If you are looking for the ultimate cultural experience in the French Quarter of New Orleans, consider booking a room at this outstanding Grand Dame of a hotel. But don't misunderstand -- if you prefer elaborate room service menus, big TVs and soundproof rooms book elsewhere. However if you want to feel as if you've moved into the city then consider this hotel a don't miss.

Checking in is like being welcomed to the home of an old friend, and from the moment the door opens onto one of the enclosed garden patios behind the jade green doors you can absolutely imagine yourself whisked into another time and frame of mind. Be warned. Having stayed here you'll be hard pressed to stay anywhere else in this crazy wonderful town.

Beautifully decorated rooms and suites, several looking out onto the street, have the kind of patina newer hotels seek but cannot reproduce. Wide plank pine floors, high ceilings and heavy drapes compliment period chandeliers and artfully selected antique furnishings. The history of the hotel shines through in every detail so be sure and ask about it.

The staff is outstanding and no request is too tall with enough notice. The concierge can help you book a table, arrange for a carriage ride or direct you to one of the many wonderful clubs. We even managed to marry discreetly in an upstairs suite (no guests, plenty of champagne).

Although there is no food service per se, the coffee in the morning is delivered in tall silver pots and the biscuits are kept warm in clever baskets by hot bricks -- what more could you need to sustain you until you can make the short walk to any number of outstanding restaurants nearby?

In this town, this hotel is a little piece of history that you can actually rent for the night and keep in your heart forever. I highly recommend it as the place for a romantic dalliance in old NOLA.

I just spent four nights here over the course of my wedding weekend and absolutely loved it. It is an incredibly beautiful, special place and being there feels like stepping back in time. Moments like having the most delicious buttermilk biscuits in the lush courtyard, a glass of wine in the intimate reception room where the house cat sleeps on the sofa and classical music plays in the background, and interaction with the staff who are so attentive and kind makes this a wonderful place to stay. Every room is different and recalls a bygone era of New Orleans in this quiet location in the French Quarter. I stayed in room 19 for two nights, and the grand suite 64 for two nights - both beautiful!
If you are a traveler who wants/expects nespresso coffee makers, heated swimming pools, elaborate minibars, room service dinners, matching bedrooms and impersonal service go find yourself a chain hotel in the CBD. This place is full of character and any imperfections only add to that.

Some people get it....some people don't. I must say....the people who have left reviews saying the Soniat House is old and dusty....they are among those who DO NOT get it. To those, may I recommend the Holiday Inn or the Hyatt where you will find new buildings and staff who are just there for a shift to earn a buck? The Soniat House is true to its roots...kept in the style of the "old" New Orleans." The staff and management treat you like family. When you walk into the courtyard, you feel as if you are stepping into the home of an elite 19th century southern aristocrat. If you do not appreciate this lifestyle, then don't waste your time. If you are looking for a unique, truly New Orleans experience, the Soniat House is the best you will get!

Like the famous NO soup with all its mysterious ingredients and cooking times, this historical hotel has a lot of things going on to give it flavor, which makes a straightforward review complicated. First of all, the place is charming, quaint, welcoming. Second, the people who work here are good at what they do and are very pleasant (still I wondered about the stark division of tasks, since when I asked for help moving my suitcase or a second pillow, the front desk said: " Oh, I'll ask so-and-so to do it.") Third, not all rooms are quiet (try not to stay in room 10 or 11, which are big rooms with somewhat worn rugs that are in the "back" of the house that faces Chartres Street; consequently when there's noise--not much but enough-- on the street, there is noise in your room, plus noise when guests enter or leave the hotel because the hotel exit/enter door is near the rooms , and the balcony on the second floor is over the 10-11 rooms so voices talking up there pass right through the ceiling into your ears.)

We spent one night in room 11 and asked to have our room changed to a more private and quiet room in the interior. The front desk graciously accommodated our request.

I have stayed in many high rated boutique hotels around the world and this one is a bit under par in comparison. For example the towels are not new and fluffy, the TVs are very very small --in some rooms not even flat screen but I suppose you don't go to NO to watch TV!--and in one room the numbers on the old TV remote were worn off. The bathrooms needed updated. The lighting in the bathrooms were overhead recessed lights, which do not flatter a face but shadow the face and prevent good shaving and/or make-up application. One bathroom had a whirlpool tub that didn't work. Piping on the stuffed chair was worn through.

The location is great; not in the thick of the French Quarter action but readily accessible to everything, including Frenchman Street on the other side of Esplanade. The bellman is helpful and wonderful, the flowers in the common room are beautifully arranged, the cat Clare is cute as can be, the courtyard is lovely, they have classical music in the common area. The beds and bedding are good. There's a honor system for getting wine and cocktails from the common room. I heard the breakfast bisquits were delicious but we preferred the cafe around the corner where they had fruit, croissants and espresso.

Would I stay here again?If it were $50-$75 less a night, yes & without hesitation.