This was our fourth visit to New Orleans. We stayed in Suite 243 in the Dauphine Orleans Herman House during early Feb, 2011. We spent a great deal of time before the trip researching hotels in the French Quarter. We also talked to staff before booking, read reviews, and looked at photos. We asked for a quiet, ground floor suite in the Herman House, but the hotel was unable to guarantee anything more specific than a suite. My husband and I fully appreciate New Orleans history, charm, style and vegetation, and after doing a great deal of careful selecting we were ready for a charming room with antiques, a beautiful tropical courtyard, and quirky touches.
CHECK-IN: After searching unsuccessfully on Dauphine Street for a check-in sign, we parked on the street but were asked by the front desk staff member to move our car into the garage which was accomplished with some difficulty. The small lobby was underwhelming but staff was friendly, although extremely busy at 4:00 p.m. We felt the staff member could have used some help.
SUITE 243: This was an extremely dark, cavernous apartment-like space on an upper floor of the Herman House, with no elevator access. Our bellman cheerfully lugged our belongings up the uneven stairs and into our room. Although the room was large, we were dismayed at the darkness, the chipped furniture, and the extremely low lighting. There was a tired-looking sofa in the sitting room, and a bar area that needed a good cleaning. The dark brown carpet needed (to our eyes), a good shampoo or replacement. The walls, woodwork, and plantation shutters were all painted uniformly, top to bottom, in brownish tones. Very depressing. The king bed was a memory-foam type, which was a nice touch. However, when we peeked inside the adjoining bathroom a previous guest’s razor greeted us in the shower/tub area. The tub was a small one-person kind w/jets. The marble vanity area generally was clean, however there was a rigged-up vent over the tub, along with a second vent dangling from the ceiling. Both were filthy. The suite had two flat-screen televisions, but only one remote control. We immediately contacted the front desk about another room, but were told that nothing else was available that met our “specifications.” We would gladly have compromised for something clean and cheerful, but the staff person was busy and we were too tired to press the issue. The next morning a more receptive front desk staff member allowed us to view two other rooms in the Herman House. More darkness & brown décor, but these rooms were less expensive and in some ways less depressing than 243. After thinking it over, we decided that the prospect of spending our valuable vacation time moving our belongings down the left-side stairs and back up the right-side stairs and checking into another room was not worth it. We decided to spend as much time possible away from the hotel and make the best of it and enjoy the food and ambiance of New Orleans. At night, the suite was very quiet and private.
COURTYARD: It seemed neglected, with palm debris on the stairs and the walkway to our room, which was covered with rumpled indoor-outdoor carpeting. The wooden stairs to the suite were very uneven, although not rickety. For anyone with physical problems, the stairs could be a safely issue. Two dirty wine glasses stayed on a courtyard table for most of our visit. Construction of a wooden structure next to our room went on every day during our visit with constant hammering between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. This made afternoon rest impossible and would have been unpleasant for anyone trying to enjoy the courtyard.
BREAKFAST: We found the continental breakfast at Mae Baileys (adjoining the hotel) to be more than adequate, considering there is no charge and that many hotels offer nothing. We enjoyed the coffee and food selections. The breakfast area is good-sized, but the décor is tired and little imagination or creativity is used in presenting the food.
CHECKOUT: The staff person, who was very polite & professional, addressed our issues at checkout and was receptive to our complaints and comments. She told us the rooms are all uniformly decorated in brown and that there are no plans to change color schemes or brighten up anywhere. We mentioned that we received no maid service on the last full day of our visit and she said the hotel was changing computer systems during our visit and this may have caused confusion about maid service.
FINAL COMMENTS: The hotel’s location is excellent, and the front desk and bell/valet staff at checkout were friendly and professional, but we were deeply disappointed with our stay. Do not assume that a suite represents a top-notch space at the Dauphine Orleans -- be aware that a larger more expensive room does not equal a better room. View your room BEFORE luggage is brought up, and leave yourself the option to change rooms or go to another hotel. Other reviewers may have a different experience with the Dauphine, but this was ours. There were some positives, to be sure, but unfortunately the negatives outweighed the positives and we won’t stay here again.