I have rarely stayed at a hotel for business travel where the food staff was so competent and everyone else was so much the opposite!The hotel itself is sprawling, so be prepared to get lost the first time you go exploring. Directional signs help some but more would be better.Before I list my complaints, let me say the food was above average and room service was decent, considering the hotal was "100+ percent booked." Ya know, I always thought the reason for making a reservation was so whatever you reserved a room,a rental car, a plane seat would be there when you're ready for it.Foolish me. I showed up on the appointed day at the appointed hour and was told brusquely that there was no king bed room available for me, even though my reservation had been made months before. I was given a room with two double beds -- not the best setup, if you're used to a larger bed.Also not a great setup if one bed lies under a large cold air mass generated by the A/C, which had three settings: Off, almost off, and Ice Station Zebra.That left the other bed, which was okay -- except if was farther away from the already tiny television. It did make the heavy pink cast in the old picture tube less noticeable, though.Let's see ... what else should I talk about?- The narrow escalators from the check-in station to the rooms area, which make it very difficult navigation for those carrying luggage of any size.- The cleaner always left floating in the commode- The broken switch on the bedside lamp- The used bath towels that weren't replaced when the room was cleaned- The food residue on the bedside phone- The wakeup call that never came- The closet door that almost falls on you when you try to slide it open.- The messed -up arrangements for a late checkout- The poor service in the sports-themed restaurant. But there is one good thing. The room comes with built-in companions for those who get lonely will traveling. Any time you want company, just switch on the bathroom light and look for the ants on the sink and counter (and in your travel kit, if you leave it where they can reach it). By the way, I'd have been happy to have shared these concerns with the hotel management rather than post them here. But this is the only hotel I've stayed in the last several years that neither lists a website for you nor offers you any kind of feedback or comment forms in your room or at checkout. I guess the feeling is, they don't want to know.

Came to the "big easy" mardi gras opening weekend ..so needless to say it was packed...The hotel is located off one of the busiest streets in New Orleans, Canal St. which happend to be closed off due to parades, so we called the hotel to find the best side route to get there...no one at front desk could clearly expain to us how to take the side streets to get there, which was a little frustrating but finally we got to the Hilton and at once I was extremely impressed...If you've never been to New Orleans and dont know your way around to well this hotel is the best place to stay...right on the Riverwalk, the hotel is connected to the Mall(which was great considering it rained all weekend) right across the street from the Aqaurium, great shops and restaurants...they are plenty of restuarants and bars inside the hotel like 3 or 4 gift shops, and in walking distance to the French quarter...clean nice size rooms ,great employee service especially the bellboys, and spectacular views of the city......

We were at the Hilton Riverside for 6 nights the last week in August. We had a fabulous time. The staff was professional. The Concierge Desk staffs were extremely helpful in booking the various tours around town and in suggesting great places to eat, especially Lobster. The room was large and clean much different from those hotels in the French quarter, many of which looked cramped and dirty. We had a marvelous view from our room and the location of the Hilton riverside is perfect. Its much like the center of a wheel in terms of getting to all the choice locations, The French Quarter, etc. By buying tickets at the Concierge desk, you can be picked up at the hotel and start your tours whether its to plantations or Bayou boat trips through crocodile infested waters. We spent every night in the French Quarter dining at different restaurants. You can take the trolley behind the hotel to the French Quarter or walk, its that close, to Jackson Square and the French Market. The trolley can be picked up outside of the Hilton and then drop you off right behind the Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter for its famous powdered sugar Beignets and Chicory flavored Coffee. Many nights after dinner, we would wind our way through the streets of the French Quarter to the Cafe Du Monde to have late night Beignets and Coffee. We chanced upon a Mardi Gras style festival in the French Quarter called the Southern Decadence Festival which occurs the last weekend of August into September. Its an end of summer blowout and very wild. Just to the side of the Hilton Riverside is NOLAs World Trade Center. Though disconcerting to me at first, I am a New Yorker, I found they have a late night bar/nightclub at the top with a breathtaking view of the city and river. This was our first visit to NOLA, just the two of us. It is definitely a town with a hopping nightlife. The Hilton is without a doubt the best place to stay for location, location, and location.We would recommend it to anyone!

Recently stayed for 3 nights at the Hilton Riverside and was not impressed. The hotel staff were unfriendly at check in and when I got into the room there was no soap! I requested a quiet room, only to find out that there is a train that runs NEXT TO the hotel at all hours.
There's no escaping the sound of the train in this hotel. Also, the lines to check in were at least 10 people long most of the time. I found the room to be marginally clean, but not what I would expect from a Hilton. There must be better places to stay in New Orleans than this hotel. I'd skip it.