JW Marriott Starr Pass Tucson Hotel

, Tucson, United States
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JW Marriott Starr Pass Tucson Hotel

5 star

Rooms: 800

3800 West Starr Pass Boulevard - Tucson - Arizona - 85745 - United States Hotel Website | 5207923500
456 Traveller

Reviews - JW Marriott Starr Pass Tucson Hotel

Historical Traveller Reviews of JW Marriott Starr Pass Tucson Hotel

Diamond in the Very Rough

from A TripAdvisor Member
I joined my wife at the tail end of a conference the week of June 5th, departing on June 12th. The views, scenery, golf course and rooms were outstanding. However, there were three particular issues we feel require immediate attention.

The first is parking. This resort has mandatory valet parking at a cost of $15 per day plus tax. The valet staff seems unorganized and is unable to consistently retrieve your car in a timely fashion. Not to mention that in addition to the daily mandatory fee, you feel pressured to tip each time you want to go into town. This issue alone, absent correction, would be a reason for me not to return.

The second issue is with the spa. While most services are $110 each (pricey to begin with), not only are the services not worth the money, but they charge you an 18% gratuity up front for each service you request. In my world, gratuitites are subjective and paid after the service has been given. This policy removes any incentive for staff to provide excellent service or go the extra mile.

Finally, the cost of food is very high. An example: Two frozen drinks (small - maybe 8-10oz) and a small basket of chips and salsa - $28. Draw your own conclusions.

The rooms are very nice with spacious bathrooms, comfy beds and great views. If you like to golf, you will love the course. I recommend playing the Coyote and the Rattler, but skipping the Road Runner - lots of elevation changes (it's tough). Best tip here though is that you should just show up at the clubhouse at 3:30 and pay only $40 for all you can golf instead of the $105. My wife and I played 18 in three hours at our own pace and loved the course and its scenery and wildlife.

Would I come back? Only if they revise their parking system. The spa services are not a reason to come here. Golf would be a reason to come here. Food is not a reason to come here. I guess if I wanted another retreat with my wife I'd go to La Paloma instead. If I wanted to golf with my friends, I'd come back to Starr Pass, get the cheapest rooms I could find and do my eating in town.

Beautiful surroundings, but has some issues

from A TripAdvisor Member
The surroundings at this resort are very beautful and the property itself very nice. The rooms are large, the conference facilities work well, and the service seems to be improving from the reviews I read on tripadvisor.com prior to staying at this hotel in early June, 2005.

I stayed here for a three day conference. Most meals were prepared by the hotel and the food was generally tasty and well-prepared and the servers attentive. The staff I encountered were friendly and the atmosphere pleasant. The housekeepers that I had also did a very nice job and were very observant to small details. I am confident stating that the overall level of service at the resort seems to be improving.

There are still, however, some negatives. One of the more minor ones is that the spa services were extremely high-priced compared to other resorts I have visited in the area. I had hoped to get a haircut & style while there, but that was $70 plus a required 18% gratuity. Massages were generally over $100 (with another $20 in gratuity). Also, the prices in the gift/sundry shops were extremely inflated. Normally, this would not be a concern for me, I would just venture out to a local store for bottled water or anything I had forgotten, but it becomes an issue due to the major negatives below...

The two biggest issues are parking and being isolated, and these blended together to be quite annoying for many of us attending the conference. Many of us had either driven in with our own vehicles or had rental cars. When you arrive, your only option is valet parking. For the required $15 a day, you get hassle, not convenience. It took me nearly 10 minutes upon arrivel to get my car passed off to someone, and then, six months pregnant to boot, I got to unload my own suitcase out of my car. For $15 I would have expected some type of luggage help. Leaving was the same hassle, again a 15-20 minute wait to get your car. Then, of course, they expect a tip. Granted, it's not the valet attendants' fault that the resort is gouging for parking, but it's annoying to have to pony up dollar after dollar to access your own car. It would be different in the big city somewhere, but you are in the foothills of Tucson, ten minutes from anything.

The result of this (parking nightmares and not close to anything else) is that you're bascially stuck there. I was attending an annual meeting where most of us know each other and we typically pile into cars and head out to explore the local restaurants every evening. In this case, because of the vehicle hassles, we felt compelled to eat at the resort (which is extremely pricey for what you get). Also, if you need anything, you are stuck getting gouged at the gift shop or investing an hour just to leave the hotel (20 minutes to get your car, 10 minutes to drive to a store, 10 minutes to drive back, and another 10 minutes to give your car back). You are basically a captive audience, and the prices for food & other necessities rival those at Disneyland. They need to provide reasonable self-parking, much faster valet service, shuttles into "town," or at least better and more reasonably priced options at the resort itself.

If they would fix the parking nonsense, the issue with being isolated would be resolved (unless you took a cab in, which I would not recommend). When you are that far away from the local services, you need to have fast, reasonable access to your vehicle. The real salt in the wound here is that you pay dearly for the hassle. This is a very nice resort and the service is getting to where it should be, but unless they fix the parking situation they will continue to get poor ratings.

ok if you get a deal

from A TripAdvisor Member
Just returned from 5 nites at the new JW--We tried to check in early and as the room wasn't ready, they did make sure we had a private balcony with a golfcourse/mtn view; We had a deal for $99/nite being rewards members which made the $15 + tax parking easier to handle altho inconvenient. The property is beautiful and it's nice to be in a new facility. However, everything is 20mins away i.e. restarants, attractions, airport, shopping etc. My friend used the spa and found it ok but not exceptional for me to spend the $$ on. The pool is nice altho the staff said the 1 section might be adults only but there was no sign so they couldn't enforce it. There is a small but adequate free workout room and they offered to bring equipment to the room( bands etc). Golf course plays fair but is pricier than others in the areaa. Staff is nice altho still learning such as the valet not knowing there is a restroom on the main floor.

very nice

from A TripAdvisor Member
My husband and I stayed at this resort from April 26-May 1, while visiting our daughter and her family. We were very impressed with the design and decor. It is very beautiful. We especially loved the balcony with the view overlooking the pool area and Tucson. It was spectacular to see the lights of Tucson twinkle at night. Our room was comfortable with a larger than average bathroom. The staff were very curtious. We enjoyed the heated pool and dining.
I personally enjoyed watching the air traffic at night while sitting out on the balcony of our room. We live on a small ranch and it is a nice change from country life. They were never notice in our quiet room and I am a light sleeper.
We did not experience any difficulty finding the resort. I believe the view and isolation of the resort to be very much worth the drive into Tucson.
We do plan to stay there again when we return to visit my daughter and her family.

A lot of kinks to work out

from T_Ravel_Zona
The hotel was built in a beautiful desert setting, one of the nicest locations you will find in southern Arizona. The hotel itself seems well constructed and nicely finished. Furnishings in the lobby and rooms are tastefully done in a comfortable southwestern style. Room sizes are adequate but certainly not breath taking.

The parking situation is a nightmare. There is no self parking area so everyone has to use the valet ($15/day) and it is a mess. I talked to one of the guys working the valet stand and he said the cars are parked a half a mile away and most of the time they have to run to get them since they don't have golf carts to shuttle people between the hotel and the lot. It took us a minimum of 20 minutes to get our car and that was after we called ahead. The single worst valet/ parking situation I have ever experienced.

The grounds are well kept but the pool area is very small for a large hotel. The fitness center was well equipped very small for a 500 room hotel.

The staff were generally pleasant but not especially helpful. You will not be confused into thinking you are at a Ritz. Our room was located in the perfect storm of bad places. One floor up from the always busy (and noisy) valet drop off, right across from the ice machine and elevator and right next to a stairway leading to the lobby. We protested upon finding the room but were told they were full and it was all they could do. We also had requested an early check in and were not able to access the room until 4:30pm. When I recounted all of this to the front desk upon checking out all I got was a smile and "Gee that's too bad. Come stay with us again." Not likely going to happen. Next time I am probably back at the Westin.

Definately not JW Status

from A TripAdvisor Member
I hosted a meeting at this hotel and I experienced more problems here than I ever have.

First, let me say the resort is beautiful. The views cannot be beat. Unfortunately, the words customer service are not in this hotel vocabulary. There was a definite arrogance in the events department. The service level offered my group was was the worst we ever received.

This hotel was overbooked and several of my attendees were directed to another hotel....yes, they had confirmed rooms...but that did not matter. The food was great, but again, the service was not good good. There was a 30 minute wait for a table for dinner on a sunday night because there is only one hotel open and with very little close by. The hostess told US to check back in 30 mins, they would not call our name.

The gift shops were limited and expensive. I too experienced the pool closure....with only one pool, this showed a lack of consideration for all the other guests.

I could go on and on. Needless to say, I will not be returning anytime soon.

Not quite ready for prime time

from TravelingDivaFremont
I stayed 10 days at the JW Marriott Star Pass attending a conference. I found that they were completely over whelmed with the number of hotel guests. The hotel was over booked and for some of us attending the conference (although we had confirmed reservations) we were placed in small conference rooms with roll away beds and told it would be half priced!. After much discussion with the hotel manager, the room was comped. However, there were some employees that were very accommodating and were able to perform immediate service recovery. The spa was outstanding. Pool restaurant limited in menu choices.
Only 2 shops in the hotel with very limited and expensive choices. The hotel shop ran out of toothpaste and tylenol the first day I was there and it took 48 hours to replenish the store.
Although the hotel is quite lovely it is too far way from local activities. I would definitely wait awhile before going back.

Has Potential

from A TripAdvisor Member
We have just returned from a 3 day stay at the new JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort. Our reviews are mixed. We loved the beautiful and breathtaking vistas, the open and comfortable patio with firepits(probably the best feature of the hotel), but there are many areas that need improvement . First and foremost is the parking situation. It seems to be a common theme of complaint.Due to the fact that there is no self parking lot, we were forced to use the valet service. -$15.00 a day, -plus gratuity each time the car was retrieved. Maybe not so bad if the service was top-notch. We, however , missed an appointment because the vehicle was not at the door at a specified time. In addition, the staff, in general ,seemed very inexperienced. There also happened to be large groups monopolizing the property, which caused the pool area to be closed from 4pm one day to
after noontime the next. If planning a stay at JW Starr Pass, I would suggest inquiring about convention activity. We ended up in an "accessible" room due to the full occupancy of the hotel. The corner room was spacious, with 2 comfortable beds, a pull-out couch, and large marble bathroom. All in all, it's a beautiful property with much potential.

Definitely not up to JW status

from muckky
Hosted a meeting at the JW Starr Pass Marriott last week. While hotel is nice and some staff are very friendly, overall it did not impress to the level you would expect for a JW Marriott property. Staff has been extremely overworked and it shows. Property not designed well. For example: no parking on site. You have to self park at the golf course and shuttle back to the hotel or valet park for $15/day (which was completely backed-up up the morning I departed). Also, rooms with 2 beds have 2 double beds instead of 2 queens. Bathrooms are nice with separate shower and tub, but hook to hang your towel is behind the door (not convenient to tub or shower). Tile is very slippery and there isn't a mat by the shower (only by the tub so if you forget to move it, watch out!). Menu at pool side cafe was extremely limited. Fine dining restaurant was not open yet. Front desk staff was only barely okay. Certainly not overly helpful or really very friendly. Often took many calls to get ahold of operator ("service express"). Concierge was very good.
Overall the hotel staff did not seem ready to open yet. Seems they were too busy too soon and didn't have enough time to train the staff. There is no consistency with the service. I expect much more from a JW Marriott. I wouldn't visit them for at least a year - give them time to get it all together.

Parking Nightmare!

from simon111
Although the hotel is beautiful, in a perfectly beautiful desert setting, with a great lobby and exquisite rooms, we were put off immediately by the parking situation at this place.
Paying over $250 for a room for my family (got 2 rooms, so $500/night), I pulled up from the airport with my visiting family and was descended upon by Valet parking staff.
They were rushing us out of our car as we were trying to grab suitcases, phones, sweaters, etc.
I asked if I could just park the car in the lot myself, and they said there was no self-parking.
I told them I was just dropping off my family, and they told me I could keep my car in front for 15 minutes. Our intention was to check in and I would visit for awhile with them. The Valet staff then asked how long would I be, and I said I didn't really know, maybe a couple of hours?
He said it would be $1/hr. I asked why they would need to charge me $1/hour to park when I was paying them $500 a night for the rooms?
One of the teenage valet staff then whispered to me to buy a coffee at the Starbucks inside the lobby and get my ticket validated which would allow me to park until 10pm, which I did. We went to the bar to get drinks and sit outside and talk, when we decided it was chilly and needed a coat, and realized that some of us had left our coats in the car during the parking frenzy. There is no way to retrieve items left in the car without calling up the car and waiting up to 15/20 minutes!
Why, Why, Why would a resort in the desert have to charge parking fees when their room rates should more than cover the parking?
On principal alone, I would never go back. There's plenty of great resorts in Tucson besides this one.

Top Local Tips for Tucson

Desert Museum a must! Only partially a museum, more like a zoo plus a celebration of the desert. One of the best representations of your surroundings anywhere. Native animals, plants and minerals all present and all displayed creatively. It's a popular place and by noon there is a line to get in. I spent 2 hours there and I was in sort of a rush. Easily could have spent another two. Great for all ages, even teens. Food and gift shops were excellent as well. Easily one of the best attractions in Tucson.

Desert Museum This is fantastic. Acres of beautiful secenery, crammed with Arizona's wildlife (but not like a typical zoo at all). Give yourself at least 4 hours - you will not be bored!

sonoran desert museum and west saguaro state park Great scenery at these two attractions fairly close to Starr Pass resort. Be aware the museum is really a combo zoo and botanical garden, not a traditional museum. Bring water because it gets hot. If you want to see animals probably best to go at the coolest part of day. We went in the middle of the day and lots of animals were sleeping or hiding.

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Other names for JW Marriott Starr Pass Tucson Hotel

  • tucson marriott
  • marriott tucson
  • marriott starr pass hotel
  • jw marriott tucson
  • Address: 3800 West Starr Pass Boulevard - Tucson - Arizona - 85745 - United States
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