Where is it?
The hotel is located in downtown Warsaw. The location is excellent, the landmark building the ‘Palace of Culture and Science’ is just across the street, just like the central station with trains to all corners of the country. There are also several shopping centres, cafes and restaurants within a few minutes walk.
Warsaw Chopin airport can be reached by taxi in 10-15 minutes and of course you can always take the train from the airport to Centralna, the central station, which is just 400 metres from the entrance.
The arrival experience
The Marriott hotel is one of the largest hotels in Warsaw and according to the hotel also the largest 5-star hotel in the city, and most likely so. The building has more than 40 floors and an impressive 523 rooms and is hard to miss.
I arrived at the hotel just after 9 pm. This was a Friday evening so most guests had probably already arrived a few hours earlier. But being a very large hotel there were still a few guests arriving late and actually a small line had formed in the lobby for the two open reception desks.
The whole lobby area is quite stylish and very spacious with several seating areas with sofas and armchairs.
Once it was my turn check-in the process was friendly but efficient. I was properly informed about the facilities at the hotel and when they would close for the evening and he receptionist also asked me if I wanted breakfast in the morning as it was not included in the rate.
The room
I had booked a standard room and also indicated during the booking process that I would prefer a high-floor room and a room with a king-sized bed. I was assigned a room on the 32nd floor with a great view of the city centre.
The room had a fairly standard room design. Well-appointed with all the facilities needed but with a boring, impersonal and completely uninspiring design that will not win any awards anytime soon.
However just as requested the room had a king-sized bed as well as a desk, an armchair, a TV, a closet and a minibar.
The bathroom had a much nicer design with a bathtub as well as the standard Marriott toiletries.
But the best part of both the room and the hotel was definitely the view. Magnificent! Both in the evening and in the morning.
Food and drinks
There are several bars and dining options in the hotel including an Italian restaurant and the Lilla Waneda serving breakfast in the morning and traditional Polish dishes later during the day.
A very popular place, also among the locals, is a visit to the Panorama Sky Bar located on the 40th floor with a fantastic view of the city. I tried to make a visit in the evening but there was a long line of people waiting outside trying to get a table. If you plan to visit the panorama bar during the weekend it is best to book a table in advance. However if you stay in the hotel you have an equally nice view from many of the rooms, so it was definitely not a big deal not being able to get a table.
There is also a lobby bar on the ground floor serving various beers, wines and cocktails in a fairly nice atmosphere and with friendly staff.
If you fancy something more relaxed there is also a sports bar called Champions Sports Bar & Restaurant. It is not located inside the hotel as such but least in the same building. From the lobby it takes 3-4 minutes to get there through a couple of doors, a corridor and a small shopping arcade, but you never have to go outdoors. This is a traditional sports bar with a wide selection of beers and with different games shown on large screens. The menu is traditional American, naturally including burgers.
Other facilities
The hotel has a large and spacious gym and spa located in the basement run by Holmes Place. The spa has a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and of course the option to book various spa and body treatments. The opening hours are also very generous with the spa open until 10 pm, so even with my rather late arrival there was in fact enough time for a quick swim and a few minutes in the sauna in the evening.
Service
Friendly and efficient throughout the stay, nothing to complain about. There were also several staff members working in the lobby to assist and answer any questions.
Breakfast
As breakfast was not included in the rate and as I was checking out fairly early and had complimentary breakfast in the lounge at the airport I decided to skip breakfast at the hotel.
Final impression
A very large hotel with over 500 rooms. Plenty of facilities including several bars and restaurants and a nice gym and spa. The room on the 32nd floor was well-appointed but a bit impersonal but nevertheless had a fantastic city view.
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