- ENFD240
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 83
- Reviews
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Editor Pick
Two Visits, Two Different Experiences
- July 28, 2009
- Rated 3 of 5 by
Fiorentina from Las Vegas, Nevada
First let me say that I am a professional Meeting Planner and International Travel Director and therefore spend most of my time in hotels and traveling for business. I might look at hotels in a little different light. I stayed at the Dauphine Orleans twice during April and June 2009 and my experiences couldn't have been more different. My first stay was wonderful in every way, but my second left a lot to be desired.
On April 27, 2009 I stayed at the hotel with my family who was visiting from Italy. We were greeted warmly upon our arrival by the young man behind the front desk. Check in was quick and efficient, he gave us information about the hotel and the breakfast and offered suggestions on dining, sightseeing, etc without even being prompted. We booked two rooms; a standard twin and a superior double. There was really no difference between the two rooms except that the superior had a very small balcony. Both rooms were nicely updated and comfortable and the standard room had a lovely view over the pool. The bathrooms were average sized, beds and linens were good quality. Breakfast was an expanded continental and offered a nice variety of breakfast foods. They even had a waffle maker. The Bellmen were efficient and helpful. They were able to schedule a transfer to the airport for us. By all means let them call you a cab and have them use Mustafa or his brother Mo. They have clean vehicles in good condition and are very safe drivers. I had the hotel call Mustafa again this time for my airport transfers.
My second visit was June 2-3, 2009. I had received and e-mail from the Dauphine Orleans stating that they were having an anniversary special for $69. I decided to make a quick trip to NOLA to do some business. With this special the hotel offered your choice of rooms and upgrades. I thought since I had stayed in the main hotel last time that I would "upgrade" to a carriage house room. What a mistake!
From the moment I arrived at the hotel I had a completely different experience than when I stayed there in April. The young woman at the registration desk seemed bored and I did not feel welcomed even though I was a repeat guest. I went to my room which was #103 above the pool. While it looks "charming" from the outside, the room was small and musty and had a very high cathedral type ceiling with beams. Perhaps because of this the air conditioning system was not efficient and the room was extremely humid. My business papers even curled from the dampness in the room. The bathroom, if that's what you want to call it, consisted of a small counter sink near the closet. A small jacuzzi tub that didn't look the cleanest, and a toilet were housed together in a room that was no larger than a closet. I figured that since I was only staying for one night that this would be fine. I certainly did not consider this an upgrade from the rooms in the main building.
That night as I lay in my bed I looked up to notice a very large cockroach crawling up the wall. I am extremely afraid of roaches (silly I know but I can't help it) and I immediately called the front desk. The young lady offered to have someone come and kill it but I said that I would not be comfortable in that room and either needed to be changed or would be checking out. She immediately brought keys to room #109, which is another courtyard room, and I moved. This room was on the ground floor in the rear courtyard. It can only be described as "authentic" and I felt as though it was one step above camping. The wooden entry door was so small that a tall person would have to duck in order to get in. Once I was settled I called the young lady at the desk and thanked her for moving me so quickly. She said she understood as her sister in law has the same reaction to roaches. I woke up the next morning to the smell of cigarette smoke. People were standing out in the small courtyard smoking and talking loudly on their mobile phones at 7:00 in the morning.
A different woman was on duty when I checked out. She seemed a bit bothered that I had switched rooms and she hadn't been told about it. I explained to her that it was late at night. Then again I didn't know it wasn't MY responsibility to advise the next day's staff about my room change. I explained the roach situation to her and she went back to a room behind the counter and explained why I had moved to a male colleague. He said "oh people ALWAYS say it's a roach when it's JUST a waterbug". This leads me to believe that this is not the first time this has happened. Waterbug or not I have the right to have a room that is free of pests and I did not feel comfortable at the thought of sharing my room with an univited guest! When the woman came back I asked her how long the hotel was running the Anniversary Special. Her answer was "I don't know" and she didn't offer to find out. I witnessed her apathy towards other guests who were checking in after me.
Some positive things about the hotel are the fact that you can print your boarding pass at a computer terminal in the front lobby at no cost. The location is GREAT, can't be beat and they also offer a complimentary cocktail in their onsite bar. They have a nice pool and and small exercise room. The rooms in the main hotel are nicely appointed and comfortable and the price is very fair. Would I stay there again? Not sure after this last experience, but if I did it would be in the main hotel. I prefer the Prince Conti which is literally half a block away or the Monteleone which is my favorite hotel in NOLA.
Awesome Stay
- June 22, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
My 13 year old son and I just spent a week at this hotel and it was great. The room was very clean and modern. The AC worked great! (Thank goodness, it was in the high 90's all week) The bed was a Tempurpedic and very comfy! The pool was absolutely lovely and very refreshing. All of the staff were very friendly, from the front desk clerks to the cleaning staff, to the garage attendants to the breakfast servers. Oh yeah, they have a wonderful free breakfast, not your average coffee and rolls. They had waffles, fruit, bagels, muffins, cereal, oatmeal, grits, juice, coffee, etc. We would definitely stay here again and highly recommend it.
Dauphine Orleans
- June 3, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
While in New Orleans, my son and I stayed at the Dauphine Orleans. It is a perfect location...just a block off Bourbon Street and a short walk to the riverwalk. The room was clean and the staff was very friendly. We especially enjoyed the staff in the bar. It was a good place to hangout after a long day of sightseeing.
A great place to stay and I would definitely stay there again.
Beautiful, well priced, well situated
- May 30, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
Just came back from a trip and stayed here...the hotel is lovely, nice amenties, nice staff, quiet at night despite being close to Bourbon st madness. The courtyard is pretty with a SALT POOL...you will appreciate soaking your tired dogs in this ...comfortable beds, breakfast is a good start to a busy NO day. They give you a free drink in adjacent bar and you can take this to the adjacent pool...
we loved it. Incidentally, if you like good NO music, skip the Bourbon St covers and head down to Frenchman St. Lots of good music, lots of fun, cheaper! Oh and this hotel is about ten minutes walk to the oldest cemetary if that is what you are interested in.
Gorgeous Hotel, Perfect Location
- April 25, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
I chose the Dauphine Orleans for my first trip to New Orleans last summer; I didn't know the Quarter at all, so it was kind of a blind pick. Every aspect of our stay was absolutely perfect - we stayed in a double (it was the only thing available when we booked) and had a view of a neighboring (closed) hotel's pool & courtyard...very pretty view. The bed was incredibly comfortable with tons of pillows, the room was impeccably clean, and the marble bathroom was GORGEOUS and luxurious. Even the toiletries were great! The wall-mounted LCD television was very nice, the wi-fi worked perfectly and the staff was always pleasant. The breakfast was served in a sunny, cozy room on the first floor with fresh strawberries and other fruits, boiled eggs, packets of cereal, milk, juice, croissants and a waffle maker with a pitcher of batter (that was continually refreshed by the staff - nothing sat out too long or got nasty). Definitely a step above the usual free "continental" breakfast of cereal, milk, juice and apples that most hotels offer! The pool was clean and very refreshing, the courtyard was peaceful and pleasant and May Baily's was a charming surprise - bookshelves full of books that you're encouraged to take and read, a beautiful bar, excellent drinks (have a Sazerac and be authentic!) and a great place to unwind. The location is ideal, only a block from Bourbon and a very safe walk even at 3 am. The streets are well-lit and there's a used bookstore right across from the hotel! Very quiet location but right beside all the action. Tons, TONS of restaurants and shops within a stone's throw of the front door. I am returning this summer and absolutely cannot wait!