455denac
Family · November 20252/10
I rely on TripAdvisor all the time for advice but rarely write reviews. And I've never left a negative review here . . . until now. I read the warnings about this hotel, and I took them with a grain o...I rely on TripAdvisor all the time for advice but rarely write reviews. And I've never left a negative review here . . . until now. I read the warnings about this hotel, and I took them with a grain of salt (as I do most negative reviews). We chose this hotel for the location, amenities, and suite with balconies. We're visiting NOLA over Fall Break / Halloween week with our teenagers, working in some college tours while we're here.
The good: Most of the staff are friendly and try to be helpful, although they are far from proactive. The location is great. That's about it.
Prior to arrival: 48 hours before check-in, we received an email saying all amenities (pool, fitness center, etc) would be unavailable during our stay. We chose this hotel in large part for these amenities and, had we been given more than 48 hours notice, we would have rebooked at a different hotel. Given that it's Halloween weekend in NOLA, this was not an option.
Day of arrival: We requested early check-in, as we had a tour booked at Tulane the afternoon of our arrival and were hoping to put our things down and change our clothes beforehand. When we arrived at 11:45, the clerk said the room should be ready by 1:00, and she would text us as soon as it was set. We checked back at 1:00, and were told the room would be ready by 1:30. It was not. We left for our tour, and the text never came. We arrived back at the hotel about 5:00. Our room was ready but they didn't bother to text us. Only one person was working the front desk (during peak check-in time), so we waited in line forever to finally check in.
The room: I love historic buildings. (As an aside, I didn't realize when booking that this building was once used as the Slave Exchange, which might explain the bad vibe.) This building is downright decrepit. The doors don't really close all the way, and the door from the bedroom to the main room (where the kids sleep) doesn't latch, which means privacy is nonexistant. So much for the suite. The main room has a pull-out sofa for our kids. Upon arrival, it was not made up. (Fine, happy to do this.) When I pulled out the bed, I was horrified. It literally looked like someone had been murdered. It was covered in what appeared to be dried blood. (See pics.) I then discovered the hotel didn't actually provide any bedding for the pull-out, despite the fact that we booked the room for four people! I called housekeeping and they brought sheets, pillows, and a comforter. Still had the biohazard situation, though. Ugh. Also, there is no micromave, no minibar, and no access to cold beverages (no vending, limited ice machines, with none on our floor). The refrigerator barely works, so the drinks we purchased offsite were lukewarm. Oh, and I'm fairly certain one of our two balconies is structurally unsound, as the wood is rotting away. I told the kids they cannot go out there as it's unsafe. So much for paying extra for a room with balconies.
Day two: No hot water for the whole day. Apparently, a pipe burst. You can't make this stuff up. At least two of the three elevators worked (although they're crazy slow).
Day three: No housekeeping. Our garbage piled up and we ran out of clean towels. No one ever came. Then the elevators went out. ALL the elevators. Thank goodness we are on the second floor and don't have mobility issues. There's no public stairwell, so we are using the service stairs in an industrial hallway. (Not a 4-star experience, but okay.)
Day four: We are still here, bracing for whatever nightmare comes next. I had to call the front desk and beg for housekeeping to please come and empty our trashcans and bring us some clean towels. They did so.
Here's the thing: I travel all the time for work, and I stay in a lot of two-star hotels in very rural areas. This hotel is infinitely worse than ANY two-star hotel I've stayed in. I honestly have ZERO idea how they earned four stars. Our stay here has been a nightmare. And, worst of all, nobody from the hotel has even acknowledged the multitude of issues we've experienced, much less apologized for the substantial inconveniences or even asked if we're okay. In my opinion, any one of the major issues we've experienced is grounds for at least a partial refund. Instead, we are spending a fortune to stay in a hotel without hot water, elevators, housekeeping, or any of the amenities we paid for and expected.
We are scheduled to check out tomorrow, and I'm bracing for the next hotel nightmare. I'll update this review with more details after check out and will likely add more photos. In the meantime, my advice is to STAY AWAY! This hotel is a hot mess.Show More
