Ironworks

There are restaurants within walking distance, and the convention center, casino, and Riverwalk are close too. Access is secure, which is a plus, and there is some parking, though not much. It can get loud at night, so light sleepers may struggle, but that's New Orleans. It seemed odd for a modern hotel that there were no TVs in the bedrooms. A couple of things in the room were broken, including the bathroom door handle and the shower curtain, which was still attached but damaged.

The lobby smelled like dirty armpits and bad cheese, and the parking lot they recommend was awful. The other parking choices cost so much they weren't practical. In the room, there was nowhere to unpack clothes, and even though the bed was king-sized, there wasn't enough space to walk around it. The bedroom bathroom door made no sense and didn't need to be there. There's no bedroom TV, and the closet shelves are unusable because you can't reach them. The barn door covers the wall where they could have left it open so the shelves could be used. It feels like they chose looks for photos over function. This is what I sent the property through Expedia. I don't recommend the place at all.

Room 301 was clean, well equipped, and had thoughtful details that are unusual at this price. The washer and dryer were new, the shower was modern and great, and there were enough towels, soap, shampoo, and conditioner. The kitchen had matching stainless steel GE appliances. The whole Ironworks look is modern and industrial but still comfortable, with character. We also really liked the king bed and the bedding. It felt a bit like memory foam, though not exactly, and was far more comfortable than beds I've had in many chain hotels. I'm picky about beds, and this one was a favorite. The West Elm sofa bed is nice, but the bar across the middle makes it unusable for a normal-sized adult. One or two kids under nine or ten could probably sleep sideways on it comfortably. Ironworks Coffee & Crepes downstairs was busy, but service was fast and friendly, with good coffee, espresso, pastries, and crepes. The convention center is a very short walk away, and there are several good restaurants close by. Other bars, restaurants, entertainment, and attractions are a bit farther on foot or a short Uber ride away. The location worked well for us. We had no trouble checking in despite there being no front desk. Before arrival, they emailed codes for the building and room keypads. I know some people dislike not having a front desk, but I didn't mind since I didn't need one. When I called with questions, they were helpful. One call went unanswered, but they returned it in under five minutes. Ironworks exceeded my expectations. I've stayed in quite a few hotels and Airbnbs over the past two years, and I prefer Ironworks to most of the Hiltons, Marriotts, and Homewood Suites I've tried. I may have liked one five-bedroom, four-bath Airbnb in Port Aransas, Texas better, but we split it with three other families, so that experience and the very low price per family aren't really comparable. The biggest drawback in room 301 was the noise. It's three floors up on the Girod Street side, and trash trucks woke us early twice, once at 7 am and once at 8:30 am on Sunday. The previous night, cars had raced along Convention Center Blvd a few blocks away and revved their engines until about 1:30 am. If you need a quiet room, you may want to avoid 301 and other rooms facing Girod Street. We didn't rent a car, which worked out well. You can usually get an Uber within five minutes, and most rides were short, around $10-20. Downtown parking isn't too hard to find if you rent a car, but overnight parking near Ironworks isn't great and costs a lot for what you get. If covered parking or possibly a quieter room matters most, a chain hotel might suit you better, though I've had noise and parking problems at those too. For a great room at a good price that covers most needs, I'd try Ironworks. They also let us check out late for free when our flight home was delayed, subject to availability.

The room had a ceiling leak that looked like it had been there for a while, coming from the bathroom above. Water damage had made paint peel from the ceiling and walls. The hotel seemed unconcerned. When we called the answering service for help, they said there were no other rooms and that we'd get a refund, but nobody offered to help us book somewhere else. The refund would take 7-10 business days. I keep thinking about guests who don't have money available to find another room. They seemed perfectly willing to rent a room with bathroom water leaking into the bedroom. Shame on them. We booked for two nights over Memorial Day weekend. The two entry codes we were given didn't match, so getting into the building was a problem too. There's no front desk, and you have to call an answering service based in the Philippines, so help takes time. I can't say it enough, avoid this place.