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4 Stars - 6 Reviews and 230 Opinions
This hotel is a good deal---you are one block from bourbon, but not too close that you can actually sleep in you room and aren't up all night with the noise (I have stayed on bourbon---while it seemed like a good idea, its only good if you don't need to sleep). there are also parking garages right across the street for only $18 a night.
Unique Quality: good location.
I am not one to get so aroused by a giant foyer - you can save that space for my room. Which was, pretty and spacious itself - if a little bland. It's location in the French Quarter makes it perfect for brainless partying that won't require a cab or too far of your friends carrying you from the bar you passed out in.
Unique Quality: You can get some romantic balcony views of the quarter if you ask (I did...)
I have stayed several times at this hotel and have been totally happy everytime. I enjoyed upgrades, stayed in a great sized room (much bigger than most in the FQ) and had a balcony above the action! Outstanding staff...very attentive and kind.
Unique Quality: Just a block or so from Canal, so not too far to get out of the Quarter...but who wants to!!! Red Fish grill downstairs does a good job. Also within walking distance to dozens of the best restaurants in the world if you ask me!
Directions: Bourbon and Iberville
The Chateau Sonesta was formerly the D. H. Holmes Department Store, which was made famous, or infamous by the 1981 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "A Confederacy of Dunces."
In the late 1830's and 40's, Daniel Henry Holmes selected a site in the primarily residential area of Canal Street because it was the widest thoroughfare in the city, between the "old" and the "new." The D. H. Holmes Department Store opened on October 15, 1849. When it closed in 1989, it was donated to the City of New Orleans. The city joined with the Sonesta corporation to develop the site, and the 251-room luxury hotel opened in April 1995.
In addition to the statue, incorporated into the hotel are:
* Alabaster pillars from the original D.H. Holmes soda fountain adorn the bar in the Clock Bar.
* Marble accents in the floor of the lobby, as well as the iron (faux marble) columns in the lobby, were preserved from the original structure.
* The cypress exposed beams in the Atrium Courtyard date back to 1849, and were part of the original building.
* The famous "clock", which was a favorite meeting place for generations of New Orleanians and missing since the store closed, was returned to the hotel in November of 1995, during a "D.H. Holmes Memorabilia Party' by two well-meaning "preservationists' who had disconnected the clock from its perch on Canal Street for safekeeping. The Clock presently hangs in its original location on Canal Street.
Unique Quality: I have not stayed here, but they have family reunion and pre-cruise packages
Rates include
Rooms
Deluxe Single/Double Occupancy $130-$299
Premium Single/Double Occupancy $165-$350
Bourbon Street Balconies $195-$379
AAA gives it three diamonds which is the equivalent of 3 stars but the red diamonds means that it has their recommendation.
My husband and I spent a week at this hotel during late April- early May 2001. We had a wonderful time. The hotel has on one side Canal Street and on another side BOurbon Street. It was great. Our room was very nice and comfortable. It had 12 ft. ceilings, an intimate little table with chairs that my husband and I put on our balcony as we took in the morning air, night air, and all the excitement. It was great. The bathroom was beautiful, too.
The Chateau Sonesta is fabulous! Period! The service is top shelf, the rooms are comfortable and queit, it is only a block from Bourbon Street, and you cannot beat the Red Fish Grill restaurant in the hotel. Everything...from top to bottom was wonderful. We will go back there in a heartbeat!
We arrived at the Chateau Sonesta on April 4, 2004 for 6 nights. We had wonderful service from beginning to end. The staff was very personable and went out of there way to make us feel comfortable. The hotel was beautiful and well cared for. We stayed in an inside room so we never had any problems with noise. We can't wait to go back to the French Quarter and we will definately stay at the Chateau Sonesta Hotel again!
The staff at the Chateau Sonesta were very friendly and helpful (especially Graciela at the front desk) and the rooms are huge! Which was wonderful since we had our three children and my mother with us. We stayed at the Chateau Sonesta after problems at our original hotel, I wished we would have stayed at the Chateau Sonesta in the first place and will stay there whenever we visit NOLA. The reservationist did make a mistake when we booked the rooms saying they had connecting rooms with two beds in each room, when we got there it turned out that they do not have such connecting rooms, but the front desk recognized that there was an error in the information given to us and that it was crucial to have connecting rooms since we were traveling with our three children and my mother. They upgraded us to a very large suite to accomodate our large family and even gave the kids an activity bag. They made our last few days in NOLA AMAZING after a bumpy start at another hotel.
We decided to choose this hotel based on the reviews of this web site. The Sonesta was actually a lot nicer than I thought it would be. The staff was excellent, they helped us with everything we needed. They setup our city tour, recommended less expensive breakfast, and even got me and my wife a babysitter for our 16 month old son so we could go party on burbon. The two babbysitters we had were very professional and our son had a blast with them. All and all this is one of the best trips I have been on and we will stay at the Chateau Sonesta again.
P.S. And for the few bad reviews I have read on this hotel do not even compare to the things you read about other hotels in New Orleans. This hotel is very clean, the rooms are big and well taken care of, and once again the stff was great. Nit pickers will always find things to complain about.
I have never been to New Orleans. Two of us females will be coming for a long weekend in June. We will be staying at the Chateau Bourbon Hotel on Iberville Street. Is this a safe location? We are in our 60's. Will we fit in or is this a rowdy young area? Thanks for the info. Suzanne
That hotel is right on the edge of the French Quarter, near Canal street. Its safe enough for New Orleans, just be alert when you are on the street like you would in any other city. There are some sketchy strip clubs and a house of prostitution on Iberville in this area that invite some unsavory characters.
You will be close to Harrah's casino, but further from Jackson Square/Cafe du Mond/French Market. But you are still walking distance to all. If you can, avoid walking down Iberville late at night, just stick to Bourbon until you are next to your hotel.
All of the French Quarter can be rowdy at certain times, I think you will fit in just fine though. The crowds are all ages, sometimes the men making the loudest ruckus are the ones with the heads full of gray hair!
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Address: 800 Iberville Street, (formerly Chateau Sonesta Hotel), New Orleans, LA 70112
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