More about The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Collection Hotel
The Historic Roosevelt Returns in First Class Style!
by TripAdvisor Member Coasterbear67
We visited New Orleans for the first time over the Labor Day holiday weekend. With so many hotels to choose from in and around the French Quarter I took the time to read plenty of reviews. From talking to a lot of people staying at other hotels, it's hit or miss depending on where you stay.
There were only a couple of reviews at the time we booked our stay at The Roosevelt since it just re-opened in July since Katrina. Well, we are very pleased we chose this hotel.
Once you walk in and see the beautiful crystal chandeliers and marble floors you were stepping into a world class hotel. We were greeted by the friendly doorman from our cab and once again when we walked up to check in. Check in process was very quick and pain free and were quickly offered if we wanted our bags taken to our room. We had a beautiful deluxe king room on the 10th floor. Marble floors, large room with HD television, mini bar, separate mini fridge, plenty of storage for clothing, large closet, and BEAUTIFUL bathroom with a shower that was large enough to fit 2 and had body spays. Very plush towels, robes, and nice toiletries the hotel supplied. We never had a problem with room service making up the room, and had turn down service every night of our 4 night stay.
The pool was open on the 4th floor rooftop but the whirlpool was still being tiled. With temps in the upper 80's it would have been too warm to sit in so we didn't mind. The pool was a bit small. Nothing special about it. I would have liked a larger pool when we returned from our busy day before going out to dinner but we were glad that it had water in it and we could take a quick dip. The bar was open in the pool area just on the weekends. Plenty of comfortable seating was available around the pool and very plush oversized towels were supplied.
We were greated every morning by one of the staff members, Hazel. She was so sweet and always wanted to know how we were enjoying the city. If we needed any directions she would walk out on the street with us and point where we needed to go. On our last day she ran over and gave us a hug and wished us a safe trip back home. I can't tell you that I every had this before during a hotel stay.
Did we notice some things that weren't quite finished yet? Yes, some finishing touches are still being worked on. Spa wasn't open yet. Out of the three elevators two only seemed to work and on one day there was only one working. This was noticed in the evenings when guests were all trying to leave for dinner. You had to wait a bit to go up and down. The elevators are original so they do bang and clang going up and down. I thought it gave the place some charm. It was always a fun ride.
Great location to Bourbon street, but far enough away not to have the noise. Trust me, I wouldn't want to stay on Bourbon St. after you spend a night there....if you plan on getting any sleep.
I would stay here again in a heartbeat! New Oreans has been through a lot and has a long way to go to fully recover.
As hotels like this bounce back, the people of New Orleans are very appreciative that the tourists return and enjoy all that this amazing city has to offer. My partner and I were thanked by so many locals that we were there.
Great hotel but could be improved
by TripAdvisor Member southerntlc
We stayed at the Roosevelt for the long Labor Day weekend. Our first impressions were very favorable -- the staff at the door, check-in and our personal "baggage" assistant all had a smile and were extremely helpful. The lobby of the hotel is beautiful and wonderfully restored. The rooms were equally well decorated with a comfortable king bed, new furniture and HD TV. The bathroom was also a very nice size with no bathtub but a great shower. The Roosevelt is conveniently located off just off Canal Street and one block from Bourbon Street and the French Quarter. The in hotel restaurants were continually busy and we tried Teddy's Cafe and enjoyed our ice creams and cookies. Room Service was priced comparable to the restaurants in the tourist areas and the food was okay (bread pudding was great!).
However, we did not have the best experience with housekeeping. The first night, my husband found a huge piece of broken glass on the floor (about the size of a quarter) that housekeeping had missed from a previous occupant. Strangely, our towels dwindled each day. The first night we used our washcloths and they were never replaced, the second night we had one of the bath towels disappear (we had 4 and ended up with only 3). We also only had turndown service two of the three nights. The chocolate left with the turndown service was very old and inedible also.
The other disappointment was the concierge. We booked a tour via the concierge with their recommended service for the afternoon. After standing outside the hotel for 30 minutes at the appointed location, we went back to the concierge only to find that he had "forgotten" to book the tour. He managed to get us on a different tour but as we were waiting with another couple, we heard that he told them that he had booked a lunch at a posh New Orleans restaurant for them but when they arrived at the restaurant, they found it wasn't even open for lunch. These types of mistakes are not acceptable for a hotel of the Roosevelt's quality.
Overall, the experience was great and the housekeeping and concierge were more annoyances than anything else. We would stay here again if we return to New Orleans.
Superb rooms, but struggling with service
by TripAdvisor Member JPax
Ava Noten in the reservations office was extraordinarily helpful as we booked. She could not have been nicer and Ava made an extremely fine first impression.
Check in was a misfire. I phoned that morning to request the two rooms be as near to each other as possible. I was assured this was not a problem and would be taken care of before our arrival. When we arrived at the hotel, we were placed in different towers on different floors. I was told this could not be changed, but miraculously our request was met when I asked to speak with a manager. The hotel was not very full so this should not have been a big deal.
The Bellman, Lan, was the nicest, most helpful employee. He helped ease my irritation with the check-in problem below. Throughout our stay, he addressed us by name and went out of his way to be helpful.
We stayed for three nights in two rooms--a king, luxury suite and a queen suite. The luxury suite was very spacious with very attractive and comfortable furnishiings. The bathroom was cavernous with a tub big enough to do laps.
The queen suite was not as opulent, but very nice. The bedroom and living area cannot be divided as there is no door between the rooms. The queen suite did not have the super bathroom and actually had an old school tub/shower combo with the round "hampton inn" style shower rod.
As the hotel is new, you will find a few things missing such as magazines or information. Our first day, someone from maintenance knocked on the door and handed me two plastic baggies full of ice. I guess that was turndown so I put the ice in the ice bucket (I did not request the ice).
The room service was tasty, but the menu is limited. The room service personnel could not be nicer and work very hard to please. The food did come without bread and butter as well as jelly for your toast. (By the way, two pieces of toast are $4.50 after paying $20 for the omelet.)
On our last night, I went down to Teddy's cafe to get a couple of sandwiches and their touted red velvet cake. The cafe was out of ingredients, and I was not told this after waiting for about 10 minutes. I asked for a credit, but the waiter could not make the correction to our bill. I was not willing to leave until the charges were removed from my bill. (Many years of travel have shown me that if yo don't do these things on the spot, you may be in for a hassle at check out). This required a manager. When Kimberly Allen arrived, she was harried and rather irritable that I wanted the bill credited on the spot (she said she was at the pool and got there as quickly as possible). I did not mind the wait, but she assumed I was upset. She was the only person I met at the hotel that was unfriendly, and in fact she was rude and sarcastic. I think she was understaffed and overwhelmed, but she does not have the poise to work in a luxury hotel.
Overall, the physical structure and furnishings are beautiful. The beds are amazingly comfortable. The room service personnel were extremely friendly, they just need a bit more training (remove plastic, bring jams and jellies with toast, salt and pepper would have been nice on one occasion). Valet parking was a bit confused at times, but they were also very kind and friendly. Front dest is a bit rigid and not always as welcoming as they should be.
Pool area is FANTASTIC, but they do have service issues. No one approaced us at our table during the 40 minutes we were lounging.
They nail you for $40 for parking and $13 for internet. Lots of nickel and dime here.
I still would give the Ritz Carlton an edge when it comes to service, but the beds at the Roosevelt are really, really nice. Ritz, get new mattresses!
I would stay here again in a heart beat if the price is right ($139 for queen suite and $179 for luxury suite. I would not pay anything close to rack rate for the current level of service. In all fairness, I think this should work itself out over time. Service delivery is a challenge in New Orleans as this reminds me of the shaky start up at the Ritz Carlton eight or ten years ago. The employees are great, but management needs to be more available and provide additional training.
A facility and staff that offer nothing but the finest
by TripAdvisor Member Guinness-Lives
Spent 3 nights and rate this hotel as one of the best experiences in our travel adventures. The renovation of this property created a true gem. The room's furniture and details were beautiful, tied to an era of quiet luxury and elegance of a bygone era. The size of our room large; little elements stood out such as the elevators, which never resulted in more than a 5 second wait. The staff surpassed the hotel's renovations with their stellar performance and friendly, sincere demeanor. The concierge, after a misunderstanding about reservations for a city tour that prompted a day's delay, provided our party of 4 with complementary drink/snacks on our way to the tour bus as we passed his desk. We will definitely use the Roosevelt again on a return trip to New Orleans.
Spectacular Hotel
by TripAdvisor Member GlitzyTraveler
This hotel is the most beautiful in New Orleans! The lobby hallway is spectacular. (Far better than the Ritz!) They have a nice pool / patio deck on the 4th floor w/bar. (The Ritz has a small indoor pool.) Staff very cordial and helpful. Sazarac restaurant very good - try the truffle infused fries! and the classic Sazarac drink and Gin Fizz in the bar! The only minor complaint was the A/C not quite up to par and they also deduct $100 per day on your card up to a week for the deposit/and then credit the amount back. I told the accounting dept. most hotels do not do this. The Four Seasons does not do this.
Otherwise, wonderful visit.
Old World Charm Transported to the 21st Century
by TripAdvisor Member MARA52807
We have stayed in nearly every 4 or 5 star hotel in New Orleans. We try and stay in a different property each time we visit. That policy is officially over. The Roosevelt is a great property. The best way to sum it up is old world charm and feel transported to the 21st century. Literally the moment you step out of the cab, the courtesy and class of the Roosevelt staff meets you. To a person, from the bellman, to concierge, to the housekeeper each person was kind and helpful. Teddy's is the coffee shop. It's big, free wi-fi, and pastries. The coffee was excellent. The Sazerac bar and restaurant were very good and reasonably priced. The Sazerac bar is the place to be I am told and witnessed on Friday and Saturday nights. The new Besh restaurant, Domenica had just opened. It was excellent. Again, the prices were surprisingly fair. The food was excellent. Our party passed around four different dishes and all were very good. Room service was 24 hour and prompt and good. The Spa was still being worked on, but the fitness room was up and running. The treadmills were each equipped with small hd tvs. The guest rooms were outfitted with nice Phillips HD widescreen sets. The beds were comfortable and were outfitted with the finest linens. The pool area is on a section of the roof and looks like something out of Miami. It is nice with plenty of seating. Please take the time to enjoy the block long lobby. It is beautifully restored. The location is good. It is on Canal opposite the French Quarter and close to St Charles street and Riverfront.
sazerac bar wow
by TripAdvisor Member 1norbert
didn't stay here, but the lobby was something from a movie, think versailles palace.
the sazerac bar was elegant/swellegant!!!! the drinks beautiful to drink and to look at.
a wonderful place for peope watching. next stay in new orleans will be at this
most decadant hotel!!!!
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