JW Marriott Baku Review

The JW Marriott Absheron Baku offers luxury in a convenient location in Azerbaijan's capital. The hotel checks all the boxes expected of a JW Marriott–modern and understated luxury, functional and comfortable rooms, and sleek yet warm design. An unfortunate blemish for this otherwise excellent hotel is its failure to incorporate Azerbaijani culture into its fabric. Neither the rooms nor the common areas invoke the country's culture, and the same goes for the breakfast buffet, which lacks local cuisine. In this JW Marriott Absheron Baku review, we share why this hotel should be on your shortlist when visiting Baku, despite lackluster elite status recognition.

RELATED: Check out my Azerbaijan trip report

Location

The JW Marriott sits near the Baku Boulevard, the seafront promenade that faces the Caspian Sea and runs along most of the city. The promenade is a lovely spot to go for a stroll or a run at any time of day. Formula One fans take note: the hotel sits at the heart of the Baku Street Circuit, with the pit stops located just across the street.

The walled Old City, Nizami Street (a pedestrian street lined with shops, restaurants, and bars), and most other attractions are a short drive away. Bolt is the Uber/Lyft equivalent, and most rides to and from the hotel cost between $4 and $8 manats (less than$5 USD).

Bolt rides to/from the airport cost around $20 manats ($12 USD), whereas taxis charge around $40 manats ($24 USD). The JW Marriott offers luxury airport transfers starting at $70 USD each way for a sedan.

For those curious, Absheron in the hotel's name refers to the Absheron Peninsula where Baku is located, which juts out into the Caspian Sea.

JW Marriott Absheron Baku Review: Booking Cost

We booked three nights in a deluxe guest room (one of their basic rooms) for 66,400 Marriott Bonvoy points. That's right, just about 22,000 points per night for a JW Marriott property. The cash price for our stay was around $250 per night, so this redemptions yielded about 1.1 cents per point.

Cash and points rates sky rocket for dates surrounding the Formula One Grand Prix. Otherwise, this hotel is very affordable, especially considering the quality of the property.

JW Marriott Absheron Baku Review: Deluxe Guest Room

The deluxe guest room met all the expectations associated with the JW Marriott brand–modern and sleek elegance along with practicality paired with functionality. Despite having two double beds, the room still feels large and not cramped at all. Both beds have a nightstand at one of their sides with intuitive and practical light controls along with multiple outlets.

At the opposite end of the room, a cabinet counter runs along the length of the wall underneath the mounted flat screen television, with a writing desk jutting out from the counter. The cabinets offer storage space in addition to the already sizable closet.

The closet had enough room for a couple of large suitcases and plenty of hangers. Next to the closet is a shelf with a Nespresso machine and complimentary coffee pods, different sets of glasswares, and a minibar stocked with the usual mix of snacks, beverages, and alcoholic options.

The Bathroom

The bathroom almost takes up as much space as the bedroom itself. Pocket doors next to the soaking tub allow guests to enjoy a bath while not being confined to the bathroom itself. (A much more viable option when traveling solo or with a spouse).

The entire front of the hotel faces the city's promenade, meaning about half of the rooms face in that direction. Unfortunately, our room faced the opposite way onto some construction and generic office buildings. I only have Gold Elite status with Marriott, which is nowhere near the top of the Bonvoy food chain. But Marriott properties abroad tend to recognize elite status better than those in the US. Sadly, this was not the case. Elite status aside, the hotel was by no means full during our stay, so at the very least a higher floor or a view of the promenade would have been welcomed.

The Design Lacks A Bit Of Soul

In general, the room lacks any notable faults as it was spacious, functional, elegant, and comfortable. Yet it was disappointing to not see any decorations alluding to Azerbaijan or the local culture. For example, Azerbaijan's rich tradition of rug making or some of its beautiful traditional medieval architecture could have inspired some of the decor in the room.

Amenities and Dining

The hotel's lobby is bright and airy with lots of space and different ambiences. The hotel's main restaurant is off to the side of the lobby, while the bar and lounge are located upstairs. The lobby features a number of futuristic-looking pods for reading, working, or making phone calls with some privacy.

Pool

The JW Marriott Absheron Baku has an indoor swimming pool on the top floor, a spa, and a gym. Unfortunately, the gym was undergoing renovations during our visit. Guests could enjoy complimentary rides to and from the Ritz-Carlton to use that property's gym.

The pool offers excellent views of the city, including much of the street circuit for the Azerbaijan Formula One Grand Prix. Two hot tubs also sit on opposite sides of the pool.

Restaurants & Bars

The hotel offers three restaurants, a tea lounge, and a bar. ZEST Lifestyle Café is the main restaurant where breakfast is served, and it is also open for lunch and dinner. Breakfast at ZEST is quite the hearty buffet with a rich selection of breads, cheese, cold cuts, jams, cereals, and hot dishes. Rotating hot dishes included beans, scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, bacon, and different sausages. Guests also have access to an egg station to enjoy omelettes or eggs cooked to order. Everything we tried tasted fresh and had good flavor, and service was adequate.

Other than a rich selection of jams, which apparently is quite popular in Azerbaijan, there was no local cuisine featured. This was disappointing since it's always nice to explore local breakfast options even when staying in a large hotel.

The JW Marriott's other dining options consist of Fireworks Urban Kitchen steakhouse and Oronero Bar & Ristorante offering Italian cuisine. Both restaurants are located on the second floor near the bar and lounge area.

The lobby bar is on the second floor, above the front desk. The bar looked great and had a good amount of guests there whenever I walked by. With the hotel's location near the seafront promenade, I expected to see a rooftop bar taking advantage of the excellent views.

JW Marriott Absheron Baku Review: ToP Thoughts

The JW Marriott Absheron Baku is worth a look for any trip to Baku. Whether paying cash or points, you'll get excellent value and a great stay. Guests can expect comfort, luxury, and good service. But to get any sort of glimpse into the local culture, you'll have to step outside the hotel's doors.