Hotel Provincial

The Ice House Bar by the lobby was a hit with our guests, and a perfect place to gather after the rehearsal before heading to dinner. We also enjoyed the courtyard, and the French Toast restaurant made getting breakfast to take away while everyone got ready easy. The food was delicious. We stayed at Hotel Provincial for our wedding weekend, with most of our party, and held the wedding at Old Ursuline Convent. The location was ideal, an easy walk to the venue. Adam Miller, the Sales and Catering Manager, was communicative and helpful from the start. He answered lots of questions about which suites would let my husband and me stay apart until our first look, while giving us space for bridesmaid and father-of-the-bride reveals. He sent many photos so I could plan snacks, hair and makeup stations, and other setup details. The staff also accommodated advance requests, including housekeeping at a set time before the photographers arrived and larger trash bags for cleanup. I stayed in the Superior 2 Queen Suite, with its gorgeous bathroom, and my husband had the Superior 1 King Suite. Both were wonderful. For a French Quarter wedding, this hotel understands the logistics and helped make our weekend smooth, special, and memorable. Photography by Alyssa Fisher (IG: @alyssafisherphoto).

Everyone was so helpful and accommodating, and Sebastian deserves a shout-out for being especially wonderful. Our double room was spacious, with a small fridge in the TV console, and both it and the property were very clean. The location is ideal, a two-minute walk to the heart of the French Quarter. My friends and I plan to stay here whenever we visit NOLA.

The beds were comfortable, with luxurious pillows and superb linens, three sheets. The blackout shutters and doors actually kept the room dark, and the hotel was quiet. It's well situated in the French Quarter, within walking distance of the main attractions. The valet setup was the one odd part: we unloaded at the entrance and carried our luggage to the room while the valet drove the car and parked right in front of it. That didn't make much sense. Parking cost extra, but the car was safe and sound, so it was worth the price. I'd stay again in a heartbeat.

The general manager was kind and apologetic when I described the problems at checkout, and I appreciated that, but his offer was to remove the valet charge and give a small discount on a future stay. For what I paid, I could have stayed at another nice hotel in the Quarter and been treated much better. It's a shame, because the suite is cute and the location is great. I booked a large suite for the night before and the night of my wedding, first with two bridesmaids and then with my new husband. About two weeks before check-in, I called to ask what the room looked like because my photographer wanted to know if there was space for photos. The woman on the phone couldn't understand my questions about a courtyard or balcony, and after about five minutes going in circles, I gave up and decided to see for myself. We arrived around 11 p.m. after the welcome reception, exhausted and ready for bed. My friend had handed her keys to the valet, then realized her purse and EpiPen were in the car. When she went down, the keys were missing because the valet had taken them home. The front desk woman said she'd text him, showed no urgency, and told my friend he did this all the time. A few minutes later he screeched into the lot, handed over the keys, and said they had been in her car all along. My friend had already checked, and they weren't there. On my wedding morning, I found a big clump of blonde hair on the shower wall. No one in our room had blonde hair. Cleaners miss things, I guess, but then I saw that the side table under my wedding dress had a thick coat of dust, which got on the gown. After the wedding, late that night, I realized I had no room key because my bridesmaids and wedding planner had the others. I asked the front desk to make a new one, and the woman kept saying, “you smell like alcohol.” I said yes, it was my wedding night and I'd been drinking, but asked again for a key. She refused. After several minutes of back and forth, a bridesmaid happened to pass on her way home and gave me her key. I was so frustrated that I didn't stay there on my wedding night. We went home instead. The next morning, I learned the valet had also gone home with my friend's keys again that night.