I visited this hotel for a small exposition at the convention center in January 2012. If you're read my other reviews, you know I enjoy Marriotts. But this was a bit of a dissappointment. The rate was $169 a night, which was lower than the other hotels in the area. But I got what I paid for.

The hotel itself is in a great location. It's three blocks to the convention center, a 15-minute walk to Bourbon Street, five minutes to Emirl's, and there's a great neighborhood pub half-a-block away. The building is a two-building complex; two old warehouses that wrap around an inner courtyard. Everything has been remodeled and cleaned up, but that was years ago and despite the great location the facility doesn't really meet modern business standards.

The lobby was fine; a bit cramped but nicely appointed. The staff is EXCELLENT, super friendly and very well informed about the neighborhood.

Once I was assigned my room, I walked throught the central courtyard. There's a smoking area, a nice looking swimming pool and a tennis court. Between the amenities and the nice landscaping, I was impressed.

But the old warehouse was a jolt: imagine two rows of rooms facing each other, linked together by a skywalk of balconies and ramps. Heavy iron bolts hold the structure together, and giant fans dangle from the ceiling. Again, the staff has done their work -- while the carpets are worn they are perfectly clean, and the rooms were tidy and the elevators spotless. But everything looks industrial and tired.

The rooms themselves were challenging. My room had a 20-foot hallway to get into the room. There was a small but nice kitchen, a cramped bedroom with desk and a tiny bathroom. You had to spin around side-ways to get past the bedroom door to walk to the bathroom. It was awkward.

But the kicker was the three-stairs leading down to a sunken living room, a narrow tortured space that was too large enough to sit in but too small to dine in. It simply didn't work.

I was in another room in the same wing, and it suffered the same contortions. That being said, the entire hotel is being remodeled and modernized, so perhaps when all that is done it will be a better property. But right now, it's a just a bit too cramped for a week on the road.

Just down the street is a JW Marriott, a "big boy" Marriott, a Courtyard and a Springhills Suites. Make your life easy, and pick one of them.

Coming to a big convention, rooms were at a premium. We chanced a 3 star with priceline, and got the Residence Inn. At $55 per/night, it was/is a steal!

Just 3 or 4 blocks from the Convention center, and 15 minutes from the quarter, the location was ideal for us. Its in a quiet section, but some bars, and restaurants were close.

As for the room, we got the "Single suite". It was spacious, one bedroom, and one living room, with a pull-out sofa. There were 2 large flat screens, and it had a full kitchen. The bedding was good, but I expected this from a Marriott. However the first night, the pull out, didn't have but one sheet, and no pillows. This situation was remedied the following day.

They offer a complimentary breakfast, and happy hour daily. The breakfast was the usual, meat, eggs, potatoes, waffles, assorted breads, juice and fruits. Nothing too exciting, but all I really need.

As for the happy hour, they had complimentary wine, beer and soda's. Not just 1 or 2, or by tickets, like some place, but all you desired. The food ranged from hot-wings, to red-beans & rice, to egg-rolls, to salads. It had a good crowd, but not to worry, they often refilled the snacks,

The excessive room was large, and not overly busy. The pool & jacuzzi were adequate too. Oh, and there's an outside grill, if you feel like cooking!

The staff was helpful, and very friendly.

I'd never stayed at a Residence in before, but I'd be happy to again.

We recently visited New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl and stayed at the Residence Inn on St. Joseph Street. The hotel worked fine for us, but was nothing special. I paid for the room with Marriott Reward points, so I'm not sure what the average cost would be, but while not a dump, this isn't the nicest hotel I've stayed at either. When we come back to the city I will probably look for something nicer and closer to the French Quarter to alleviate some cab fees and aching feet.

We had a "king Suite" which turned out to be a hotel room with small kitchen, living room with pull out couch, and a separate bedroom that had a queen bed. My wife and I stayed in the bedroom, while 2 friends stayed on the pull out couch and a roll away bed. There was only 1 bathroom with 1 door that was in the bedroom, so we had to leave the door open and unlocked at night so the other guys could use it if needed. I had some friends also staying at the hotel and they had 2 bathrooms, but when I asked about getting a 2nd the front desk said it would be about $50 per night to upgrade.

We don't spend much time in hotel rooms while vacationing, and this is in a pretty decent location, although a little farther from the French Quarter then I'd like, probably about a 15 - 20 minute walk, or a $10 cab ride. There are a lot of nice, high end restaurants in the "warehouse" district, but we spent most of the time on or around Bourbon street.

If you do stay here, make sure to eat lunch at Cochon Butcher, right around the corner. Great food, not for vegetarians, we ate there twice in our 4 days in town.

This hotel is just a little dated, but the friendly staff and amenities make up for it. The location is on a quiet street, just a few blocks from the French Quarter. I really appreciated being able to quickly walk to the hustle and bustle, and then return to the quiet of the hotel. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. And, the breakfast buffet exceeded my expectations. The fitness center is well-equipped. The room furnishings are somewhat dated, but acceptable.