JW Marriott Hotel Quito

Rooms and decor

The hotel has 257 rooms including suites, with starting rooms around 42 square metres — bigger than the usual capital-city standard. They're done in earthy brown-and-beige tones with Ecuadorian artwork on the walls, and the big windows open onto two outlooks: one side faces the peak of Pichincha, the dormant volcano that backs the city, and the other looks over the financial-district towers and their evening lights. High-floor rooms are the prettiest. Beds are soft with thick toppers and good linens, and the marble bathroom comes with a separate tub and shower.

Food and amenities

This is where families and couples fall for the place. The heated outdoor pool sits in a tropical garden and stays warm enough to use even on nights when Quito drops to 10–12°C, with a jacuzzi, cabanas and a cocktail bar alongside. Up a level there's a large spa and a 24-hour fitness center. Three restaurants give you options on lazy days: the Ecuadorian steak spot Bistro Latino, the international La Hacienda, and the Latitud Zero bar. The detail not to miss, though, is the coca tea and oxygen the hotel keeps free in the lobby to help your body adjust to Quito's 2,850 metres — a small touch that says the team here actually gets its guests.

Location and getting there

Picture a clear glass pyramid rising among the tall finance towers of the La Carolina district in central Quito — that's the JW Marriott, and it's the easiest hotel in the city to find. It's in the newer financial district to the north, within a 5-minute walk of Parque La Carolina and the Quicentro shopping center, and it works as a base for the Teleférico cable car up Pichincha or a ride down to the Old Town. The catch is distance: the World Heritage Old Town (Centro Histórico) lies to the south, about 2.8 miles away, so it's a 15-minute Uber or taxi — not a walk. Mariscal Sucre airport (UIO) is roughly 45 minutes by car.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The biggest thing to weigh is that the Old Town isn't walkable — if your trip is about wandering cobbled lanes and colonial churches every morning, this location may not be your best pick, and you might compare hotels in La Mariscal or in the Centro Histórico itself. Second, in-house prices: food, drinks and the spa run fairly high versus good places nearby, and some reviews suggest eating out or heading to the shops in Quicentro Mall, a 5-minute walk away, for better value. Third, altitude — even with the coca tea and oxygen on hand, a few reviews mention a headache or poor sleep on the first night, so keep day one light and let your body adjust by the pool before taking on the city.

Our take

After reading through a lot of real guest reviews, the JW Marriott Hotel Quito is a flagship that sells best-in-Latin-America service, an iconic glass pyramid, a tropical garden at its core, a heated outdoor pool, and real care for a city sitting at 2,850 metres. It suits travelers using Quito as a base before the Galápagos or the Amazon, business guests meeting in the financial district who want a resort-style wind-down, and luxury families and couples who want everything in one building with warm service. But if the heart of your trip is soaking up the World Heritage old quarter every day, the 15-minute drive to the Old Town may not be the most convenient. Overall we give it 9.0/10 — an oasis that makes you forget you're nearly 3 kilometres above sea level.