South - Staying near convention centre in MSY. Bad idea???

I haven't been to MSY is several years, since weel before Katrina and Wilma came to town. I have reservations at the Courtyard by the convention centre next week for 3 nights and have started wondering if, perhaps, I should just pay more money to stay out in Metairie by the airport. I will have several meetings that run late, so I'll be coming back to the hotel midnightish.

I'm not particularly squeamish about cities and random acts of violence, as being from DC I've seen my share, but New Orleans has always had some third world crime issues and I really don't feel the need to press my luck. I used to know what areas to avoid 10 years ago when I had friends at Loyola, but I know things have changed significantly in the past few years.

Should I reconsider, or has this neighbourhood come back to the point where I have a less than 10% chance of being mugged or having my rental car expropriated???

Metairie is just as bad or worse. The airport is actually in Kenner, which is a center for crack sales and distribution, and has never been safe. I was shot at in my home in Kenner in 1990. They used to be pretty good at keeping shootings in Kenner out of the news, but post-Katrina, they've lost control, and it's all out in the open now that Kenner is pretty much a free-fire zone. I never linger there. I go to/exit the airport and that's it. Don't assume a brick house can't be a crackhouse. It's a deceptively dangerous area. A moment of dark humor was when the FBI had a shoot out at the Kenner Day's Inn in 1989 or 1990 with some crack dealers. You might pay too much for those Kenner airport hotels in more ways than one!

Stay in the actual French Quarter itself or downtown at the Riverwalk right near Harrah's/Canal Street if safety is a concern, which quite frankly it should be. Windsor Court is my usual choice when I stay downtown instead of at my house. There's almost always a cop car parked right there to watch the short walk between this well regarded hotel and Harrah's.

I'm not expecting to be totally safe (I live in DC, after all...), I just want to have a reasonable expectation of not having my car broken into and not getting mugged. There seem to be a bunch of decently nice hotels over there, so I figured it couldn't be overly bad (Granted, I thought the same about staying right near OAK as well...).

Windsor Court would be fine, but it's not a SPG or MR property, so I wouldn't get points or any status benefits. One would have to be absolutely daft to stay somewhere without getting points.

Well, I used to get free hotel stays from Harrah's until they caught a clue, so that's why Windsor Court. How about Hilton Riverwalk? (Is my ignorance of hotel points programs showing too badly?) It's very nice and about a zillion times safer than anything in Kenner/Metairie. There's a Westin around there too but I've never stayed there.


I'm not expecting to be totally safe (I live in DC, after all...), I just want to have a reasonable expectation of not having my car broken into and not getting mugged. There seem to be a bunch of decently nice hotels over there, so I figured it couldn't be overly bad (Granted, I thought the same about staying right near OAK as well...).

Windsor Court would be fine, but it's not a SPG or MR property, so I wouldn't get points or any status benefits. One would have to be absolutely daft to stay somewhere without getting points.

I certainly wouldn't pay more to stay out by the airport. Your odds of having problems in the convention center area are certainly less than 10%.

Having said that, use your street sense, and if you feel at all nervous, don't hesitate to hop in a cab, even for a $4 two block ride. Late at night, the cabbies actually love the short haul fares.

And if you're planning on working and staying near the CC, reconsider the rental car in favor of taxis.

Edit to add: The two blocks from the CC to the Courtyard are down some narrow streets, IIRC. If you like SPG, consider the W on Poydras. It's a few blocks further away, but the walk is all on major (and presumably busier and safer) streets - Poydras and Conv. Ctr. Blvd.

You'll be in the Warehouse district. It's safe.

I second the W idea HOWEVER, try the W French Quarter. It has an awesome ambience and is usually similarly priced in comparison to NOLA hotels. Plus it's easily accessable and very safe in the FQ.

As much as I'd love to stay at the W, my current client has imposed a maximum reimbursible hotel charge of $110 per night. I found a room at the CY by the conv centre for $79.

I won't be doing any walking at all, as I'll be driving all over the metro during the day and then returning for dinner meetings somewhere in the Quarter, most likely, each nights.

Thanks for the beta.

As much as I'd love to stay at the W, my current client has imposed a maximum reimbursible hotel charge of $110 per night. I found a room at the CY by the conv centre for $79.

I won't be doing any walking at all, as I'll be driving all over the metro during the day and then returning for dinner meetings somewhere in the Quarter, most likely, each nights.

Thanks for the beta.

Did you try the Courtyard on St. Charles?

There's a Westin around there too but I've never stayed there.

Likely because it hasn't opened yet.

Well, that's probably a good reason. I should know better than to give hotel advice in an area where I live, because really how often am I going to be staying in one of them? Ha.


Likely because it hasn't opened yet.