Three New Orleans Motels

During the summer of 2007 I have visited New Orleans three times and stayed at a different Motel each time.  Here are my observations and opinions of these Motels.  Bring your wallet - Parking is astronomically expensive - Read on.

Iberville Suites

I stayed at the Iberville Suites located on Iberville Street in the French Quarter during my first trip to New Orleans in July 2007.  They were offering a special price of $84.00 a night which is $18.00 less than per diem.  Not a bad deal until you park your car though.  Parking is Valet only and the cost is $34.00 per day before the tip!  The room was nice consisting of a two room suite with a refrigerator and microwave.  Internet Connectivity is available for an additional charge, so when all is said and done, this place isn’t the per diem buster you would think at first glance. The common areas are very luxurious with a sitting room where you can watch TV or sit and read the paper.  The staff is very friendly, and professional too.  They do offer a continental Breakfast in the morning that has every thing from breads, coffee, cereal, fruit, waffles, and scrambled eggs and bacon.  This Motel is less than a block from Bourbon Street, so if you decide to vacation there, it is nice to be able to walk or stumble to Bourbon Street and not have to worry about driving.

Courtyard by Marriott

The Courtyard by Marriott that I stayed at is located on St. Charles Avenue a block off of Canal Street.  Canal Street is the dividing line of the French Quarter.  Parking is Valet only and costs $26 plus tax per day which turns into $29.12 per day!  They offer a Breakfast buffet, and if you are not a Marriott's Reward Silver Elite member or better, there is a charge for it.  I happen to be a Silver Elite, so I got my Breakfast for free, but if I had to pay for it, I would have skipped it.  It wasn't worth the price they were asking.  Internet Connectivity is complementary with the room too, as it is with all Marriott properties.  This is just your basic Courtyard by Marriott, and hard to get to and from the expressway.  One wrong turn can cause you a lot of driving around due to the many one way streets combined with the fact that you cannot make a left off of Canal Street at most intersections.  St Charles Ave is a one way street that runs from Canal Street away from the French Quarter and is one block in from Canal Street.  This means you need to approach Canal Street North of St Charles so that you can get there in a direct manner.

Residence Inn by Marriott

During the first part of August I stayed at the Residence Inn located in the Warehouse District of New Orleans on St. Joseph Street.  This Residence Inn is like most Residence Inns around the country.  You get a hot Breakfast, a light dinner, and Internet Connectivity included in the price of the room.  Also, you have a two room suite with a kitchenette just as you would expect from a Residence Inn.  Parking is $18.00 per day.  You park your car yourself in one of two public lots.  I liked the location of this Residence Inn.  It is within walking distance of Harrah’s Hotel & Casino, Mulate’s Original Cajun Restaurant, and several neighborhood bars and restaurants.  The funny thing about this Motel is that it is in an old building.  My room would suddenly creak loudly in the middle of the night.  It was a bit eerie and unsettling.