Reviewing the Holiday Inn French Quarter – Chateau LeMoyne

Holiday Inn French Quarter-Chateau LeMoyne – New Orleans, LA

GRADING
Overall Score: B
Staff: B
Room: B
Amenities: C
Recommended?: Yes

Overall Impression: A solid mid-level hotel with good rooms that’s close to everything in the French Quarter.

Hotel & Lobby

At the corner of Dauphine and Bienville Streets in the French Quarter is the Holiday Inn French Quarter – Chateau LeMoyne Hotel. This five-story hotel is less like traditional Holiday Inns and more boutique in structure and design. When you pull up to the entrance, a valet will take your car. As with most hotels in the French Quarter, parking is expensive. Here, it costs $37.95 + tax per day for cars and $43.95 + tax per day for oversized trucks and vans. So consider if you really need a car while you’re in New Orleans. (For a pro-tip on car rental in New Orleans, click here to read a previous post.)

We checked in at midnight, but no had problem with service or getting our room. The front desk staff was very friendly and accommodating. Because you are in the heart of the French Quarter, there is security at the hotel 24/7. We actually witnessed security personnel in action upon exiting our car before checking-in, keeping drunk people and vagrants from entering the hotel and loitering around the entrance.

There is a small sitting area in the lobby, just in front of the two elevators. Despite only having two elevators, we never had to wait long for one. Nearby is RF’s Bar and Restaurant, the only on-site dining. The lobby also has a small business area with a computer and printer. Conference rooms and access to the pool and courtyard are also off the lobby as well. In addition, cold water sits on a table in the lobby, a refreshment for guests.

Room

The rooms in the Holiday Inn French Quarter seem a little smaller than a standard room. That is very likely due to the age of the building. We were in a standard room with double beds and no balcony. The beds were soft, but a little too cozy, even for a happily married couple. It seemed obvious that the hotel was trying to create the illusion of more space by using two double beds, rather than queens. Needless to say, the double beds were not big enough for two normal sized people. Beds also had both soft and firm pillows.

There was a chair in the corner with a small lap desk. In addition, there was a flat screen TV, ironing board, iron, safe, alarm clock, coffeemaker, and even a small refrigerator. The walls were a little thin, since you could hear guests in their rooms and talking in the hallways.

I was a little disappointed there was no placard for changing the sheets. Nowadays, most hotels only change sheets if you request it (by setting the placard on the bed), or every third day of your stay. As there was no card, I had no idea if they were changing our sheets or not. We had to put out a tip and a note for the maid, asking her to please change our sheets since we had no clue if they were ever being washed.

One last note about the room – my husband kept his suitcase next to the outside wall during our stay. It had rained one day during our visit and the next day, he noticed his suitcase and some of his clothes were damp. Obviously there had to have been a leak in the wall or ceiling. We mentioned this to the front desk upon checkout and it was simply taken note of. However, once I filled out a survey for Holiday Inn and complained about this leak, we were compensated with reward points.

Wifi

Internet and wifi is free for all members of Holiday Inn’s IHG Rewards Club; these are the wifi speed test results with this free connection. I performed a few speed tests and pictured here is the best of three. Obviously, the wifi was less than fabulous. Everything we did online was slow and frustrating. The ping time was ok, but overall our connection here was fair to poor.

Bathroom

At the Holiday Inn French Quarter, the bathroom was small but clean. It featured an interesting wallpaper print that I was never quite able to figure out. Towels and a blowdryer were found under the vanity and Bath & Body Works toiletries were provided. As usual, hotels never seem to give enough towels and we had to ask for more. The cleanliness and functionality of the shower, toilet, and the rest of the bathroom was good.

The only negative was that there was no fan in the bathroom. There was only a small intake vent next to the toilet. Naturally, the bathroom turned into a steam room anytime someone showered.

Amenities

The Holiday Inn French Quarter hotel has a nice courtyard, complete with a heated, 84 degree saltwater pool. The pool was clean and not too salty, but the 84 degree pool was a little cold when it’s only 70-75 degrees outside. My kids came out of the pool like popsicles! Towels are provided near the pool, as are chairs and lounge chairs.

Next to the pool is a courtyard, complete with tables and chairs. This area was a nice place to relax in the beautiful weather with a nice glass of wine or play games with the family.

Note that there are no workout facilities here at this Holiday Inn.

Restaurant & Lounge

RF’s Bar and Restaurant is located on the main floor just off the lobby. We visited the lounge/bar a couple of times during our stay when live music was playing. Both of the bands we heard were really good and the service was also good. The lounge and bar area is connected to the main dining area by a small door, but there are two separate entrances.

We tried to visit the restaurant on a rainy morning, but had no luck. Upon entering, I saw a sign that the breakfast buffet was $16 per person. I thought there was a buffet and a regular menu option, but on that rainy morning, only the buffet was available. We stood and waited for someone to seat us for about 2-3 minutes. After not being seated, we proceeded to just walk in and grab a table. However, no empty tables were clean. So, since we had no place to sit and weren’t even being recognized by the staff, we left. It was probably better too. I didn’t feel like spending nearly $80 on breakfast (and there’s NO WAY my family would even eat half of its worth). I understand the restaurant was likely understaffed and over capacity due to the rainy morning, but the staff should have accommodated for that. I didn’t see anyone hustling or trying to compensate for the small staff. It was disappointing.

Conclusion

Overall, I thought the Holiday Inn French Quarter Hotel was a nice place to stay. Keep in mind that prices are expensive for weekend stays, but prices are high all over the French Quarter. To recap:

Positives:

• Close to Bourbon Street and all the action in the French Quarter
• Reasonable cost for a nice hotel
• Room has a mini-fridge
• Lounge with live music on site
• Nice courtyard with heated saltwater pool
• Friendly staff

Negatives:

• • Double beds are small
  • Slow wifi
  • Approximate $40/day rate for parking
  • No workout facilities
  • Only one place on property to eat
  • Evening can be noisy if you have a room facing the street

I hope this helps with any plans you have to visit the colorful French Quarter in jazzy New Orleans!

Happy Travels!

Julie

source: ihg.com