New Orleans Marriott

The location on the Mardi Gras parade route was perfect. I could watch from the window or duck inside to use the bathroom, and the wristband system kept the lobby for guests in a thoughtful, polished way. Room service was fabulous and hella affordable compared with the last couple Marriotts I’ve stayed at. The snack store was perfectly stocked, even for a picky person like me, and the mocktails at the lobby bar were the best I’ve had. I loved every minute of the stay. I was a difficult guest: I checked in at midnight and asked for a room with a parade view, then the next morning asked to see if I could get a new room because the first one smelled of cigarette smoke. During busy checkout time, a bell hop got me into another room one floor away, without me even asking to keep the view. It smelled great. That stood out, and all my other interactions with service workers were just as supportive, professional, and helpful. Great staff all around.

The breakfast buffet was included in our rate and was good. I wouldn’t pay $30 per person for it if it weren’t included. We also used the fitness center every day, and it’s very well equipped. We had two connecting rooms for a wedding, though we weren’t in New Orleans because we wanted to be there. The hotel is busy and right on Canal Street, so you never know what you’ll see outside. Everywhere we went in New Orleans seemed dirty and disgusting to me, and people were often smoking weed in front of the entrance. Our rooms smelled horrible on the second day. We couldn’t tell if it came from the toilets or the air conditioning, but I think it was cigarette smoke from elsewhere in the building. After three hours from our first call, nobody had come to check. A few more calls later, they moved us to a lower floor. The rooms smelled better, but we could still smell it. I don’t understand the $30-a-day destination charge on top of $62 a day to park my Suburban. I wasn’t expecting a quiet, peaceful stay in New Orleans, but those charges and the room smell were hard to accept.

We enjoyed the M Club, especially the snacks available 24/7 and the breakfast buffet with other guests. Shoutout to the cooks for the great food. The building has two towers, and our room had views of the river and French Quarter. The other side looks over the city. The hotel also sits just outside the French Quarter and Bourbon Street, with easy walking access and a streetcar nearby that we took to the Garden District. Customer service fell short. Our first room hadn’t been turned over, and when we went back down to get another, the person who changed it didn’t apologize or offer anything for the inconvenience. After a day of sightseeing, our room still hadn’t been made up despite our request for housekeeping. I called, and there was no apology, though someone was sent to clean it. I enjoyed New Orleans but probably wouldn’t stay here again. The hotel lived up to some of the hype, but those service issues need attention for me to give it a 5/5.

The location made it easy to walk to lots of places, including Sazarac, House of Blues, bars, and restaurants. I appreciated the pantry for picking up dinner and necessities when I arrived, and the room service I ordered was surprisingly good. My room was in the newly remodeled area, with new furniture, a comfortable bed, a nice shower, and soft towels. It was quiet, the service was good, and there was no visible wear. The low-flow toilets aren’t my favorite, though I appreciate that they’re trying to minimize waste. The elevators took some getting used to. For a big work conference, the elevators sometimes made it hard to get where you needed to go, and the bathrooms were small and far away. The food provided was good.