jb3t

I just stayed at three NOLA hotels and here's a briefing of each...

Le Meridien - Stayed one night. Hotel is in good location, was upgraded (PLT) to the top floor but not suite even though they were available. Room was fine but on the small side. Decent pool and workout area, decent hotel vibe, and PLT breakfast was continental off the buffet or $14 per person. Service was good. Overall, not "wow" but decent. I'd have no issue staying here again.

Sheraton Meterie - Stayed one night (supposed to be three) as I thought I would stay outside of town to be more car maneuverable. Hotel is a side of the highway hotel. Was given a suite on 5 (of 7). Walked in to a bad moisture smell so I went downstairs and they put me in a king on club floor, which was much better smell-wise. There's not much in the area and no good places to walk or jog. They had an outdoor pool and small workout center. Club Lounge was very small with very limited options on a Sunday. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. I left this hotel for the Sheraton NO as there was nothing to do close by. I'd only stay here if I had to be at th airport or had work in the direct area. No major complaints, it's just your typical side of the highway hotel. One night was fine.

Sheraton New Orleans - Wow. Big, bustling, friendly staff, an upgrade to an awesome suite, awesome workout room, small rooftop pool, cool club lounge, and close to all the action. Reminds me Le Centre Sheraton Montreal. I'd stay here again in a heartbeat.

I saw the FP FQ and that looks like it would be cool if you want to be in the middle of the action; the Westin... Which is pretty close to the Sheraton and attached to a cool mall, and the W... Right in the heart of the FQ.

This city has very good SPG options.

Nash_Andrew

See my recent stay review in the "Le Meridien New Orleans" thread.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...er-thread.html

Nash_Andrew

Was back again this weekend for two nights at the Aloft New Orleans Downtown on Baronne.

Very different hotel than the Le Meridien obviously but it was an excellent stay. Room was standard Aloft. Comfortable and clean with a bit of a stylistic edge. Excellent staff, good bar in lobby, standard Aloft retail in the lobby as well (coffee, market, various snacks, etc) and a surprisingly nice pool deck and gym for a hotel of this class. The pool is a bit on the small side though.

Location is also very good. You're a block down from the Roosevelt, two blocks off Canal. Though it can feel a little dead in front of the hotel at night I have no complaints about the location generally.

One quibble with the design would be the, well, stupid decision to put the lightswitch for the bathroom by the room's door. So if you're fumbling around in the middle of the night for the restroom you're screwed... it's totally in the wrong place. As is often the case in Alofts the sink area is not separated from the room so if you are sharing the room the light or noise from one person using the sink area will disturb the other. Still doesn't excuse the crazy lightswitch placement.

Overall excellent stay and would happily recommend the Aloft.

bgriff

Any more recent thoughts on the NO properties? Going with my husband in late January for our first time there. We enjoy nightlife but definitely won't be out drinking all night or in the midst of some of the most raucous places.

From reading this thread and the property threads, it sounds like the Westin is probably the best of the bunch, though there are definitely defenders and detractors from all of the properties.

For us the W or LeM would normally be more our style, though reviews on both of those properties are pretty mixed. FWIW, while it isn't ideal, some noise is not a dealbreaker for us.

I have all three booked with SNAs waitlisting for now, so might let SNA clearance decide it for us.

I guess maybe the best question is, given that both have their downsides, what is the recommendation between the W and the LeM?

EuropeanPete

I've stayed at both in the last 18 months and found the W marginally less bad. New Orleans is a very rare city where I've decided to no longer use Starwood. I was at the Roosevelt for my last stay which was miles better.

bgriff

Thanks for your thoughts.

Perhaps a related question to my original question is, does either the W or the LeM get significantly better if SNAs come through, assuming they clear at both properties?

RogerD408

No, between those two the W is the better choice. But personally, I like the Sheraton between the two, especially if they put you in one of the end suites (x31?). Nice rooms, good views, and easy walks just about everywhere.

danbnash

I have stayed at the W and enjoyed it. It's small, about 95 rooms and the decor is a little left of center, but it is in an old building. Their bar/restaurant SoBou (for South of Bourbon) is good. It's part of the Commander's Palace family of restaurants. They also have a nice little heated pool surrounded by a large courtyard.

controller1

I agree. The Executive Suites are xx30 and xx31.

Additionally, the Club Lounge is really good for a US-based Sheraton.

Eastbay1K

Any Four Points updates? I just need a one night stay with a late checkout, the price is extremely right, and the location is very good (maybe too good - any less noisy rooms?) I've stayed at the Sheraton recently and liked it very much, but since I won't even arrive in time for evening lounge hours, I'd just rather save the dough.

FlyingFrZ

Also looking for a recent update on the Four Points. Will be staying here most likely in the coming weeks for 4 nights, and wanted to know if its still a good option beyond the location.

Eastbay1K

Very nice staff. Efficient check-in, and she informed me I was "upgraded" to a corner Bourbon St. balcony room. (Note that the balcony is shared by several rooms and you need to keep your curtains closed to avoid people able to look in.) I asked for something not facing Bourbon St., but she didn't have anything, as there was a big wedding party.

Room is decent enough, but reeks of that southern mildew smell. Noise from Bourbon St. was intolerable. "Fortunately," on Sunday night, the music noise ended just after 1:30 am. I don't know what hour I heard the garbage trucks.
Two large cookies with a Platinum Welcome card were waiting in the room. Breakfast card says "continental" but covers $10/pp, and I don't believe anything on the menu was over $10 (and coffee is complimentary).

Location can't be beat. For this price, I'd stay here again in an inside-facing room.

FlyingFrZ

Thanks for the update. I'm equally excited and nervous about staying in the middle of all the action. But this is my first visit to New Orleans so I might as well

lilpisher

I stayed at the LM at the end of October (over Halloween weekend) and was upgraded to a Luxury Suite using SNAs. I had absolutely no issues with noise and the LM room met all of my expectations (and the larger sized M+G toiletries in the suite were a nice touch). My only downside was the restaurant was the strictest I've seen regarding use of breakfast certs for Platinum. It was $16 or continental (yogurt with fruit, breakfast pastries, juice and coffee, plated and not off buffet); I was the only one staying in the room and was provided two certs per day (since award reservation defaults to 2 guests); restaurant was adamant I could only use one per day since I was dining alone. While I'm sure they were within the T&Cs, I've never had a property before be this strict.

As a P100, had an eclair and Aqua Panna water left in the room.

Eastbay1K

One other point - Bourbon St. is a mess due to construction - the construction is mostly west of there right now but the Four Points block is partially obstructed (cars can still get through during car hours with difficulty). Parking entrance is on Toulouse (around the corner). For my Lyft to the airport, I plugged in an address on Toulouse to make it easier for everyone.