Hilton HHonors - Hilton New Orleans Riverside

Any comments on this hotel. What about Upgraded rooms for Gold VIP? Thanks!

We stayed there last year on a HHonors award stay and when we checked-in we found we were pre-assigned an upgraded room on the Towers floor (I'm Gold VIP too). The Towers Lounge, amenities, and service up there was really great. Excellent breakfast and evening munchies. A great place for cocktails before heading out on your walk (or streetcar from the front door) to the French Quarter.

We loved it!

I've stayed there twice. The first time was a Towers floor room on the same floor as the Towers Lounge. As PremEx said, the Towers Lounge, with a great breakfast overlooking the river, and evening snacks are really nice. The experience got me hooked on Towers Lounges! Enjoy your stay.

(Formerly: Miles&Points)

i had the same experience as premex... as a diamond, i was pre-assigned a spacious towers level room. the towers lounge offered a fairly extensive selection of food and snacks throughout the day - and a very well-stocked, help-yourself fridge filled with soft drinks, water, etc. the entire staff was very pleasant and helpful. overall, it's one of the better run hiltons - with great towers lounge.

it is a busy convention hotel, however, and if there is a big one in town, your mileage may vary with regard to upgrade opportunities.

Make sure it is the French Quarter location which is as others have said.
There is also a Hilton at the airport which is 20 minutes from the FQ.

Well, I waited too long. They are now sold out http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif Thanks for the Comments. I have Resvs at The Courtyard location now. We'll see how that goes.

Thanks!

I don't know where else you folks have been staying, but other than the location the Hilton is an awful hotel - typical large convention hotel, with "who cares" service. Yes, I'm Gold HHonors, and yes I was upgraded (only after I asked, of course, since that seems to be the Hilton way). But this is one of those hotels where the staff looks the other way when they pass you in the hall, instead of saying good morning, where room service arrives cold and late, and where everything is a special request. My suggestion - stay away from any of the large convention hotels in New Orleans, including the Hilton, unless you have a meeting in one of them!

I see your point BeantownFlyer and I agree it is a large convention hotel and nearly essential to stay in the Towers!

As I'd said formally, "I think of the Hilton there at Riverwalk as a kind of large convention oriented hotel, but they do a pretty good job especially in the Towers."

Here's alink to PremEx's trip report!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/000184.html

I've stayed at the Courtyard on St. Charles 5 times this year. It's a great location, there is a great place for a cheap breakfast right across the street.
2 weeks ago, I stayed at the Doubletree which is across the street from the new Harrahs casino. They are a Hilton partner and the hotel was good. Parking was $18 though.

By the way - its been a few years since I've been in New Orleans - do they still have a flat rate taxi fare from the airport? It was the ride of my life - with the cabby trying to see how fast he could get me to the Hitlon and dump me, so he could get back to the airport for another high speed run! (No advantage to taking me for a long ride - the fare would be the same!) I knew I wasn't getting ripped off, but it certainly added a few gray hairs!

Well,
Im back agt the Hilton, at leats for the first 3 nights. I got a $94 rate and was able to get a confirmed upgrade to towers using a HT certificate. Hopefully the saturday will open up so I can stay there all 4 days. Well see. Thanks fore the notes.

I gotta agree with Beantown on this one. Just spent Saturday night there and it was my third time at that hotel in about 16 months. The Service is second rate, the place is always a very crowded mob scene in the too-small lobbies on both the lower and check-in levels. Good luck talking to a concierge on the lower level...the line is usually 3 or 4 deep.

I arrrived for the last night of a 1 week stay by my wife and I stopped by the desk to ask for keys that included hhonors lounge access since I am gold. I got every excuse in the book about why I shouldn't get it, but persisted and in the end was granted access (which, BTW, I never used http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif). This is very much in line with my previous experiences there where the service is very impersonal and only begrudgingly given...

With so many great hotels in that city (Royal or Comfort on Bourbon, Monteleon) I don't stay at the Hilton Riverside unless I have to...

FWIW!!!!

Oh, and yes...it's still a flat $24 between the Airport and downtown...

[This message has been edited by kokonutz (edited 06-26-2000).]

Gee 'nutz, I would have been glad to give you a ride from the airport to downtown for nothing http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Guess you didn't want to have any chance of me meeting your wife http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Well I sent you an e-mail, doofus. And even followed it up with one from DEN saying my plane was much delayed so if you WERE going to meet me not to bother.

I told my wife that I had resisted the urge to meet up with some frequent flyer buddies after the formal and she did breath a sigh of relief http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Hey koko' ... I never got either of those messages ... you sure you weren't liquored up from your flights or something and only thought you sent them? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Too bad you couldn't go out ... but next time you should just invite the wife along too ... I'm sure she wouldn't mind ...

I have absolutely no standing with HHonors, always staying at Westin or Hyatt, but I have got a room here in the end of August that
states...."1 KING BED TOWERS ROOM 26TH FLR CHECK-IN..PRIVATE CONCIERGE..LOUNGE TURNDOWN..FAX MACHINE..SHOESHINE..ROBES.." Does this mean I will be able to partake of the Lounge Access?

milesandpoints: when is/was your stay? Would love to hear your impression!

koko,
It will be this coming week Wed-Sat. (Actually made the reservations for my Sister and brother in law) I just got off the phone with them and they said my rate was entered as $239/night for a towers room. When I booked it was a $94 rate and I have a towers HT upgrade cert . The only thing I can think of is I added a 1 night and since it was booked almost solid, they bumped up all the rates. I was able to talk to a supervisor and get $99 for the first 3 nights and $137 for the last Saturday night. Not bad but I realize my HT certificate is home (I am in Tampa now and wont return until next Friday) and she suposedly needs it at check in... Any Ideas? They have my Gold Card and the reservation is in my name. Think it will be a problem?

I'll let you know what they think. If its nice, I'll probabally go there before the end of August..

They checked in Today with no problem and said the room and view is beautiful. Thanks Hilton. I'll give a full report when they get back...

I'll be VERY happy to be poven wrong in this case!!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I talked with my sister and she said the Stay in New Orleans was wonderful. The room was very nice with a Seperate Sitting room and a nice view (Was right next to the Towers Lounge) The service was good, however, when she checked out, they had charged her for the Full Towers Rate ($239) for each night. However, she brought it to the attention of the Concerige and it was quickly fixed.

She did note that the hotel was very busy with a convention, but the room and towers floor was a nice escape. It is close to the French Quarter and the Riverwalk, but a short walk everywhere else. The Towers lounge had a great view below.

In short she had a great time and thrilled with the Hotel. Hopefully you all can have a Similar experience there. I may try and go in Sept..

Well, looks like I'll be trying Hilton Riverside New Orleans again on August 16...despite my previously stated opinion I just can't seem to resist requalifying Gold. We'll see if I'm treated better checked in under my own name vice my wife's...I'm always more than will to become a convert http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif.

[This message has been edited by kokonutz (edited 07-19-2000).]

Good Luck Koko,

Let me know how things go..

I'm wanting to stay Sunday, 2/25 through Wednesday, 2/28/01.

I checked online for a rate, and I got $309/night. I'm not doing that..... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

So....I redeemed (online, which was cool) 85,000 points (wish I could of used a PointStretcher award) for a free three night stay.

Here are my Qs:

#1 One of my three nights falls on a blackout date (Sunday night). Should I ask for them to waive it since its only one night? Do I call the HHonors Service Center, or call the hotel directly? I know to book the reward stay I must call the service center, but didn't know if the hotel itself could waive blackout dates.

#2 When staying on a free hotel award, can you ask to be upgraded? (I am Gold VIP)

#3 There is a new Hilton Garden Inn not too far (4 blocks) from this huge hotel, and they don't have any blackout dates during my stay. So, I'm wondering if I should just stay there.

Any info/help would be greatly appreciated. I really enjoy all the insight I get from you fellow FTers.

Thank you all in advance.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
Russ

[This message has been edited by Russ21Atl (edited 01-21-2001).]

Russ -- I'm not sure about the ability of an individual property to waive that blackout date, but it never hurts to ask. You may try to call the general manager and make your case compelling enough. Nothing to lose!
On your second question, upgrades are not supposed to be dependent on the type of stay (e.g., award), but rather solely on your VIP status. Adam Burke stated it several times here. And on your last question, you may try to do a combination of one weekend night award at HGI (20,000 points as it is an executive level hotel), provided there is any availability on the night of the 25th, then move to Sheraton New Orleans on the Canal Street, which shows availability for the following 2 nights at the rate of $159 (or $209 for that Hilton NO Riverside) at this web site: http://www.turbotrip.com/usa/la/neworleans/ .
Hope it helps!

I was nervous about hotel rooms going pretty quickly since Fat Tuesday is 2/28, so I called Hilton this morning.

I called 1-800-HHONORS last night, and asked to book an award reservation. The agt txfrd me to another ext. and the recording informed me that their office was closed. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

So...I wait until 8am CST to call 1-800-HHONORS this morning (I could of called at 7am, but got my time wrong by an hour) and I waited on hold for 13 minutes (the hold music, btw, was the same as the recording I got last night once I was txfrd). When an agt finally picked up, I asked to book an award stay. Again I am told she cannot do it, and she txfrd me to another ext.

So....finally I get an agt that can process the booking. I already pulled the cert. online last night, so he just verified that and asked what hotel. I asked for the New Orleans Riverside Hilton, and he asked for my arrival date.

I told him 2/25 for three nights, and he said "done deal." No mention of a blackout date or anything. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/confused.gif

So...I'm all set. I guess I'll just try for an upgrade at check-in.

One Question:
Should I call the hotel directly, just to confirm the reservation etc, and ask them to put me on a waitlist for the upg (or does a process like that even exist?)

Again, thank you all for your input. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Russ21Atl (edited 01-22-2001).]

Bring your hiking boots--It is a long way from the rooms to other parts of this big hotel. Having said that, I had a lovely room right on the river where I worked at the desk and watched barges and riverboats going up and down the river. Lovely.

I just wanted to bring this back to the top. (And this was my 250th post, so now I'm a FT Evangelist http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cool.gif )

My question now is regarding the upgrade possibility. I'll be there during Mardi Gras, and I'm not sure if that is going to be an easy time to upg, or a hard time to.

Anyone have any ideas?

[This message has been edited by Russ21Atl (edited 02-18-2001).]

I made some comments about an award stay and upgrade at this property in:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/000564.html

On every stay I have, paid or award, I call the reservation line and have them put my request for an upgrade in the comments section of my reservation.
In Dec. in London, I had 2 rooms on an award and 1 room paid. I ended up with 2 suites and 1 reg room, all on the concierge floor.
It wouldn't hurt to also call the hotel direct and make sure they hold a good room for you.

Well, I'm going to N.O. Mar 10-12, and I was undecided between the W (I'm Starwood Platinum) or the Hilton Riverside (as a HH Gold). I went with the Hilton, and while the rate seems high ($369), at that rate (and only at that rate) I can use a 50% off weekend reward. After checking the various posts, I see most of them were for last year. Any changes I should be aware of, and as a HH Gold what should I expect. (I was hoping for the Club floor with a view of the river).

Has anyone stayed here? Was it a nice property (for vacation), or is there a better hilton in the area. Did gold status get you bumped to the towers level?

I stayed there about 2 weeks ago, and as a Gold I was given a room overlooking the river in the Towers. Yes, it is a nice hotel, but very big, and while I was there, was host to a number of large conventions. It is connected to the 'RiverWalk' which has lots of smaller shoppes and one or two restaurants. The location was good, right across from Harrahs Casio, on the River and within a short stroll to the French Quarter. My room in the Towers was 'ok', but nothing special. The lounge was open all day and served a nice variety of snacks and had an honor bar.

This is an oft-discussed property. Check out:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/000564.html http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/001067.html http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/001332.html

Thanks for the responses.

We just got back yesterday after stay at the Riverside. We had requested a king and were advised at the main desk that no rooms were available in the tower for upgrade. However, the concierge level clerk advised that a room with two double beds was avialable for upgrade. I think the lesson is to advise desk clerk that you are flexible (if you are) and would take queen, double, etc. in place of king. Other comments reflect our experience.

I stay there once or twice a year. It is a very large hotel so you can't expect much personalized service. However, as a diamond I have been upgraded to the towers floor everytime except for once. When traveling with golds, I'd say the upgrade rate is about half. However, as a gold you get access to the towers lounge even if your room is elsewhere. The towers lounge is open all day for breakfast and then snacks. The lounge staff is great if you need reservations for dinner or any information.
The hotel is close to Harrah's casino and the Riverwalk Mall. The Riverfront Streetcar stops at the front of the hotel and goes to the French Quarter, although it is not a long walk if you want to walk.
The only other Hiltons in the area are the Garden Inn, inconvenient to everything but the convention center, and the Doubletree which is located well but is need of some refurbishing.

Does anybody know what type of reward requires for this hotel? is it Classic, Value, Premium...????

I check on the hilton website for rewards, but every time I select Louisiana I get a blank screen!!!!!!!

Wants to go there in Nov, but the rate is USD250 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsdown.gif

Thx

It's classic.

http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/hhonors.jhtml?ctyhocn=MSYNHHH

I also get a blank screen unless I use Internet Explorer.

I've stayed at this property before for a convention, my boss was upgraded to the towers and I had a standard room along the riverside.

To my surprise, the rooms along the riverside seemed new and were very nice and comfortable and much nicer than my upgraded room.

I'm checking in there this Thursday, its been a year since I've been there -- any advice on upgrades? Favorite room types?

-Adam

As far as hotel gyms go, this is a nice one, it is comp for Elite levels. It is way to the end past the conference rooms etc. Decent weight and cardio section, tennis courts (although I don't believe the tennis courts are free) and a steam room etc

Thought I would post an update, since I'm checked into this hotel now.

Arrived after 3pm, check-in, was told a room was pre-assigned for me on the Towers level since I was a gold, but that the person who was in it previously, checked out about 15 minutes ago and that I would have to wait for about an hour. I received a pass to the Conceirge Towers on level 29.

There is a seperate check-in desk up there, the lady at the desk, although not friendly, found another room for me. I went to that new room, and realized it was a smoking room and it was very unattractive I thought.

Went back, and she told me that all the rooms on the tower level are like that... The regular guest rooms on the Riverside are a little bit larger and renovated, I said put me in that room.

It is MUCH nicer. The woman told me that they will renovate the Towers soon, however, that they put Gold's and Diamond's there because it is closer access to the free lounge.

Personally, I don't mind the short walk to the elvators for a much more comfortable room.

-Adam

Does anyone happen to know the name of the GM of this property? Is there anyway to find out other than to call and ask for him/her...? I know its a strange question but I have my reasons. Thanks for any insight anyone may be able to provide

GM's name is: Paul Buckley

I understand that a lot of information has been provided on this topic(http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/005525.html) but I thougth I'd ask for a little more

I am confirmed in a suite (room 1+p) which I have been told is a parlor...now is this one of the 70 suites described on the website or something different? Are there better rooms than others that meet this description? I'd like a room that is large considering I will be doing some entertaining while there.

Any addtional information on what I could expect from a room(suite) like this or the location of a great one would be greatly appricated.

Thanks

Any comments/suggestions on the Riverside Hilton in New Orleans? How easy is it to get upgraded? Thanks very much.

I stayed there about a year ago. Was upgraded to Executive Level. Was givens coupons for a couple bottles of water from the mini bar. Continental breakfast was similar to what you would get a Hampton Inn. It is right across the street from Harrah's casino. If you do a search you will find much more info on this hotel.

Stayed there this past November for a conference. I was given executive floor. A larger than normal King room. It was pretty full, though, so I wasn't surprised to not get a nicer upgrade.

I stayed in June 2002. Got upgraded with bottles of water. The Lounge was good for breakfast and Happy Hour! The people could not have been nicer even while watching game 7 of the Lakers/Kings OT game which was soon approaching closing hour.

I plan to return.

we stay there pretty often...get comped by the casino and still counts as a stay because the casino is paying...also got points for incidentals like dinner...the restaurant is pretty good..fancy...good view...

This is one Hilton hotel that I really dont care for. For some reason the check in at the HHoners deck takes forever. Then you have to remind the staff (oh wait he is Diamond UPGRADE) The rooms on the executive level floors are nothing special. Now the big one NOISE!!!! I have never ever stayed in such a noisy, paper thin wall's Hilton. Last time I was there I changed rooms twice for noise. The staff that cleans the rooms DO NOT use a door stop while cleaning. At this Hilton they use the metal bracket that you use once inside the room for extra securtity. Do you know how annoying it is to hear doors slamming all day long as they go back in and out of a room. Im like please !!!! My company picks this hotel not me. IF I had a choice id go up the street to the W or the Marriott. PS: I have discussed all my issues with the general manager and nothing has changed. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

What can be used for the hilton new orleans hotel (classic) for 6 nites, 100k, A glon? teen? any clues?

If it is a classic, GLON. TEEN awards are for only specific properties.

I am looking to spend the weekend in NO at the end of May and was able to come across a rate of $114/night for Friday and Saturday. My question: should I bust the 55k HHonors points necessary for the weekend or is that rate good enough to justify going out of pocket for the weekend? I have over 300k in my account and I am not saving up for anything. I noticed that this hotel will be a cat. 6 come 6/1 which would make the reward 80k then. Let me know what you guys think.

we stayed there about 2 weeks ago...they really made the concierge level great...we had a super super river view room

we paid 98...personally, i would pay and save my points for a moe expensive hotel

I agree, pay. It's a good rate.

The hotel is quite mediocre, even the concierge level. Save your points and use them at a real class property.

I stayed here at a rate of $99/night and I thought that was a good rate.

However, (at least in my personal opinion), Hilton is blowing themselves up by increasing their point levels. Your 300K points would really lose a great deal of its value past May (and so will mine!).

New lounge on 29th floor is GREAT. More space on two sides. Nice new furniture and flat screen tv. The lounge staff for Honors Members are OUTSTANDING! Denise and Raul could not do enough for us. Today is the first day it opened. We are still here. We were at the Florida Sunrise Hilton earlier in the week. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Sunrise had free use of Business Center, there is a 5.00 charge for 15 minutes in New Orleans.

Bacco's and Mike Anderson's were today's restaurants we ate at and I loved them.

For the ladies: Eclipse on Bienville Street was a great place for manicure and pedicure. Even offered wine. Other than the flooding and downpour, the day was great.

Great to hear - I will be there in February. Did you get an upgraded room?

I wanted a riverview room and had booked that from the start. We have a regular room, but no complaints. I think upgrades are considered floors 24 on up and we have 19. The hotel is in oversold status and I would not have expected an upgrade. Bottle water coupons were issued without asking for anything.

The better half is going to a conference and isn't comfortable heading out into NO on her own her first night (friend joining her for rest of stay). Which of the Hilton Riverside eateries would you suggest? Thanks in advance.

Hi: Hilton Riverside is connected to the Riverwalk mall via an enclosed walkway which is quite safe. (Just in case she likes shopping when on travel, like me.) At any rate, when you go from the hotel toward the mall, you will see a sports bar (Kalby's(sp?)), which serves descent American fare with some NOLA twists. Or she can grab a take out in the mall.

I didn't eat at the Hilton last week, but I ate a restarant called Peristyle. It was perhaps the best restaurant food I have ever had, and I live in a pretty good food city.

I heard good things about Peristyle but did not have time to go there. Near the Hilton Riverside are:

Casual : Mothers across from W
Cajun: Mulate (better for music and dessert then food which is slightly disappointing) on Julia
Soul food: Praline Connection on S. Peters
Fish: Rio Mars on S. Peters

Lots of very good food in New Orleans but she really need to make an effort to go to Commander's Palace in the Garden district.

I am NOLA native and while I think Mother's is good the tourist have overrun the place. The line is always out the door and not worth the hassle, especially if you just flew in and are looking for a quick bite to eat. The Riverwalk has a food court but it is expensive for mall food court food and not indicative of the great food NOLA has to offer, but if you are just looking for easy quick service food this is the place. While this isn't what you asked about there is a great coffee shop in the lobby of the Hilton Riverside. It is CC's coffee, which stands for Community Coffee, a New Orleans staple of life. Stop in during the morning and get a fab cup of coffee. The restaurant at the hotel is Kabby's, which is tasty. There is also Kabby's Sport's Edition Grille which is quick casual fare.

------------------
Rachel
Pictures From My Trips & Travels (http://public.fotki.com/prncess674/)

On the website the picture shows treadmills and such, but it's hard to see what's in the foreground.

Does the fitness room have free-weights?

Thanks.

On the website the picture shows treadmills and such, but it's hard to see what's in the foreground.

Does the fitness room have free-weights?

Thanks.
Yes
And it is one of the nicest most well equipped health clubs in the city in or out of a hotel.
One of the reasons I stay there more frequently then years past.
The other great asset is their Excecutive Club lounge and it's fine staff.

The fitness club is the best feature of the Riverside Hilton and there are quite a few quality features. :)

Can anyone tell me the different types of rooms/suites that the Hilton New Orleans Riverside?

If anyone can be so kind as to list room type/descriptions it would be greatly appreciated. Any room recommendations would be appreciated.

I have done a search, but If this information is listed elsewhere, please accept my apologizes in advance.

I can't give you any info on their suites as I never pay to stay in a suite. I have stayed at the Riverside on numerous occasions. Of all the Hiltons, I find it most difficult to secure an upgrade there. Probably b/c I'm usually there during mardi gras & jazz fest so the place is pretty full. Location is great - right by Harrah's (if you like to gamble) & the Mississippi.

The web page (http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=MSYNHHH) has a listing for "accommodations" that is a good starting place; so does the Hilton Family New Orleans property web page (http://www.hiltonfamilyneworleans.com/riverside.html).

N.B. I hate the damned ad box! ===>>>
(Which occasionally seems to disappear under my disapproving gaze!)

The web page (http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=MSYNHHH) has a listing for "accommodations" that is a good starting place; so does the Hilton Family New Orleans property web page (http://www.hiltonfamilyneworleans.com/riverside.html).

N.B. I hate the damned ad box! ===>>>

Thanks, I checked those prior to my initial post. ^

I would like to add if anyone has any particular room type/view they've enjoyed it would be nice to know.

Lastly..does this property have the new hilton clock or serenity bed?

thanks!

The Towers rooms are quite nice, now known as Exec Floor. With a choice of river view and city view rooms, I prefer the city view over the barges, ferries, etc. that make up most of the river traffic. But take either over their standard or HHonors rooms - some of these face "courtyards" that surely aren't very courtly. I can't comment on their suites. Be sure to take the riverfront cable car down to Cafe du Monde or French Market....

re beds and radios - the web page you were directed to addresses that

sit down at Café du Monde for some coffee with chicory (or not!) and a beignet ("bin-yay") or two to watch all the people... Yeah, sure it's touristy... but... it's mandatory! ;)

<snip> Be sure to take the riverfront cable car down to Cafe du Monde or French Market....

Be sure to take the riverfront cable car down to Cafe du Monde or French Market....


thanks. I've been to Nola before but I usually stay at the doubletree, HGI (conv. ctr.) or embassy suites, but I the doubletree and embassy suites are not meeting my expectations and decided to check out the hilton since its showing good rates.

I'm not a kawfee drinker. I ALREADY have too much energy and a ridiculously high metabolism for my age..If I drank coffee - or I'd be bouncing off the walls!! And to be honest....i prefer krispy kreme donuts :D :p :D

Call the hotel and find out when Kenneth is working.. He was a fantastic front desk manager who helped me get into the hotel even when hilton.com was showing a sold-out condition for my dates.

I paid $219/per night, and stayed in room 2343. This room is as big as my apartment in NYC. They call it a parlour room on an upgraded floor. I have fond memories of both the hotel and Kenneth. If you want to know anything else, please private message me.

Thanks.

Can anyone tell me the different types of rooms/suites that the Hilton New Orleans Riverside?

If anyone can be so kind as to list room type/descriptions it would be greatly appreciated. Any room recommendations would be appreciated.

I have done a search, but If this information is listed elsewhere, please accept my apologizes in advance.

Am staying for a week and checked in using the new online check-in feature. I had the choice of a deluxe room on 23 or an executive room on 25, 26 or 27. I chose a room on the 27th floor which turned out to be clean and attractively furnished, but small. 29th floor lounge is convenient and location is terrific. Service is attentive, helpful and pleasant. All in all, I am satisfied.

Service is attentive, helpful and pleasant. All in all, I am satisfied.

IMO, most of the people that work there have no sense of urgency. Friendly yes, but very slow. Could that be because it's New Orleans?

Very likely! Did you get any kind of lagniappe?

IMO, most of the people that work there have no sense of urgency. Friendly yes, but very slow. Could that be because it's New Orleans?

Going to new orleans next week for a wedding and have reservations at the Riverside Hilton. Has anyone stayed here since the hurricane. Is the hotel fully functional??

Going to new orleans next week for a wedding and have reservations at the Riverside Hilton. Has anyone stayed here since the hurricane. Is the hotel fully functional??
Should be fine. They never did get most of the damge anyway. At the worst they had a lot of relief workers in house.

I try to book a room there a while ago and they had the guts to charge me with a deposit (~$200)! Got that cancelled and booked elsewhere.

Should be fine. They never did get most of the damge anyway. At the worst they had a lot of relief workers in house.

I try to book a room there a while ago and they had the guts to charge me with a deposit (~$200)! Got that cancelled and booked elsewhere.

I have a stay at this property in June. I was also charged a deposit, but the stay is during a conference, so I figured they must be very full. I'm not quite sure how the deposit happened, I didn't notice it when I booked the room and first spotted it on my CC bill. A check of my itin printout did reveal that the deposit was mentioned, but not in any very obvious way. At a glance, it looked like the standard "a credit card is required to book this room......" message, only reading carefully revealed that I would be charged. This is NOT a prepaid reservation, but a deposit. It still seems fairly unusual to me.

We are looking at going there next April and booking the executive level. We stayed in the middle of the Quarter the last time we went- Omni Royal. Is this a good Hilton hotel?
I am also wondering whether I should book a Towers Room or just hope I will be upgraded on arrival! ( I do have the gold card but haven't "earned it".)

We are looking at going there next April and booking the executive level. We stayed in the middle of the Quarter the last time we went- Omni Royal. Is this a good Hilton hotel?
I am also wondering whether I should book a Towers Room or just hope I will be upgraded on arrival! ( I do have the gold card but haven't "earned it".)

This is a very popular popular property, I'd like to suggest doing a search. I myself did a review last exactly one year ago. There might be more current reviews in that very same thread about stays post Katrina.

I think it's an excellent property. I believe it is back up and running again without problems. I heard that one of the local universities used it as a huge dorm for a few months, but that contract ended earlier this year. If I were to visit NOLA, it's where I'd stay.

I think the OP might want to word their subjects a bit as well. I read it as Hilton Riverside (CA, I thought) NO! As in, NO don't stay there. :)

Some Riverside tips:

Ask for a Deluxe room instead of a standard room. It's the same price but it comes with a river view. If deluxe is not avail, make sure they note a river view request on the reservation.

If you or anyone else plans to be there Sunday morning, call Cabbie's (the hotel restaurant) and find out if they are still doing their Jazz/Champagne brunch, if they are, make reservations quick!

Do not rent a car of you can help it. Self parking rates in the French Quarter can be as bad as Chicago or New York and the Riverside is no exception.

Know ahead of time what to expect. The Riverside is a convention center hotel. It's big, and it gets lots of traffic. On the upside, you really can't beat the location. Literally within walking distance to Harrah's, the Convention Center, and it has a trolley stop in font of the hotel to take you to the heart of the French Quarter.

If you are planning to visit Tulane University at all, ask for the Tulane discount (unless you are attending a group or conference) It's based upon avail, but it's worth looking into.

Another thing you should think about is how you're getting from the airport to the hotel since the hotel provides no transportation itself. Taxis are one option, and are by far the simplest, but if your flight arrives during rush hour and you want to save money try the Airport Shuttle Bus (http://www.airportshuttleneworleans.com/) for $13 one way.

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Now, you asked if you should buy a towers room or wait to be upgraded. My answer is call reservations and find out what their "Rate Level" is for the dates you are looking at. (And really, this is true whenever you stay at a Hilton and want to know what your odds of getting an upgrade "really" are.)

Rate levels tell the agent exactly how full the hotel is, it also dictates what rate you will receive (because we all know, the more full a hotel, the more expensive the stay) Anyway, rate levels fall between RLV0-RLV8 with "0" being sold out/ or very nearly sold out. So, ask the agent what the rate level is and if they say 6, 7, 8 you know it looks pretty good. Also, you can ask if the hotel has 9 or more of your Tower rooms avail to book. Why 9? Because 9 is the most that shows avail at any one time in an agent's computer. There could be 40 rooms avail and it will still only show 9) If 9 rooms or more are avail, it's a pretty safe bet you can wait until check in to upgrade.

Now, about the "Not earning" gold comment, I don't know the particulars about your situation, but if you're Gold that's all that matters. When the hotel or a reservation agent pulls up your number, it just gives them your name and tier level. Unless you are speaking to a HHonors service center agent investigating your points, no one has any idea how you became gold. My point is, short of Diamonds, you are the biggest fish sea. You are the top of the food chain! And, although the diamonds in here will hate me for saying this, agents are trained to think of Diamonds and Golds the same way (handle with care or face your supervisor's wrath)

April is still pretty far away, but you can do the leg work now. Find out if there are any festivals going on, or any major conferences that will effect availability. The beginning of April is still considered Spring Break for some people so take that into consideration.

Hope this helps a little. Have fun in N'wlens. Let the good times roll!

thanks for some great information.
ShineyHappyHiltonPerson- good tip about Rate Levels. I will definitely try that. Re not earning gold- I got it from Amex and had only twice stayed at a Hilton before that. I have since had one stay ( in London) and now booking New Orleans( thought I had better put the full name in to save any more heart attacks jaimito! ;) ) However, I chose the Hilton because I liked the look of it, rather than the fact I had the card.
We were in NO a couple of years ago and I loved the music and was determined to return. We did put a lot of thought into whether we should be going when so many are still homeless but like to think we are helping in a small way.

thanks for some great information.
ShineyHappyHiltonPerson- good tip about Rate Levels. I will definitely try that. Re not earning gold- I got it from Amex and had only twice stayed at a Hilton before that. I have since had one stay ( in London) and now booking New Orleans( thought I had better put the full name in to save any more heart attacks jaimito! ;) ) However, I chose the Hilton because I liked the look of it, rather than the fact I had the card.
We were in NO a couple of years ago and I loved the music and was determined to return. We did put a lot of thought into whether we should be going when so many are still homeless but like to think we are helping in a small way.

You will enjoy the stay. While there, rent a car and see the other areas other than the French Qtr. You will be surprised at the area and how they need all the help they can get.

Yes, the property is getting back to normal. I would call and ask if the Executive Longue (amazing views) is open. When I was there in late July I was told it was closing for remodeling soon. As for a tour of Katrina affected areas, have a taxi take you on a tour of the Ninth ward. We had one drive us (four persons) around the area for an hour (including a stop at the house of Fats Domino and some tremendous insight into the area) for $20 each. Ask the bellman to arrange this. ^

I stayed here for two nights this week and overall it was a good experience.

I received a deluxe room, which I guess means a river view. .. nothing spectacular, though. Just a fairly basic room. On check-in, I asked if there was room on the 29th executive floor (I knew there was as I had just checked on-line). But the look I received was shock ... I was told I was "close" to the 29th floor since I was on the 19th floor. (??) I later saw that the executive floor is all suites. So I'm guessing the hotel does NOT upgrade elites to those rooms. I didn't mind ... just an FYI, though.

The lounge itself was very good. They had sort of an expanded continental breakfast from 6:30 to 9:30 during the week. Fruit, bagels and spreads, cereal, yogurt, juices, etc. Nice spread and the view is excellent. Between 5:00 and 7:00 they have appetizers - fruit, crackers, cheese, nuts, breads, and two hot entrees (e.g., meatballs, mini hotdogs, chicken fingers, mini meat pies). There's a cash bar with high, but not outrageous prices. Free sodas and bottled water, of course, plus capaccino machines. There's also a conceirge in the lounge to help with logistics in town. One of the better lounges in the US I've been to.

The gym was really spectacular, though. Tons of equipment - literallly dozens of different types of machines. Locker rooms with saunas and whirlpools, various classes (some were a fee, but others were free). All this was free for silvers, golds, and diamonds staying at the hotel. For a fee, they also had beautiful indoor tennis courts and raquetball courts. It was a bit of a walk to get to the gym (it's on the far end of the hotel), but not too bad.

The place had two outdoor pools ... neither great, but not too bad. Try the Riverside pool in the Towers part of the hotel ... it was nicer.

There were lots of restaurants and bars on the property, though why anyone would eat there and not in town in beyond me. As others have mentioned, the location is pretty good - especially good for exploring the "new" warehouse district (the french quarter is a good 10-15 minute walk or a quick ride on the trolley (whenever it comes ... we waited 30 minutes once).

Over all, I'm not sure if it's worth a category 6, but if you can get a good price, it was the nicest Hilton brand I've stayed at in town.

I have a trade show to go to in N.O. in the fall. I went to book a room at this property, and was surprised to see that they wanted to charge me a $175 deposit--charged at reservation time!! What's up with that? I don't think I've ever had to do that before.

I was going to say "screw 'em" and go somewhere else. But doggonit, I really want to stay there since it is so close to the conv ctr. So I went ahead and did it--and paid their stupid deposit.

I have a trade show to go to in N.O. in the fall. I went to book a room at this property, and was surprised to see that they wanted to charge me a $175 deposit--charged at reservation time!! What's up with that? I don't think I've ever had to do that before.

I was going to say "screw 'em" and go somewhere else. But doggonit, I really want to stay there since it is so close to the conv ctr. So I went ahead and did it--and paid their stupid deposit.

Hmm... that's odd. At checkout I could see into the manager's office... he was laughing manically and throwing $175 in one dollar bills up in the air over and over again ....

Sorry, dude... ;)

I would agree with ShineyHappyHiltonPerson's excellent tips except for
the Sunday brunch suggestion and the location rave.

If you are in NO for Sunday brunch, you don't want to miss the experience at Commanders Palace (tip: Saturday brunch is equally good).

As for location, the Hilton is not at all convenient for tourists and for most people doing business downtown (compared to the competition). The only exception is for people who plan to spend a lot of time in the convention center or Harrah's. And then you should plan to budget 15-20 min every time you walk to the french quarter.

As noted above, the HH lounge is great - good snacks all day long and fantastic views of the city. They also have security at the door to keep out freeloaders like me :D

Pre-hurricane you used to be able to book this hotel with a $75 bid on priceline. ^ My personal big easy fav is the Intercontinental, but there is nothing wrong with the Hilton.

FWIW, there is a new Hilton on St. Charles that is in the heart of the CBD (b/w Poydras and Canal) and a 5 minute walk to the French Quarter.

Just opened a few weeks ago.

link (http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/MSYFQHF-Hilton-New-Orleans-St-Charles-Avenue-Louisiana/index.do;jsessionid=CDAE5757E7406F52013C527AADC17C DF.etc33?ctyhocn=MSYFQHF&brand_id=HI&brand_directory=/en/hi/&xch=23167896,KEFAYDJPYTRAKCSGBJNM22QKIYFCXUUC)

I later saw that the executive floor is all suites.

Are you sure about this? I'm staying there later this week on the executive level and didn't expect a suite.... That would be a really nice surprise!

If you're staying on the 29th floor, yes - it's all suites (and they don't upgrade you to the 29th as a Diamond, as asked earlier).

Say hi to Andre' in the lounge. It's my fave. ^

If you're staying on the 29th floor, yes - it's all suites (and they don't upgrade you to the 29th as a Diamond, as asked earlier).

Say hi to Andre' in the lounge. It's my fave. ^

Not trying to beat a dead horse here, but if your reservation says "Executive Floor" does that mean the 29th, and therefore is a suite? Or is there more than one "Executive Floor"?

Here's what I reserved:

Room Type: 2 DBL BEDS EXECUTIVE FLOOR

Hi Skyman65 - good question. When I stay, I check in at the Executive Lounge on the 29th floor, but am assigned to the 27th or 28th floor (the room is always a "Deluxe" room, pretty much a normal room with a great view of the river).

The rooms on the 29th floor, are suites with titles Riverview or Cityview. I would think the description would be fancier than 2 double beds. I certainly don't want to mislead. Might be worth a quick call. Hopefully you score the 29th floor, I'm pulling for you! ^ :cool:

Not trying to beat a dead horse here, but if your reservation says "Executive Floor" does that mean the 29th, and therefore is a suite? Or is there more than one "Executive Floor"?

Here's what I reserved:

Room Type: 2 DBL BEDS EXECUTIVE FLOOR

I was recently on the 24th floor (I think) and it was signposted as an "Executive Floor" by the elevator.

Not trying to beat a dead horse here, but if your reservation says "Executive Floor" does that mean the 29th, and therefore is a suite? Or is there more than one "Executive Floor"?

Here's what I reserved:

Room Type: 2 DBL BEDS EXECUTIVE FLOOR

My reservations says King Bed executive floor, and I wondered the same thing. Looks like there are multiple executive floors. I'll keep my fingers crossed for both of us!

My reservations says King Bed executive floor, and I wondered the same thing. Looks like there are multiple executive floors. I'll keep my fingers crossed for both of us!

Yes there are I believe the executive floors start on 24. I've done a trip report on this property.

There were lots of restaurants and bars on the property, though why anyone would eat there and not in town in beyond me.

normally I would agree with you, I just read about a place called Drago's which has two locations, one in the Hilton Riverside, website here: http://www.dragosrestaurant.com/

Charbroiled oysters??!!, oh man those sound great, anyone had them?

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Just returned from a 5 night stay at this property.

Booked an "Executive Floor" room. Checked in at the 29th floor lounge and was given a river-view room on the 25th floor. As mentioned in this thread, the rooms are nothing to write home about, but had great views of the river. I enjoyed watching the boats steaming up and down the river.

The only thing I'd like to add to this thread is that I had a lot of problems with their internet service. They offer wireless service only, and charge $11.95 per day for it. When you first login, you can choose how many days of service you want. On my first night there, I selected 5 days of service and billed it to the room.

That first night, the internet service was VERY slow (1Kbps). And I kept losing signal and getting disconnected. On the second day, I couldn't find any signal, and was completely unable to connect. So I called the front desk, and they connected me with their internet company. After talking with the girl there, she said I would need to get an internet bridge from the front desk. I went down and they gave me a device that looks like a wireless router. It had an antenna and a cable that plugged into my Ethernet port. With this device, I had no problem getting signal.

But, when I logged in again, it again asked me to select how many days of service I wanted. So I just chose 1 day, billed to room, and it let me in. I then checked my folio on the TV, and sure enough, they doubled billed me for Internet. So I called the front desk again, and they agreed to take all Internet charges off my bill, and they gave me a password to use to login.

After that, I had no more problems.

The next day, I saw another girl get into the elevator holding an internet bridge. She said she couldn't connect either. She also said they told her she got the last bridge. So I'm thinking a lot of people where having this same problem.

normally I would agree with you, I just read about a place called Drago's which has two locations, one in the Hilton Riverside, website here: http://www.dragosrestaurant.com/

Charbroiled oysters??!!, oh man those sound great, anyone had them?

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Hi Willie. The charbroiled oysters at Drago are amazing.....I had them at the Sea Food festival this year. They have a smoky flavor and parmesan and spice topping. Yummm

... stayed in room 2343. This room is as big as my apartment in NYC. They call it a parlour room on an upgraded floor.
Are all rooms whose number ends in "43" parlour rooms? (i.e., except for the 29th floor, do all floors have the same floor plan of rooms?)

Any other specific rooms that someone recommends (either to get or to avoid)?

Thankx.

Just returned from 5 nights at the Riverside. Although I can't definitively answer my own question, let me provide the following observations:

From the floor plan on the back of the door of my room on the 20th floor, it appears that "2006" and "2043" are corner rooms with city views (vice river views) with at least half again the square footage of "standard-sized" rooms. Also, "2029" appeared to be about the same size as "2006" and "2043"; it faced the river.

Based on the comment from AlwaysAA about the size of "2343", I will make a conjecture that Rooms xx06, xx43, and xx29 (where "xx" is the floor number) are likely to be better than standard-sized rooms.

I speculate that because of the length of my stay, fullness the night I checked in, and cheapness of my rate, I got put is 2034 (what I think was likely one of the smaller rooms in the property and not on one of the "Executive Level" floors). While the room had a nice river view, it appeared to have lost some square footage to the emergency exit stairwell which it was next to.

If you get a "xx34" room (or the "xx33" room on the other side of the stairwell), you might want to consider asking for a different room ... if size matters to you. :)

Even though I wasn't that crazy about the room, I was automatically given access to the Exec Lounge on the 29th floor ... and IMHO it is one of the better lounges in the US in terms of the combination of size, decor, view, and food.

... and IMHO it is one of the better lounges in the US in terms of the combination of size, decor, view, and food.

It sure is - one of my faves. I'm also a big fan of the health club, although finding it the first time is a slight ordeal. That being said, I consider the walk to/from the club a great warmup/cooldown. ^

This thread seems old but I'll add my review anyway.

Stayed in mid-January and got a king room on the executive floor. The view from the room was great, half city, half river. Was disappointed in the room itself. No fridge or microwave, a fridge could be gotten for $10/day but no microwave available for rooms. Without a fridge we couldn't do anything with our leftovers. The TV appeared to be 42" and had a good selection of channels. The bed was very comfortable.

The hotel was showing it's wear. The elevators were downright dangerous, the doors closed whether it was clear or not. Some of the hallways were being renovated, as were the stairwells.

The restaurants were very expensive of course, but Drago's gave good portions. We opted for breakfast in the lounge over the restaurant on-site. The lounge was great. Great views of city and river and the fact that it wasn't crowded made it a perfect getaway from the conference we were attending.

Overall, I wasn't impressed. Coming from a Hampton I still can't swallow fees like $15/day for internet, $10/day for a fridge and $0.50/minute to use the business center. If we're not busy we even allow non-guests to use the internet and business center for free.

Just completed another very nice stay at this property. Nice upgrade to corner room with great river view. The best US lounge I've seen by far. Have stayed in several NOLA hilton properties and this one is by far the best. The elevators were fine, so they must have fixed the problems described above. Would recommend the Harrahs parking garage across the street - avoid Hilton parking.