Quito: JW Marriott (February 2011)

My spouse and I stayed at the JW Marriott Quito for two nights in mid-February 2011 prior to a Celebrity Xpedition cruise to the Galapagos and again for one night in late-February 2011 after our cruise. So much has been written about this hotel that I'm not sure that I have much new information to share, so I’ll just focus on some of the things that I haven’t read before. Windows in the rooms open (or a small part of the large window opens), so you can get fresh air in your room. No beer is served on Sundays in either the bars or the restaurants; however, you can have alcohol delivered to your room via room service to “skirt the issue”. Smoking is permitted in the lobby bar and outside the main entrance. The breakfast buffet is rather extensive, as others have said, and if you want a Diet Coke or something that you don’t see on the buffet, just order it - we didn’t have to pay extra for a few carbonated beverages at breakfast. Although we reserved a suite on the cruise, we weren’t placed on the executive/concierge level in this hotel; however, all the suite passengers seemed to be located together in the hotel on a high floor with views of the swimming pool.The rooms were spacious, as were the bathrooms, with separate standing shower and soaking tub. This is a nice Western-style hotel, and foreigners need not worry about feeling comfortable.