PTravel

We're staying there now. Our walls aren't thin, the room is an odd shape, but reasonably spacious, the property is beautiful and staff is quite nice.

prncess674

The W New Orleans is your typical high rise cookie cutter hotel. Nicely decorated and modern hotel. Lots of suites. If you don't mind a bit of quirkiness then the W FQ may be fun. The basic room at the W FQ could be very small and oddly shaped, so if something like that is going to "ruin your vacation" then pick the W on Poydras. Either W is walkable to FQ but the W FQ is closer to the FQ.

russmeyergirl

Agree on the unusual shape of the rooms however I agree with the earlier poster - the walls are ridiculously thin and during room cleaning housekeeping was slamming doors like there was no tomorrow. It really spolit it for me.

The other W is nice enough - much larger and signficiantly more comfortable - but you lose out on the location.

techgirl

I've had more noise issues with the W New Orleans than the W French Quarter - on my last stay there (a few weeks before the hurricane), I actually had to make no less than 10 calls to whatever/whenever about noise in the rooms on either side of me.

wma

When we stayed at W on Poydras we were upgraded to very nice suite, however couple next door kept us up all night. When we were at thw W in the quarter, room not as nice but much more quiet. Both have their pluses and minuses. Poydras has a restaurant for breakfast on property, Quarter doesn't. Quarter can be a little scary to walk to late at night, Poydras isn't. It's a toss of the coin really.

BosTravel

Without question, I would choose the W French Quarter. Better location, in my opinion. I was there on leisure, however, not business or a convention. I found the staff to be great and the public space and rooms were very nice too.

awc825

Are both Ws within walkable distance to the major tourist spots? I've never been to New Orleans and will appreicate any advice.

PTravel

The W French Quarter (on Chartres) is right in the middle of the French Quarter -- everything is in walking distance.

prncess674

I would consider both walkable to the FQ, but realize there is plenty to do in NOLA outside of the F. The nice thing about the Poydras location is it is a bit more convenient to catch a cab and get to other destinations. What do you plan on doing most of the trip?

awc825

Thanks prncess674. I'm not actually sure what there is to do (for leisure) in New Orleans but am considering going there the the July 4th weekend. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks.

PTravel

Ummm . . . the Chartres Street location is IN the French Quarter which, I guess, makes it "walkable." We had no trouble getting cabs there. Getting cabs in the rest of the city is another story, though, as evidently they are still scarce.

prncess674

A lot of cabbies don't like to get stuck in the FQ, especially during big events or holidays (aka 4th of July) I never said it was impossible to get a cab but getting a cab on Poydras verses Chartres can make a big difference. Poydras is a major artery in downtown and will usually yeild less traffic rather than trying to manuever the narrow streets of the Quarter. Many cabbies are still not back in town due to Katrina. My parents are back in NOLA after Katrina and getting a cabbie to take me to the airport from their home is a pain in the a** so there aren't as many cabs/cabbies these days.

PTravel

I agree that there aren't many taxis in NO (in fact, I think I said that). Notwithstanding major holidays, there was almost always a cab waiting for passengers at the Chartres Street W and, when there wasn't, it took no more than 5 minutes for one to arrive after it was called. The OP had asked which W is more convenient to the "attractions." The Chartres Street W is smack in the middle of the French Quarter -- 2 blocks from Bourbon Street, 2 blocks from Jackson Square, 1 block from Royal, and 2 blocks from Canal Street (the better part). It doesn't get more convenient than that. Getting taxis at the Chartres Street W simply isn't an issue. On holidays, it might be harder but that is true anywhere.

jbatl

I'm officially over W Hotels.

The "little W" in the French Quarter is a boutique hotel on Chartres Street. The "big W" is a full size hotel on Poydras. I've had the pleasure (or not?) of being a guest at both hotels within the last month. When in New Orleans, I usually stay at the Sheraton, but recently I decided to branch out.

The "W" takes trendy to new levels. From the club music in the elevators, to the front desk clerks in t-shirts, you get the feeling that the chain cares more about being cool than being comfortable. (There's a CD player AND a DVD player in the room, but I had to crawl under the desk to find a power outlet!)

In my opinion, "W" is all flash and little substance. There is much attention paid to lobby decor and quirky things like special toiletries and funny room service menus. What they seem to miss is the basic customer service standard that business travelers are looking for. Upon arriving at both hotels, I immediately found problems with my room (missing hair dryer, broken remote). At the "little," I was shocked to find the vodka bottles in the minibar filled not with fine spirits, but with water (a previous guest pulling a prank that was undiscovered in the room turnover). At the "big," there was no liquor in the minibar at all, nor was there a price list ... I usually like to know how badly I'm being ripped off.

The bed, which might be the most important feature of the room, is good. Typical sweet sleeper.

The best thing I can say about the "little" is that it's home to an outstanding restaurant ... Bacco, which is run by the famous Brennan family. The lobster ravioli is, indeed, spectacular. And, they've got a great "three-appetizers-and-a-glass-of-wine-for-$25" special. Unfortunately, the "big" falls seriously short in the dining category. They bill themselves has having an upscale restaurant called "Zoe." Sadly, the food I had there was not only downscale, but way overpriced.

I've forgiven a lot of lapses from hotels and restaurants in New Orleans post-Katrina. I know it's hard to find employees. In these cases, the problem doesn't seem to be a lack of employees, but a lack of attention to detail.

The "little" also wins in the location category, although the "big" is right across the street from Harrah's. All in all, while this exploration has been interesting, I think I'll stick with the Sheraton and the Marriott on future New Orleans trips.

ThisDJ

The W on Poydras was always lacking a bit, I once fixed my own toilet there (maint never came) and have caught giant roaches on more than one stay.

I have been once after Katrina and the property slipped a bit further.

I now stay across the street at The Loews, The rooms are amazing and the staff is very attentive, and you can earn Gold very quickly with Loews, I was upgraded to a suite there a few weeks ago. The room price is comparable to The W and it is right across the street.