There aren’t many destinations welcoming UK tourists at the moment, and for most of them you have to self-isolate after returning. Considering this, Turkey is probably the best choice, or at least for me.
The first stop of my trip is Ankara. Despite being the capital, Ankara isn’t necessarily what tourists think of when visiting Turkey. The only reason I come here is to stay at the JW Marriott hotel.
JW Marriott Ankara is a must-stay property for Marriott fans. It is the most luxurious hotel in the capital and often charges more than 200 euro a night. However, for some reason it’s only in Category 2, which means the standard redemption rate is 12,500 points. The three nights I’m staying happen to be off-peak too, so the total is just 30,000 points!
The hotel is a few miles away from Ankara centre so not ideal for tourists. The area also look quite business and industrial – there doesn’t appear to be a lot of places around for shopping or eating out. Wasn’t an issue for me though, as I didn’t leave the hotel at all!
The hotel building is grand and modern-looking.
I was upgraded to a Junior Suite at floor 15 which measures 75 sqm.
The bathroom is very big, with separate bathtub and shower.
Executive lounge is still closed. Guests with lounge access can order breakfast, snacks and evening hors d’oeuvres to the room for free.
I had breakfast in the main restaurant instead. It’s a la carte only, and the only hot food options are eggs: omelette, eggs benedict and traditional Turkish menemen.
Surprisingly, the so-called hors d’oeuvres is actually a full dinner set, with appetisers, main course and dessert. It’s very generous of the hotel to offer this.
In-room dining is also very reasonably priced. I had a goulash soup and indian butter chicken at 2am on the first night. The total came to around £17 including 10% service charge.
There are a gym and two swimming pools (indoor and outdoor) on floor -2.
From reception to in-room dining and restaurant staff, the service is top-notch. There was some confusion over how to redeem Marriott gift card at check-out so I paid with a credit card instead. A few hours later the hotel sent me an email admitting their mistake and offered to change the payment method.
All in all, JW Marriott Ankara is a very good hotel, and you can’t really ask for anything more when paying only 10,000 points. If you are a Marriott fan, don’t miss out if travelling to the city.
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