to review hotels but this time I feel compelled. The hotel condition and cleanliness was above average for a city hotel but thats not why I'm writing the review. The staff and I mean all of them from the maid service, front desk bartender and cooks were the most helpful friendliest staff I've ever encountered. They continually went out of there way so many times to keep me and the other guest comfortable. When I return to New Orleans I will be staying at the HGI.

Clean, great location to convention center, easy walk downtown, good service from check in through check out and getting a cab to the airport.

I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Convention Centre recently on a business trip. It is located just across the road from the New Orleans Convention Centre and within walking distance of the River front and French Quarter areas. It is about 30 minutes from New Orleans airport.

My room was a good size, with two queen beds. There was plenty of storage, with a large set of drawers and double wardrobe. The room also has coffee maker, microwave, and mini-fridge. The microwave is a bonus if you fancy a snack, but the hotel does not supply any cutlery or plates, etc., so be careful what you want to microwave, or pop down to the restaurant to borrow some utensils. I also had a chair and table and a large TV and Internet access. The bathroom was clean and functional.

In the hotel lobby, there is a small shop which sells drinks, microwavable food, milk, and other bits and pieces you may have forgotten, such as toothpaste, soap, etc. You just pay for the item at reception. There is also a restaurant in the lobby from where they serve a buffet breakfast every morning. You can choose the continental breakfast, which consists of fruit, yoghurt, muffins, pastries, bagels, toast, etc., or you can have the full breakfast which, in addition to the continental, includes bacon, sausage, burgers, eggs, hash browns, grits, etc. The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner, but I did not get the chance to try these offerings.

Just off the lobby is a business centre which offers meeting rooms for guests and also has a room for Internet use, faxing, etc. They also have boxes, envelopes, etc., that you can use to ship goods within the USA and overseas via UPS and Fed-Ex. Being so near the convention centre, they are quite geared up for business guests.

I found my three-night stay here to be quite pleasant, and if you are staying here in order to visit the convention centre, it is ideal. However, if you are a tourist, choose a hotel located nearer the main tourist areas.

The Hilton Garden Inn New Orleans Downtown is a bit difficult to find at first, with all the one way streets and all, and is not in one of the "best neighborhoods", but it is a lovely place to stay! We ‘lucked’ into a ‘great escapes’ rate of only $79 and were upgraded to a junior suite upon our arrival. They first assigned us a non-smoking suite, but when I asked if a smoking suite was available we were happily provided with one! We were given coupons for (2) free bottles of water and a coupon for a continental breakfast. When I asked for a second breakfast coupon I was told that they were only allowed one for the Hilton Honors member.

Our next goal was to park our vehicle. They have a parking garage around the corner, which connects to the hotel and costs about $16 a night. We were parked in front of the hotel in the passenger-loading zone and in order to get to the garage needed to drive around the block. We did so, but found that our vehicle was too large to fit into the entrance of the garage. We returned to the hotel desk, asked their advice, and were told of a couple of local garages that we could use and also advised that there was parking on the street in designated areas. We were able to bring our belongings up to the room before moving the vehicle, and when we went to move it I noticed an available parking space on the street (1-way) directly across from the hotel entrance (no meter, so for free). I was rather leery about leaving such a new vehicle on the street in a warehouse district, but it was fine.

The hotel has a rooftop pool and a small exercise room. It also has an on-premises restaurant and bar. We did not make use of either, but it was nice to know that they were there. Each room has a mini-refrigerator and microwave. There is a self-service laundry room and a small ‘pantry’ store.

We walked over toward the convention center and the riverwalk. They both are very close (a couple of blocks). The convention center did not interest us, but the Riverwalk was an experience! From the Riverwalk we walked to the French Quarter, but we took the Riverside Trolley on the way back – which dropped us off just a block from the hotel.

This would be a wonderful hotel if your sites are set on the convention center or the Riverwalk area! The staff is very gracious and helpful and the whole feel of the hotel is that of an oasis in a busy world.