of it. I wrote a separate post about that visit if you want the full rundown of what we found inside. Check out my IT’SUGAR blog post and video here. If you are in the Bayside area, definitely check it out, especially if you have kids!

Between the marketplace, the bay, and the general buzz of cruise passengers and locals mixing together, this area gave us a nice sense of Miami beyond the hotel walls, and it was all within easy walking distance of the JW Marriott Miami Marquis.

Is the JW Marriott Miami Marquis Worth it for a Pre Cruise Stay?

For anyone planning a cruise out of PortMiami, location matters as much as comfort, and this hotel delivers both. It is close enough to the port for an easy transfer the next morning (10 min uber), yet it sits in a part of Brickell that gives you plenty to see and do if you arrive a day or two early like we did. The combination of a comfortable room, the added perk of the M Club, and a dining scene right outside the door made our two night stay feel like part of the celebration rather than just a logistics stop before boarding.

Looking back, this stay set the right tone for our 25th anniversary trip. We arrived relaxed, well fed, and truly excited for the days ahead on the water, and a lot of that came down to choosing a hotel that let us enjoy the city rather than just pass through it.

Where JW Marriott Marquis Miami is Located

My logo in this map marks the the spot. If you zoom out, you will see all of the tagged places in this post as well as where Port Miami is in relation to the hotel.

Quick Tips for Your Own Stay

If you are booking the JW Marriott Miami Marquis before your own cruise, a few things worth knowing:

• Check if your rate includes M Club access. It is worth requesting or upgrading for if it does not come standard.
• Wear comfortable shoes. The walk along the river, across to Brickell, and over to Bayfront Marketplace adds up quickly and is one of the best free activities in the area.
• Make a dinner reservation at Hell’s Kitchen ahead of time, especially on weekends when cruise crowds fill up the city. But there are several restaurants nearby so do your research so you are not left deciding last min like we did.
• Give yourself at least one full day before your cruise departs so you are not rushing through everything this part of Miami has to offer.

Whether you are celebrating an anniversary like we were or simply want a smooth and enjoyable start to your cruise, the JW Marriott Miami Marquis is a solid elevated choice that lets you experience a real slice of Brickell before you ever step foot on the ship.