My husband and I came to New Orleans to help our daughter get settled in at Tulane University. The proximity of this hotel to campus and shopping for dorm needs was very convenient. Having a kitchenette in the room was also a huge plus. It saved us time and money.This hotel is in a great neighborhood for restaurants in all price ranges. The hotel staff was friendly and courteous. The room was clean and we were each given our own welcome pack upon check-in. The $* per night parking fee was offset by the great flight/hotel package rate through online travel website.

The Avenue Plaza Hotel and Pro Spa is located right on St. Charles near the Tourism Board building. The trolley stop is only steps outside. The marble-tiled lobby sets the mood for an elegant stay in one of the spacious suites. The refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher in the suite kitchenettes are perfect for an extended vacation in the Crescent City. There’s plenty of room to make a meal and eat at the table in the small dining area. Lots of cabinet space, too. Of course New Orleans is known for its wonderful food, so I’m not sure how many times you’ll want to eat in. If you are going out for the night, the complimentary hors d’ oeuvres the hotel offers in the lounge downstairs are a nice touch to enjoy before you leave. There’s also a steak and seafood restaurant on property.

The nice, on-site spa with its sauna and exercise facilities is a great place to work out or just relax. Escape the Louisiana heat for the afternoon and get a full body massage, wrap or facial.

If you’d like to buy a timeshare unit at the Avenue, you can do this, too. You’ll notice there’s a timeshare sales facility on site downstairs.

Other cool features?
The thing that makes this hotel really interesting to me is the Ashley House behind the outside pool. During set hours, you can tour this antebellum home built in the early nineteenth century or you can book it for special receptions. Not only is this one of the oldest buildings still standing in New Orleans, the Ashley House is supposed to be haunted by Confederate ghosts!

Well, we were not very impressed. The rooms were small and not very comfortable. The couch, which opened up into a queen, was so bad that we had to call for a replacement. This was because even a 10 year old couldn't sleep on it. They were unable to replace the couch and instead, sent up a folding cot. This took up even more room and had to be folded up every morning in order to make walking room. The best and friendliest staff were the doormen.

New Year's Eve day was a nightmare: 9 busloads of high school band students checked in for the football game! They were wild: running up and down the halls, slamming doors, screaming, shouting and playing their instruments thru the night. It was so bad that we had to threaten the front desk with calling the local police if they didn't calm things down. We checked out early after the uncaring attitude of the manager the following morning. We asked for a partial refund, wrote a letter and to this day have never received an answer.

We would NOT recommend this place to anyone. There are many other places to stay in New Orleans that will treat you better!