Sonesta ES Suites New Orleans Downtown

A friend tried to check into our reserved room before I arrived, but her card was declined because her bank suspected fraud. She told Manager Issac she’d call the bank to sort it out, and he gave her ten minutes before he’d cancel the reservation. When I got there, two women behind the desk didn’t greet or acknowledge me. I asked whether we could check in and pay for the room, but they said we had to wait for Issac. Another man came in to check in and wasn’t helped either. One woman sat staring at us like a security guard while the other wandered behind the desk. When Issac finally came out, he said nothing, and the two women immediately started checking me and the other man in. It felt like they’d been told not to help anyone until he returned. The woman gave us no directions to our room, and Issac went back upstairs quickly. The whole thing felt needlessly difficult. Hotel employees should be welcoming and kind, not mute and intolerable.

The kitchenette was adequate, breakfast was good if you got up in time, and keycard entry felt secure. The rooftop on the third floor was nice, though we didn’t use it much. The hotel is near downtown, but still far enough away that we did a lot of walking, even to reach the trolley. The walk goes past a bus stop, which can feel awkward, but we had no problems. Buy the pass! Staff were good but not very helpful with directions or suggestions. The shower-tub has only half a glass panel, so water got on the floor every time. We went through towels quickly, and I can only imagine mold growing under the sticky tiles.

The desk representative was very nice and explained the hotel and its amenities. Outside, though, felt rough and unwelcoming. The place smelled strongly of weed, and people standing by the hotel doors blocked the walking paths. My wife and I booked through Amex Travel after the photos made the rooms look clean and comfortable. When we opened ours, the carpet was filthy, with what looked like muddy or oily shoe marks all over. I didn’t want to take my shoes off. The fridge was dirty and so loud it sounded ready to take off. We check for bedbugs and whether the sheets have been changed whenever we travel, and found used toothpicks under the mattress at the edge of the sheets. I wondered how housekeeping could miss them and how thoroughly the rooms were cleaned. The couch was uncomfortable and felt like plastic or pleather. I messaged Amex to ask about booking elsewhere, then went to the desk to ask about checking out. The man there was friendly until I said we wanted to leave, then became snippy. I’d been polite, and I know the room wasn’t his fault. It had been only 10-15 minutes since we’d gone up. He brought a manager, who was very nice and helpful. She said the remaining nights could be refunded, while the first night would be prorated. I understood and didn’t argue. Amex booked us another hotel right away, and we were much happier there. This is listed as a four-star hotel, but to me it’s much closer to two stars. Even 2.5 might be generous.

I needed somewhere immediately, and the staff kindly helped me check in at 3:30 a.m. I checked out by 1 p.m. that same day, and they were gracious about my leaving early. The building is dated and badly needs updating. My room had a strange smell, stained old carpet, a dead bug on the bedside table, and a nail clipping on the bathroom floor. Then I saw a large roach crawl across the kitchen wall, and decided to cut my losses and leave.