I stayed here for a week on business to attend a conference. This was the "preferred" hotel for the conference, so I stayed here to take advantage of the conference rate and safe the company some money. Unfortunately though, this hotel was not good for the business traveler.

The good here is pretty much limited to its location. Good spot for hitting the French Quarter and Bourbon St. Unfortunately my conference didn't involve binge drinking as a plenary session. My view of the river was nice as well.

Now the rest. The hotel looked real tired. I had two rooms in this hotel. The first room was on a floor with a dim hallway due to burned out lights, with a cot sitting in the middle of the hall. It looked like a scene from a bad public housing project. This was also a "Starwood Preferred" floor. I guess SPG membership doesn't mean much. My room featured a ratty carpet, some white powder on the office chair, cigarette burns in the carpet and just a worn out looking bathroom with peeling paint on the trim. The door didn't close very flush and you had to use some force to get the door to lock.

Now the worst part: the paper thin walls. I changed rooms my first night due to the fact I could hear my neighbor's TV and conversations like I was sitting on the bed next to them.

In my second room, it was the same, but at least my new neighbor was less of a TV-phile. I did get to hear him vomit at 3AM though, and I could hear his cell phone beep for texts and his phone conversations. Hence why I knew it was a "he".

The second room was in better shape at least. Carpet was still threadbare near the door, but everything else was better. Bathroom also had taken a beating from steam. I will add that the front desk was quick to move me when I inquired about getting away from the loud neighbor.

The onsite restaurant was average at best and overpriced as hotel restaurants tend to be. Bar was OK for a beer and watch some of whatever basketball game was on. The Starbucks in the lobby is ridiculously overpriced.

Sheraton still feels the need to charge for wireless, which is annoying when you consider McDonalds offers it for free. "Lesser" hotels do as well.

Last but not least, unlike my experience with Hilton properties, Starwood will not give you SPG credit when you have the "conference rate". Seeing the rate still worked out to nearly $2k for a week (hardly a bargain), I was disappointed.

Basically this place would be great for the New Orleans traveler planning to head to bed at 6 AM, not the guy needing to get up at 6 AM to prepare for a day of conference sessions. I also wouldn't pay any more than $100 for one of these rooms unless the place invests some money in the guest rooms. Don't let the renovated lobby fool you.