Tryp By Wyndham New Orleans Airport & Conference Center

For about $80, this one-night stay will do if you mainly want an airport location, but with the construction outside, the hallway conditions, and the room issues, I think it should cost less. The lobby was pretty nice, and the meeting rooms looked more like storage. The hallways were warm, humid, and stuffy, with no airflow. My window looked onto construction. There were wood chips in a drawer and paint on the hair dryer bag. I checked in at 4 p.m., and by almost 10 p.m. the toilet had stopped flushing. The low leather chair was hard to get out of, the mini fridge barely kept my water cool, the old clock showed the wrong time, and the stiff, high pillow made it uncomfortable to sleep with my head at an angle. At check-in, I asked for two keys and was told losing one would cost $100. I've stayed at hotels in other states and never heard of a lost key fee. Maybe she saw my out-of-state ID and thought she could charge it, or maybe she collects cash illegally for extra money, but I can't say for sure. It was my first time in New Orleans and at this hotel. I might try NOLA again another time at a different hotel. If you're calling for the shuttle, they told me to leave the airport through DOOR 5, cross to the column marked T3, and wait for a blue Wyndham van. I had already gone out door 8 with most people, then had to walk back inside to the other side and find door 5. It wasn't too bad, though I should've called before going out. I included a photo so first-timers can see what to look for.

We had to switch hotels at the last minute after running into too many problems with the place we'd booked. For about $100 more, we got a clean room with appliances that worked and much friendlier, more helpful staff. The TV couldn't connect to the network, though. It worked well as a base for Mardi Gras, and getting to the action wasn't back-breakingly far.

The airport being right nearby was the only real plus. It took more than an hour to check in because the key cards wouldn't open doors. Our first two keys didn't work; then we got a third key for a room that was still occupied. The fourth room opened, but its A/C was out. I spoke to the manager at the desk, and she said she'd see what she could do. The next day, I was kicked out because my dog barked at staff knocking on the door every hour. I was spoken down to and treated badly. The manager didn't like that I answered what she was saying, and told me to leave, even though I still had another night booked. I was just told to take it up with the third-party booking site. This was the worst experience I've ever had, and I'll never book here again.

The room wasn't fancy, and some rooms may still be dated, but mine was clean and the bed was comfortable. Renovations were still underway. The lobby looked nice, the staff gave us great service and walked us to the elevators, and the airport shuttle was prompt and easy to find. It's a decent budget place to sleep near the airport, and I'd stay again.