JW Marriott Essex House New York Reviews

From the minute we walked in the grand salon to look at the venue for our wedding, we knew this was the place. We were met with attentive service, wonderful staff, and a gorgeous backdrop for our special day. Jocelyn and Danny in particular took extra special care of us, especially from the tasting up through our wedding day (and even checked on us after!). Jocelyn made sure the day of went so smooth and took care of so many behind the scenes details. Danny worked with us to make signature cocktails based on our specific tastes and we were given plenty of drinks at our sweetheart table. Our guests could not stop raving about the food and the beauty of the hotel and grand salon. It was everything we could have hoped for!

Jocelyn and Sarah at the Essex House made all of our wedding dreams come true! They were always responsive to our emails but more than that, came up with valuable ideas from their years of experience, that we would not have thought of otherwise. They were so personable and made the whole wedding process as stress-free as possible and added little personal touches that made us feel taken care of. The food and special cocktails we created came out perfectly, thanks to the amazing food and beverage staff. Plus, the location on Central Park South and the beauty of the ballroom at the Essex House cannot be beaten for a classic NYC wedding.

This venue will always hold a special place in our hearts. My husband and I first met at this hotel; we then celebrated our engagement weekend here; and we ultimately chose it as our wedding venue. It’s the perfect location right next to Central Park and pure luxury. Although our main points of contact changed a fair bit amidst COVID challenges, everyone we worked with was responsive and professional. Leading up to the wedding, Rachel and Sarah were our go-to contacts. They helped us finalize all of the little details and accommodated some special requests related to our menu. Speaking of the menu, the food was absolutely delicious. Our guests are still talking about how awesome everything was from the unique stations and passed hors d’oeuvres at the cocktail hour, to the fancy poached pear salad, to the mouthwatering filet and potato gratin, to the lemon meringue tart and red velvet cake, to the fun mini desserts, and finally the mini sliders and fries they grabbed on their way out at the end of the night. No one left hungry and the food was simply delicious – certainly not “wedding food” but akin to fine dining. We also don’t want to leave out how fantastic the Central Park Suite Terrace is – if you’re contemplating whether or not to splurge on this, this is your sign to just do it. The bridal party got ready in the suite (some feedback: all of the food left over from the day was thrown out; we would have liked to store the leftovers in the fridge), and my husband and I had our first look on the terrace overseeing Central Park on a gorgeous day. It doesn’t get much better than that. It was the perfect day and far exceeded our expectations. We wish we could do it all over again!

Genna was absolutely wonderful during our meeting

Our wedding at the Essex House was absolutely incredible - the whole night flowed perfectly and Claudia (our event planner) and her team were absolutely amazing. We reserved our wedding here on short notice (~ 3 months in advance) after we found out that the Ritz Carlton Battery Park where we originally had our wedding scheduled had been taken over by a new hotel chain. The transition between the two venues was absolutely seamless - Claudia made sure to catch up on all of our details very quickly and did such a great job making the venue change a stress-free process for us. We have received so many compliments from our guests on our wedding here and saying how perfect and beautiful the venue was. I would very highly recommend the JW for your wedding!!

We recently (June 16th) held our daughter’s wedding at the Marriott Essex House Central Park. Cecilia DeAngelis, Director of Catering, and her assistant Sarah Gray we fantastic to deal with. They choreographed a truly perfect event/night. The room and décor was spectacular, the service provided to our guests was top notch and the food was superb throughout the entire evening - from a greeting / pre-ceremony beverage, cocktail hour, reception and after party. Cecilia provided great referrals to vendors that we utilized. Cecilia and Sarah took care of our daughter from when we arrived on Friday all the way through to the After Party late Saturday night; making her feel like a princess at her fairy tale wedding at all times. Not only are our guests still raving about the wedding telling us, “Best wedding ever!” but we are being asked to make sure we have our youngest daughter's wedding at the Essex House also. Short and sweet, if you are planning any event and you want a spectacular evening, then you are crazy if you do not have it at the Essex House handled by Cecilia. Additionally, Cecilia and Sarah were a pleasure to work with from the first meeting at the Essex House all the way through till the wedding reception ended and the After Party began (just down the hall from the reception room).

Our daughter was married in the Grand Salon last month. Every single detail was perfect. Food, service, presentation....you name it. It is the ideal venue for 160-200 guests. We had ceremony and reception in the grand and petit salons. The turnaround from ceremony to reception was flawless. The cocktail hour in the adjacent petit salon was elegant. Bar service was efficient. Food plentiful. In addition, we had Sunday Brunch in their Southgate restaurant for 90 out of town guests. It was also excellent. The service from Cecilia DeAngelis and her team was top notch. Don't hesitate. You are in good hands here.

Our daughter's wedding was absolutely fabulous! Jason Kwintner of the Essex House , provided us with outstanding assistance and service throughout the planning of our event. Jason is the quintessential and consummate professional, imparting his vast experience and knowledge in helping us to plan the event of a lifetime! Look no further when planning your next affair. Excellence, grand surroundings, fantastic food and white glove service from beginning to end! Marie C

My fiancé and I were so lucky to find this absolutely stunning venue on Central Park South. If you want an elegant wedding in NYC, look no further than the Essex House.

One of the myriad great things about the Essex House is that it can accommodate an intimate wedding from 2-80 guests up to a 300 person wedding, and it is all done seamlessly. All of the rooms used for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception, including the Grand Salon, the Petit Salon and the Art Deco room are drop dead gorgeous. Although everything is brand new due to a recent multi-million dollar renovation, all of the old New York historical charm is beautifully displayed.

The best thing about the Essex House is JASON KWINTNER, WEDDING PLANNER, CATERING MANAGER AND RENNAISANCE MAN EXTRAORDINAIRE. I would sing Jason's praises from a rooftop if I could, that is how amazing this guy this. From the second we walked through the Essex House doors on our first meeting until the night of our wedding, Jason's professionalism and his ability to make ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING completely PERFECT never ceased to amaze me. He made the entire experience a true fairytale and I can't thank him enough. Jason alone makes this venue worth booking.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, who works at the Essex House could not have been nicer and more accommodating to me (the bride) and all of our guests. The service was phenomenal, not just on the night of our wedding but the entire weekend.

The food was exceptional. My husband and I are foodies, so we had high expectations which were definitely exceeded. The appetizers are truly gourmet and the entire dinner was top notch. The fish was the best I've ever had and I know my Husband thoroughly enjoyed his filet.

There was NOTHING that I would change about my experience with the Essex House. It was a true fairytale wedding thanks to Jason and all of the staff at the Essex House. My husband and I will cherish our memories of that weekend forever.

PERFECTION!! That was my wedding at the Essex House. Not only is Jason Kwintner, Director of Catering a total professional, but he is also a pleasure to work with. He literally never said no and was able to accommodate almost all of my asks. My guests raved about the menu. We were able to customize the entree selections and the striped bass, chicken, and filet were all delicious. I also had incredible feedback on the cake. My guests had never tasted a wedding cake so delicious. We were able to customize the cake to the look we wanted. The entire staff at the Essex House are accommodating and very nice. The bridal suite was spacious and perfect for our wedding party to get ready together. Having the park across the street made for wonderful pictures, even as the rain started coming down we made it back to the hotel in time with the ability to use the gorgeous lobby for the rest of the pictures. Jason kept our party on track even though my group was running extremely behind. He was calm, cool and assured us we have an event flow not a set time for everything so not to worry, just enjoy and leave the logistics to him. I love Jason and the Essex house. This review is coming from someone who originally wanted a barn/ rustic wedding and was able to keep the urban rustic feel in this beautiful elegant atmosphere! THANK YOU JASON AND TEAM!

Best venue in NYC. Jason is the most professional wedding planner. He was in charge of everything, and ever since my wedding I have received nonstop compliments on everything from the quality of the food, to the event flow. After looking at over 20 venues, I know I made the right decision and would not change a thing.

The most amazing place...Jason Kwintner is the best!! He runs the event ..he is so professional , responsive, generous and wonderful to work with!!! The space is beautiful...food is great and Jason coordinates all the vendors so the party is seamless...Would not have changed 1 thing!! Truly a fabulous place for a wedding!!!!

Excelent service, the best service I ever had, No words to describe it. Verify it by yourself

The best service I ever had, high level of professionalism

The Essex House is perfect if you are looking for something centrally located in New York City for a group of between 125 and 200 people for an elegant wedding. We chose the venue due to its proximity to Central Park, the extremely high quality of the food, and the beautiful variety of spaces that allow for all events of your celebration to be in one location.

The only issues that I encountered were that occasionally emails were not responded to in a timely fashion or with complete answers and that the design of the cake wasn't exactly what I had requested (however, it was still lovely and very delicious and is actually growing on me the more I look at pictures). I found things were much easier to manage with the venue if I prepared a list of questions in advance and then arranged a phone call to get all of them answered at one time.

Overall, this venue is stunning, the food is absolutely delicious, and the staff coordinates the event day of with a precision that leaves you with absolutely nothing to worry about except getting yourself dressed and down the aisle.