You're paying for ambiance and location at this hotel. The rooms are on the smaller side. We had to pay extra after booking to get a king room. The beds are certainly older and very soft. Still, the location is spot on perfect for the French Quarter and hotel itself is lovely with top notch staff, food and drink options.

We did have a lovely view of the French Quarter and the Mississippi, but I think what room you get depends on how much you're willing to pay. Our conference rates were higher than the night before that I booked outside the conference. And, there are new high rise hotels within a block or two that had rooms at half the price.

I would still stay here again. The location is so close to great places to eat. The in house restaurant Criollo was also pricey, but the staff were wonderful and they catered beautifully to my gluten free diet. You are also within walking distance of some other top notch dining options like the Red Fish Cafe. For simple, delicious and low priced fare visit Mina's Cafe around the corner or walk down to the Cafe Beignet on Royal.

It's the staff that make this hotel worth the money- from the room service to the doormen to the front desk staff every single one we encountered was the model of perfection. And as far as conference facilities go- these are by far the best I've ever attended- including the meals.

If you're in town and don't plan to stay in your hotel much you might want to try one of the more contemporary hotels close by. For history and ambiance, the Monteleone is still a beauty.

Great location close to Bourbon street and Jackson Square. Great hotel. Carousel Bar is a destination for many coming to New Orleans so there was plenty of activity. Rooms are a little small but clean. Would stay again if I was headed back to New Orleans.

I originally had a reservation for my preferred hotel, but the event I was coming to New Orleans for had a gala at the Monteleone so I decided to take advantage of convenience and the reduced rate for my group. This time though I was traveling as a family of 4 and we needed space so I reserved one of the "tower" rooms for about $20 more and more square footage.

Compared to my April 2011 stay, the stay this time in Nov 2012 was much better. The room was spacious and I liked the armoire set up of the closets. It would have been nice to have a couch for non-bed seating but we managed with just the armchair and desk chair. The bathroom was nice too. I loved that the room had a chandelier for the main lighting - such old world charm. And since we faced Royal St on the 10th floor we actually had an unobstructed sky view.

Some negs - the carpet was worn and had dirty spots - needs an update. The toilet had a leak from the plunger whenever you flushed - I didn't bother to report this because I didn't want to deal with it and it was only leaky on a flush. My husband noticed that the bathroom door hinges on the bathroom side of the door were rusty - something that could easily be remedied by housekeeping. Also - the built-in shelf at the end of the tub - under the lip it was quite moldy - why did I notice this? Because it's easy to see when seated at the toilet and because I was regularly kneeling/crouching to bath my 2 kids in the tub. The mattresses were too squishy for me and my husband's taste - we had a room with 2 doubles and the beds had two different mattress qualities.

The staff were all quite delightful and highly responsive to requests. We rented a car the last day of our trip and parking was easy - just gave our room # and it was added to the final bill ($30 flat daily). Internet service had good reception - I had a promo for free internet so I can't complain about the $14 price.

I had a manicure scheduled at Spa Aria - the reservation process had a lot of back and forth conversation with the time being changed on me and a less than optimal response time to my online request. But I was pleased with my manicurist. The spa is quite relaxing on entry. The nail area is pretty standard with a horrid window view that they don't bother to cover up.

As for the gala - the event space - I did not like the set-up of the room - the bar was all the way at the back and the tables were so close together that it was difficult to get to the bar once everyone was seated. But the waiter was more than happy to get us our drinks on request. The bar staff was also nice enough to pour us one last round as they were breaking down the bar at the end of the event. The food was delicious, except - I ordered the fish and really expected better in New Orleans. The dessert was way too much for any self-respecting weight conscious person to finish. I and another woman at my table left half of it on the plate. All the men finished theirs.

As always, the Carousel Bar has the best bartenders and the best drinks. Especially the Sazerac, although Swizzlestick normally would give them a run for their money on the Sazeracs on this trip Carousel Bar did much better.

All in all. I'm pleased with my stay this time. But given the normal rates, I likely won't be back unless I get a discounted rate again. I really still prefer the Loews in NOLA.

My husband spoke at a conference in New Orleans and the company hosting the conference put him in the Monteleone. I decided to join. The room the conference put him in had no window. That's right. No window. In most hotels our room would have been considered a closet. I don't blame the hotel for the room choice as the conference put him up. But if you are claustrophobic, you should find out whether your room has a window. Our room was a "traditional" room.
Now, as to the rest of the room. It was super tiny. No big deal. But the carpet was filthy and looked very old. The climate control was impossible to turn off. There was a wheel on the thermostat but no matter where you set it, the air would blow. If it got too cold in the room, moving the thermostat would turn the heat on. And if it got hot, the chill would turn on. At night, the unit would switch from heater to air conditioner. There was no way to adjust the fan speed. It was pretty unpleasant.
The staff at the hotel is nice and I had no complaints there. Location is great. But I will choose another hotel next time. Even if I had a window, I could not deal with the air conditioner and heater issues.