Spent the weekend at the New Orleans Hyatt. Nicely redone. A classy update of the somewhat dated atrium/structure. Had a king on the 26th floor with a view towards Kenner. Meh. Nice new furnishings but the room seemed smaller than I recall them being. Maybe it seemed smaller because of the freestanding wardrobe near the entry/bathroom door. A closet would be nicer. Huge plasma TV on the wall, with an overly complicated menu. Same with the elevators, which are "ordered" electronically. You select the floor on a touchscreen, it tells you what car to wait for, the stops are listed inside the door. But if you change your mind mid-ride...tough, because there are no floor buttons inside the elevators. Interesting.

Regency Club was above par. Great views on the 32nd floor and a huge space wrapping around the windows. Nice spread too: in the evening they had roasted veggies, a couple of dips, crudite, 1/4 muffalettas, cheeses, french bread crisps, fruit, honor bar, espresso/coffee machine, and a refrigerated case of sodas and juices. Breakfast was less exciting -- standard continental fare...nice croissant/muffins, bagels/toast, cereals, fruits, plus hot oatmeal.

Staff is trying very hard, although the front desk seems a little green, still. Nonetheless, a big welcome back to the Big Easy!