All glitz and no content

Just returned from two full weeks in the Quarter. December is ideal - low season prices and less crowded. You can work a price deal almost anywhere. And at this Wyndham you better, because I would call it a 3-star place with five star rack rates! The Hilton and the Ritz are cheaper with standard discounts. This is my tenth December in NOLA, the last four at the Bourbon Orleans, presently closed for renovations.

The location "on the edge of the French Quarter is misleading. It's four blocks up and eight blocks over to the center of the Quarter. At least six blocks any direction to get to anything. The only place this hotel is convenient to is the gambling casino across the street, or the convention center which is still a cab or trolley ride away.

It's a 3-bldg complex, hotel, office tower, and shopping mall. The mall is on the business street side, which must be navigated to find the special elevators to the 11th floor hotel lobby, then through a maze of corridors to find another set of elevators to the hotel room floors.

Certainly not workable for someone who likes to stop back in the room a couple times a day between touring, shopping, eating. But then it's too far from wverything to do that, anyway.

The main hotel entrance is really on the back of the mall building, on a side alley that faces an abandoned warehouse building and three outdoor unpaved parking lots. Too dark and scary to walk even the four blocks to the 'edge' of the quarter after dark, having to go past warehouse, parking lots, and side street dives with bar girls hanging out the door soliciting on dimly lit streets.

Oh yes, there's a fabulous hotel lobby, fine for relaxing or meeting friends. This seems to be a Wyndham custom. But it's needed since the rooms are small, only one chair, and not even room for one person to relax in other than sleeping.

Other places have antique reproduction furniture to continue the NOLA atmosphere. This place has a consistent 1950's Holiday Inn decor, complete with carpet and bed spreads, blankets, that must be from the same era.

As to staff, I should have taken the clue from my experience in having to make several long distance phone calls just to arrange my reservations and details. (Forget this "Wyndham by Request" membership thing - it means nothing.) Everyone is nice, polite, smiling, with the memory span of a goldfish. Any request will be forgotten in under two seconds. Any questions for information, or if someone needs to make a decisions (I don't think they employ anyone over 25 years old), the answer is, "I'll have to check with the manager." and call me back with a message the next day. Three times this response, three times no action.

Housekeeping either cannot read the "do not disturb: door cards, or else think their needs are ore important than the customer. Every morning, 3 or 4 times, bangining on the door and shouts of "Housekeeping!" I tell them to go away, and then the phone calls start, "When can we make up your room?" I get to sleep later at home on regular work days. It took four complaints, over ten days, to housekeepeing supervisor, front desk, concierge, and manager's office, to get them to stop waking me in early and mid-mornings.

Finally, I checked out and moved over to the Hilton. Same price for December's low season, and a professionally-run company.

Stay away. There are many better places for the same price or less, even after a 50 percent discount. Unless all you want is a bed at night across from the casino.

This hotel ruined my long-anticipated vacation, and a week later now of any feeling of even having a break. A long weekkend back at home was the first R&R I got.

Best in New Orleans

Who said you can't get good service in a down economy......... Friendly staff..... Clean hotel, awsome location, spectacular views of the Mississippi River and French Quarter! Three couples two rooms (large rooms, marble foyers), One suite-WOW! Surprisingly upscale. Value, Value Value........ We thought we stayed at the best in the New Orleans in the past but this hotel exceeded our expectations and is now at the top of our list. 9/9/03

Not high class as it used to be in mid 80's.

I stayed at this hotel in 1986 when it was owned by another more luxury oriented company. The first thing different I noticed that I didn't like was the once elegant crystal light fixtures & lamps all had compact florescent bulbs screwed into them. I would have rather paid $15.00 more per night than to have to look at than ugliness. Tacky & cheap. They should not be worried about their light bill, they are a luxury hotel. The elevators to the rooms from the 11th floor was jerky & slow. Also, they were hot, no air movement at all. The room was ok, but the tv remote didn't work & the marble tile in the bathrom was craked in several places. Toilet flushed awfully loud. Hotel looked like a 3 star not a 4 star.

No Soda Machines

After a hot and muggy day of touring the French Quarter, the only way to get a Coke was to take the elevator to the 29th. floor, walk up 5 flights of stairs to the pool and the only soda machine in the hotel....and only when the pool was open. Rooms were nice but a pain to get to when you had to walk thru the mall and get on one elevator and then switch to another elevator on the 11th. floor to get to your floor. Still no newspaper after 3 days of my friend complaining to the staff. Close to everything though.

Never again!

Towels were not left by housekeeping, I had to call twice and after waiting for an hour and a half I finally had to go to the front desk to get bath towels. The rooms are way overpriced and the service is terrible.

Unclean Rooms at the Wyndham

I just returned from a stay at the New Orleans Wyndham. I was there from June 3-6th, 2003. I did not enjoy my room at all. I stayed in room 2121. Upon entering the room it looked ok however, with a closer look, there was dust on the desk lamp. It appears it hasn't been cleaned for months. The phone on the nightstand was filthy. You could see the dirt on the handset and on the mouth piece. No excuse for not cleaning it when the dirt is obviously visible. The bed cover (quilt) had stains on it. It needed a good washing. The toilet was low in flushing. The coffee condiment holder was nasty and dirty. The carpets needed a good cleaning; in fact, they need to replace it. I felt pretty dirty in the room. I didn't want to touch anything. I called the front desk and expressed my disappointment and wanted them to do a better cleaning. They indicated they would take care of it that day and no one never came up. The next morning I called the front desk again and spoke with the Manager on duty. He assured me that someone would be up shortly to give the room a through cleaning. Hours later. It looked better but there was still dust everywhere. I give up. I would never recommend anyone to go to this hotel. I understand it is pretty expensive but I paid $89/night which was the Harrahs casino rate. Still it was not worth the $.

Wonderful location!

Stayed here April 2002,a fabulous hotel in a great location.Within easy walking distance to Harrahs,the French Quarter and just a short stroll to the pier.The staff were very friendly and the rooms were very spacious.The hotel is also attatched to a upmarket mall with stores like Gucci.The only strange thing is the reception area is on the eleventh floor but apart from that the hotel is awesome.

It is ok

Nice place, located close to the casino & river

NOT in the French Quarter -but-

way over priced. Hilton on the river is

usally cheaper by 30% or more. Lot of very

nice properties in the area that can be had

for a lot less. Definetly not a value deal.

Roof top pool is nice.

Comfy place to stay...

comfy rooms, nice, secure... slept well here in the nice big beds. The only problem was the celebrating football fans down the hall... (go back to bars for that guys!!)

Very nice!!!

One great hotel. The staff was nice, food was pricey-dont eat there, there is lots of great food around the french quarter. stupid elevator set up, but thats my only complaint! highly recomended!!!