The JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

Stayed here for 5 nights with my family of four over the XMas holidays during Jingle at the JW. The pool area was probably one of the nicest I've ever seen at a Marriott property, nicer than most resorts. Drinks and snacks were on the pricy side, as can be expected. The courts were in excellent shape. There are only 3 tennis courts now and close to 20 pickleball courts, so very much a pickleball resort. Pickleball crowds were loud and fun. We had complimentary continental breakfast each day for two as loyalty members, but at $33 per day extra for each of our kids, or $45 with hot food option, we usually just got them a light breakfast at Starbucks rather than paying that much for them to have a muffin and some fruit. I guess this price seems to be the norm for nicer buffets now. If we didn't get it complimentary we wouldn't have gone at all. The Jingle at the JW features are definitely designed for young children vs teens, so we didn't do much of them. New Years eve had some live music in the lobby bar and a relatively quiet celebration, but that was fine for us. I think the resort fee of $55/day is reasonable (as long as you plan for it), butthe $30/day parking seemed excessive considering all the on-site parking space in the desert. It's not like the resort is downtown or anything. In summary, a very nice resort, we enjoyed our time there (especially at the pool), but like many places in this area, the costs added up quickly.

Love this place! Great 3 night stay right before the end of the year. Room was well appointed and the very comfortable. Good sized balcony with a great view. While we did not use the pool, the pool area was amazing with many private areas one could use. Really great service from everyone in the lobby bar. No complaints at all. I will return next time I am in the Scottdale area!

So no major issues with this hotel at all. Clean, good service/staff, decent location. I just feel as if the resort is a bit overpriced for what is offered. I would have been better off staying at a regular hotel downtown. I would say if you are traveling with the family this may be the place for you but if this is like a couples or friends trip, I’d say go elsewhere. It is somewhat convenient. There’s lots of stores and shops probably a mile away which came in handy. As for doing activities or sightseeing, we did have to Uber back-and-forth so again, depending on your itinerary it may be best to stay downtown. Also, lots of kids there, no shade but no thanks! Lol!

My husband and I spent a few days here for New Year's Eve. We booked a Presidential Suite which was fabulous although it was not ready for us at check in time and we were made to wait almost 1 hour. The staff throughout the resort were all very friendly and helpful. The atmosphere was very upbeat and festive. The food was wonderful, especially the breakfast! On another note, we had reservations to spend the day at the 21+ pool, Sky Island ($40 a person). We did this last year also. Here's our issue: No staff stays at the entrance to check you in so you are left to figure it out yourself. Once staff does come though, the service is fantastic! This year, any adult was allowed to come in and use the hot tub. This was not the case last year. This is a huge mistake! Without oversight, people were coming in, getting in the pool, throwing towels and clothes on lounge chairs people reserved and just creating a much different atmosphere. At one point, there were 14 people in the hot tub - none of whom paid to reserve there. We probably won't do that again. Management should seriously rethink allowing this. This aside, we had a very enjoyable 3-day stay.

Our recent stay at the JW Marriott Phoenix desert ridge was fabulous! Love the hotel and its surrounding grounds and most of all some very kind staff members that we came in contact with! A special shout out to Farmer JC who was so passionate and kind about the gardens and the birds! We had such a wonderful experience watching the hummingbirds and admiring all the plants! He was so kind and so informative! Thank you Farmer JC!!!! If you have time I would definitely recommend making the time for the hummingbird feeding! The spa was fabulous and Debbie and Michelle were so kind and that made the spa experience so much more enjoyable! I absolutely loved my manicure and Fairly was kind, funny and just adorable! She also did a great job! Thank you Fairy! My nails needed your Fairy touch ❤️ The lady, who checked us out was also very sweet and lovely she cared, listen and helped in any was she could (I am not sure but I think her name was Caroline) It is the beauty of the place that brings the guests in but it’s the kindess of the hotel stuff that keeps us coming back! Great place to visit! 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Oh and I almost forgot to mention the restaurants are OMG amazing and the food was fabulous and Griffin club was so worth the extra cost!