Opened in 1931, the hotel is 44 stories tall and contains 426 Art Deco–style rooms and 101 suites, as well as 147 condominium residences.

The renovation work was complicated by the fact that Marriott had sold approximately 100 units in the hotel as condominiums.

Their owners had to be paid to leave during renovations and the new guest rooms had to be constructed around the residential units, which were located randomly throughout the building.

The renovations decreased the room count from 690 to 591 and added central air-conditioning, replacing the hotel's unsightly window units.

The hotel was renamed JW Marriott Essex House New York on September 8, 2012, after the sale closed.

[14] In November 2018 it was reported that, under pressure from the Chinese government to offload overseas assets, Anbang had hired Bank of America to solicit buyers for Strategic Hotels & Resorts.

Many visiting Major League Baseball teams have lodged at the Essex House when playing the Mets and Yankees.