JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar Review: Five-Star Service Near Mumbai Airport

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TL;DR: Is the JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar worth booking? Yes. It’s a brilliantly luxurious Marriott property less than 2 km from Mumbai’s airport, with a spacious room, Executive Lounge access for Platinum Elite members, an impressive gym and a gorgeous pool. Book dinner at Romano’s, leave extra time for traffic, and ask for firmer pillows.

JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar: Introduction & Booking

In August, I spent two nights at the JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar on a business trip. If I ever go back to Mumbai, I know exactly where I’m staying.

I booked a 1 King Bed, Pool View, Guest Room, with breakfast included, and the total came to 40,739.50 INR / $590 CAD ($295 per night). As a Platinum Elite Bonvoy member, I earned 6,412 points on the stay. I’d have earned more with my Marriott Bonvoy Amex, but work trips have to go on the company card.

My status also got me access to the Executive Lounge.

JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar: Arrival & Check-In

The pampering started before I was even out of the cab. It was raining when we pulled up under a canopy, across from a big lotus-shaped fountain. Hotel staff opened my car door, greeted me, took my luggage and escorted me inside. I didn’t carry a thing.

The lobby is elegant, with marble everywhere and a lot of sparkle. A large chandelier of glass leaves spirals down from the ceiling. The check-in desks curve around it, each backed by mirrored panels and strings of crystal.

I arrived at 1 pm, two hours early, but I’d already checked in on the Marriott Bonvoy app and let the hotel know I’d be early. At the front desk, they finished checking me in and told me my room would be ready in a few minutes. I was offered a fruity welcome drink off a robot’s tray, then escorted to a beautiful seating area in the lobby, under a ceiling of hanging gold leaves, to enjoy it. Only five minutes later, the front desk agent came over with my key and walked me to the elevators.

Much like the actual lobby, the elevator lobby is absolutely stunning. Bronze doors line both sides under a mirrored, patterned ceiling, and the polished marble floor creates a sense of elevated luxury. It’s a good representation of how the whole hotel felt.

JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar: 1 King Bed, Pool View, Guest Room

My room was on the 16th floor. A short marble entryway with carved lattice doors opens into a spacious room with hardwood floors.

The king bed sits against a backlit, padded headboard set with two red-and-gold embroidered panels. Across from it, a long marble-topped console runs under the TV, ending in an oval glass desk. There’s an armchair with an ottoman by the window.

As for the pool view, the pool is down there somewhere. From my window, it was mostly palm trees, with a strip of blue peeking through.

The bathroom is open to the bedroom, separated only by sliding wooden doors, with a freestanding soaking tub right at the opening. Behind the tub are a walk-in glass shower and a dark marble vanity with a backlit mirror.

Surprisingly, the bed was my only complaint. The pillows were so soft that they flattened to almost nothing under my head, and I had to stack several just to get comfortable. I don’t like that. I like a thick pillow. Next time, I would request firmer ones.

JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar: Location and Airport Access

The hotel is close to the airport (less than 2km away), which is great, except the traffic is atrocious. “Close” still meant more than 40 minutes in a cab.

I never left the hotel on my own, or for leisure. Unlike Delhi’s Aerocity (read my JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity review here), it’s not exactly an area you can wander around in.

JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar: Amenities

The gym was amazing. It’s spacious, it’s clean, and there are so many machines. Cardio machines line the floor-to-ceiling windows, with rows of weight machines and a free-weights area behind them. From the treadmill, I had a gorgeous view of the pool.

The pool is beautiful and luxurious. It’s a long rectangle in a courtyard between the hotel’s wings, lined with palm trees. Three white lanterns sit on a platform in the shallow end. Turquoise umbrellas and loungers run down one side, and a row of cabanas with carved white screens and orange daybeds runs down the other. After dark, the water glows bright blue and the cabanas light up gold. I took far too many photos of it.

JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar: Food & Service

The Executive Lounge is very big, spread over two levels, with double-height windows that look down on the lotus fountain and out to planes taking off. I went up for happy hour, and the selection was decent: hummus and labneh with pita, a cheese board, chips & salsa, a selection of desserts, and a row of hot dishes. It was perfect for an afternoon snack craving, a drink or a pre-dinner meal, and the service was great.

Breakfast was at the buffet, which is expansive, with tons of food and drink options in a high-ceilinged dining room. There was always someone doting on me and bringing me whatever drink I wished for. I’m not a big breakfast person, but what I did eat was good.

Then there’s Romano’s, the hotel’s Italian restaurant. I went there for dinner one night, and it was the best meal of my entire trip. Yes, I’m aware I flew all the way to India and my favourite meal was Italian. Don’t worry, I still enjoyed plenty of Indian food.

The atmosphere felt elevated: a dark, double-height room with a backlit wall of wine bottles, stained-glass dividers between the booths and an open kitchen.

The service was excellent. My colleague and I couldn’t decide what to order, so our server recommended dishes to share based on our tastes and appetites. That got us bread baked with tomato and cheese and burrata on arugula with shaved truffle, plus chicken with croquettes and a dark jus. . It was absolutely incredible. I still think about that meal. If you stay at this hotel, you must eat there. Must.

JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar: Takeaway

I’d highly recommend the JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar to anyone travelling to Mumbai. The hotel is gorgeous and luxurious, the service is amazing, the amenities are impeccable, and the food is delicious.

Just make sure to request firmer pillows 🙂