Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans

stayed there for a week. checked in at 3 a.m. didn't have a reservation, or so they said. called booking agent. they FINALLY got things squared away. after we stood around waiting for a half an hour. so by 4 a.m. we actually got in our room. maids woke us up at 8 .a.m . to be fair I've heard both good and bad about this place. so ya might get lucky and have a good experience or, ya might not. for as much as they charge per night, I wouldn't take the chance. Read less

What a perfectly placed hotel this is - right in the heart of Bourbon Street - but many of the rooms are away from the street so noise is not a problem. The very well dressed concierge guys are pleasant as are the reception staff. Rooms are large (I had requested a quieter room and got it), beds are very comfortable and bathrooms are very good. I understand this is a well known and popular hotel and I can understand why. Expensive but worth it. Read less

We stayed at this hotel to go to the Sugar Bowl. The location is great as it is right on Bourbon Street. It was decorated for Christmas and truly beautiful. The rooms are very small and our window was narrow and high off the floor. To close the black-out drapes, I had to stand on the desk! The room was very dark. Our family had 5 rooms and Sonesta gave us rooms close together. The rooms were all very clean. Even on New Year's Eve our room was quiet since we overlooked the courtyard instead of the street. Read less

My family and I decided to decend upon New Orleans for the after Christmas break. The requirements were to find a place in the heart of the action, still have some semblance of quiet, have a pool, and offer breakfast. The Royal Sonesta hit all the marks on what we needed, and the rates were incredibly favorable. I booked the hotel about a month a head of time. The rate I was given included their concierge program, which includes breakfast and a free happy hour in the evening with heavy hor's de vours. This was perfect for us. Check in: Arriving at the hotel from the airport, it's not much too look at from the outside, because it blends in with the decor of Bourban Street, except for the blue awnings with their name on it. So it's kind of non-descript from the outside. However, once you go inside, WOW, what a beautiful hotel. The inside is palatial, and you are greeted by a beautiful fountain. With it still being the holiday season, it was also incredibly decorated with Christmas decorations. The lobby area was super impressive. We were checked in quickly by the front desk, and when I made the reservation, I had asked for one of their quieter rooms. They ended up putting us in a room near the rear of the property on the sixth floor. The Room: The room was beautiful and clean. Typical room with two queen sized beds and a decent sized bathroom. The room had a flat screen TV, a desk area with chair and another sitting chair. I had a view of the courtyard & fountain, and the pool could be seen to the right. At night, you could still faintly hear the thumping of activity on Bourban street, but once I turned on the white noise app on my smartphone, it would drown out any outside noise and we all slept very soundly. Concierge / Breakfast / Happy Hour So as part of my rate, I had access to the concierge area on the 7th floor, which is a large room with tables & chairs and some staff attending to your needs and providing drinks. At breakfast, they had fruit, eggs, baked goods, juice, coffee, etc. For happy hour, they had beer, wine, soft drinks, bread pudding, antipasto, salad, brussel sprouts, hummus with pita & chips. The staff they have working up there are awesome too, super friendly and helpful. What a perk to have!! Location: This place is in the HEART of the French Quarter and smack dab on Bourbon Street. You absolutely hands down cannot beat the location of this hotel if you're looking to be in the heart of the action. Pool: Pool is on the third floor. It is open air in their courtyard and heated. This was a MUST because it was great to have this as an option for our kids after a day of exploring and being out and about in New Orleans. They also have towels by the pool area. A very minor complaint was that sometimes in the evenings, the pool would get a few bugs in the water collecting in certain spots, but nothing that was disgusting or make the pool unusable. Certainly didn't stop our kids for getting in! Other ameneties: The hotel has a jazz bar, a huge bar, a coffee shop, and an oyster bar all on the first floor facing Bourbon street. The courtyard also boasts a beautiful fountain. Staff: Any staff we interacted with were friendly and professionally. On the first day, we did have to ask three times for extra blankets, but we got them eventually. This wasn't a big deal, as my wife just likes extra weight on the bed, not like we were cold. The hotel and the rooms were awesome. Given the opportunity, I would definitely stay here again and I highly recommend this property to anyone looking to be in the heart of the French Quarter. Read less