Mickidon

We are just back from WC. It was our fifth stay there and it is probably still the best hotel in NO, but it should be better. Our room was perfectly fine and the bed extremely comfortable. High marks for beautiful public spaces, if that matters. On the other hand, I don't find the service as warm and sharp as it should be for a supposed 5 Star hotel. The check in was not smooth and we were shocked at how cold or totally absent the staff was on the Club Floor. There were times when we spent 30 minutes in the lounge and didn't see a staff member. On two mornings, two gentleman workers were too busy talking to each other to even say hello. Still, we would do the Club Level again for the convenience. I didn't feel the strong hand of a manager at the place.

Happy to answer any specific questions. I am also eager to hear if anyone has a suggestion for a hotel that might be worth trying as a switch from WC. I've looked long and hard and am not persuaded there is.

Valveking

The Windsor Court is the best in NOLA, but you might want to try the Soniat House in the Quarter. It is a boutique property in a set of old buildings in a quiet part of the quarter. Having their warm biscuits and jam on the balcony of your room in the mornings with a strong cup of cafe au lait is a sublime experience.

Kagehitokiri

anyone looked at http://www.auduboncottages.com/ ?
7 cottages (13BR)
with pool, and 3 cottages have private courtyards

(or visited any of mgmt co's http://www.neworleanshotelcollection.com/ properties ?)

Blackbook

It's a pity how dismal the hotel scene is in NOLA.

NYBanker

It is a fairly downmarket town these days. I think it punches at/above its weight in terms of hotels (though they're far from extraordinary).

Mickidon

We just came back from a weekend at WC and I am left, as always, with the thought "THIS is the best hotel in NOLA?" Every time we visit, something rankles and it sends me scurrying
for an alternative, which is never found. Suspect the same routine will recur.

What we like:

-location, walkable to many parts of the city and relatively quiet
-nice lobby and lovely waitstaff for breakfast in the dining room
-convenience of club level. Bonus points for the staff being engaged and welcoming, which has not always been the case.
-large rooms

However, for the price and expectations, this property never seems to get all of the small things right and, for each of our visits, the small things are different.

-the rooms are relatively dark. We had a lightbulb out upon arrival and called for a replacement. It never came, so we had to try again 5 hours later. Checking such items should be part of room prep.
-there was some trash in our waste basket and potato chip crumbs on the wet bar counter
when we got into our room. As well, the cold water in the wet bar never worked. It didn't matter to us at all, and chose not to report it, curious if it would be noticed. Nope.
-room a bit dusty (the vent in the bathroom caked with an inch of dust) and a bit of
mold in the bathroom. The windows were filthy and needed a cleaning months ago.
-mechanical noise that was audible all evening
-we booked the FHP so that we could get a late check out. We told the desk twice so that
we could have the room until 4 to rest and get ready for the next leg of our trip. Between
3:15 and 3:50, 3 different people rang the doorbell, even after we put up the privacy sign so we could shower, etc. Truly irritating. Leave 'em laughing should be the mantra, which certainly didn't happen.
-the hotel does not handle crowds well - it was fully committed and we heard many people
grumbling in the elevators about check in, service lapses, etc.

None of the above items are deal breakers and we do return to this hotel time and time again. Still, we never leave feeling like our stay was even close to seamless and believe that the lofty WC reputation has more to do with the lack of competition than its product.

juuceman

Reading these, and other comments in this thread, I wonder why people would stay here over the Ritz. I understand that the initial poster wanted feedback on an alternate property as the Ritz and its club floor was not available to book, but over 4+ years I've had multiple seamless and highly pampering visits to the Ritz Carlton New Orleans. Front desk, hard product, and house staff are all wonderful. It gets a bit crowded, especially during convention/event weekends, but they deal with it well.

Blumie

The OP here. Since starting this thread, I have not been back to the Windsor Court and have stayed at the Ritz (usually on the club level, but sometimes the regular rooms) countless times. The Ritz is not as good as the Windsor Court could be, but it's better than the Windsor Court actually is (albeit based on my dates Windsor Court experiences).

BTW, for those who find the club level layout odd, you're missing the best part of this hotel relative to other Ritz Carltons: the club level and club rooms are practically a separate hotel-within-a-hotel, rather than just segregated floors, as is the case at the Windsor Court and most other Ritz properties. Yes, the layout can be confusing if you're not familiar with it, but once you get to know it, it's awesome. (And I'm happy to answer any questions to make it less confusing to folks. But once you're checked in, you never need to go to or through the "regular" non club level parts of the hotel again.)

pricesquire

Thoughts on the Roosevelt? Never stayed but, growing up in the Southeast US, this was the 'to-go' hotel.

The International House Hotel? (Strong 4* in my opinion, with one of the most killer lobby bars in the Southeast.)

FWIW, those who don't stay at the Roosevelt (whom I know) stay at the Ritz (and enjoy it).

BunnieGene

We love the Roosevelt. We used to stay at WC, but once I tried the Roosevelt we haven't stayed anywhere else in Nola. Love the spa, the cabanas, the people... We've also been fortunate enough to have been upgraded on several stays, even to the 3 different Presidential suites... The Hilton Honors program is why we tried it, but the people and the beautiful hotel are why we return... Going this weekend and cannot wait!

pricesquire

And this is the exact sentiment I hear every time someone comes back from the Roosevelt.

juuceman

Stayed here once and enjoyed an upgraded room. I've been back a few times since to use the pool and cabanas (which are rentable by non-guests) and feel that the common areas aren't well maintained. The service at the pool has been very good, but the lack of service in the restaurants doesn't work for me.

pricesquire

But you'd agree the in-room hard product is quite high?

juuceman

The in-room hard product is high quality, arguably as good or better than the Ritz's.

The sheer size of the hotel, coupled with the banged up hallways and common spaces above the lobby floor turn me off to staying there again.

Additionally, I think this hotel is just too large to be able to provide the type of service that I expect from it. Like having people in a physical position where they can help. For instance, they have an ice cream parlor just off the lobby and we duck in there with my son. Having someone scoop us a cone takes 15 minutes. Every time I've gone.

I prefer the Ritz. The front desk is always staffed. The valet remembers you and hands out bottles of water on the way out and in and cold towels when you return from a hot day out. The courtyard is well staffed all day for drinks and snacks. Housekeeping is responsive. The pre-arrival communication is handled well and they actually deliver what they promise to. And the concierge staff is approachable, helpful, and follows up and through.

Goodmorning2U

Our vote goes to the RC New Orleans, club floor.

We've stayed at the WC and the Roosevelt, and the service and rooms were much nicer at the RC. We particularly enjoyed a coffee and pastry bar the RC had setup in the lobby every morning for a quick bite to go. Meals in the courtyard are lovely, and they've recently renovated the club floor.

If the WC just did a deep clean of their rooms and provided more consistent service it could be the winner, but until then we will return to the RC.

If you have a chance visit this gallery, http://www.kurteschonltd.com/, its one of the nicest in New Orleans and the people who work there are so friendly and knowledgeable. It was one of the highlights of our trip.