My husband & I just returned home from an 8 night stay in NOLA @ the Maison Orleans! Our visit was not for vacation, it was to accompany my sister 'n' law from Oregon who chose to have major surgery in NOLA with her partner by her side. We went to be family support and to help in anyway we could.

Before our visit thanks to this website we were aware of the inconsistencies with housekeeping so it wasn't a total surprise but was still a disappointment in that this was our first visit to a Ritz Carlton and a major splurge for us!!

When we arrived @ reception at the Ritz, we were then escorted along with another couple over to Maison Orleans which as previoulsy mentioned is a maize!! We had an easy check in with no wait at all! We asked for a high floor and a quiet room and both were honored, we were on the 9th floor and a corner room which was incredibly quiet!!

The room was beautifully decorated and had a very large bathroom with a huge sunk in tub, which unfortunately we didn't have time to enjoy. On that note they have bath salts by the tub but I found out half way into our stay that you can ask concierge for bubble bath and they have several to choose from, they smell wonderful! They have robes in the closet that you can use during your stay and there are suppose to be slippers as well, which would be nice cuz the rooms have hardwood floors, and I don't travel with slippers. It took asking 2 times and several days before our slippers finally arrived, which is a little thing but they should have been in our room at check in!! Whereas my sister 'n' law's room right next door had them at check in! The room had nice touches, like complimentary bottles of water, candles by the tub, like someone else mentioned bring matches! Towards the end of our stay I finally looked inside this ceramic box on the bathroom counter and discovered small packets of woolite (very nice) and q-tips and cotton balls, etc. They also provided a large umbrella for use during your stay, which we took advantage of, it rained most afternoons. In room safe was quite small but appreciated.

Our room seemed awfully dark and we realized that the light bulb with the fan was burned out along with another light bulb in another spot, our curtain was hanging down in one spot where the hook had come off of the rod, and our toilet became stopped up. We reported these problems in the morning and when we returned later in the day, they had all been fixed, we were impressed with the follow through!

The location of the hotel is great, close enough to the French Quarter for evening walks and an abundance of restaurants but far enough away from the loud music that is blaring from the bars on Bourbon St. We felt perfectly safe walking from the hotel in the evening and back although the last couple of blocks towards the hotel from the French Quarter look a bit shady, but we didn't have any problems! If you want a nice dinner, try Mister B's, a few blocks from the hotel, great pork chop!!

The food presentations were very nice; breakfast, lunch, horsdoeuvres and the afternoon tea on Fri & Sat were all tasty and adequate! The dessert presentation was a major disappointment; strawberries with a fondue (some were better than others) pretzel sticks and chocolate cake and one other item, it was the exact same thing for all 8 nights in a row and in very short supply so it ran out early depending on how many people came to the lounge. On the other hand the selection of drinks was very nice and if you asked they would even make you a mixed drink! Roberta makes a mean Cosmo!! One of the annoying things was at breakfast time especially I would go to grab a napkin or silverware and there would be none, so I would have to ask for them, and one gentleman in particular would hand me what I needed but wouldn't think to replenish the table for the next person, which I found to be kind of strange. Where as I would notice that at other times, one of the Concierge staff in particular would notice that the table was low insilverware, etc. and would bring out more before someone would have to ask for it!! But I have to say it was very nice having the food there when you wanted to grab a bite to eat and not have to eat out at restaurants all the time!!

As mentioned many times on this webiste Housekeeping is inconsistent!! You would never know if you would get all of your towels & or toiletries replaced. One day we were short 5 of our towels, there's no excuse for that. One day they took my ladies razor from home which didn't look anything like the one they provided, that was slightly annoying!! Another day our bathroom rugs were taken and not returned, that was kind of strange! Turn down service was hit and miss, some days we got it and others we didn't. We got chocolates by our bedside one night out of 8, we didn't know we were suppose to be getting them until one of our last nites when they suddenly appeared. On the other hand my sister 'n' law in the room next door was getting chocolates all along. The quality of turndown was inconsistent also, sometimes we got ice and others we didn't, sometimes our towels were replaced and sometimes they weren't. We did have two housekeeping ladies that took very good care of us when they were cleaning our room, everything was replaced as it should be, very consistent!! That's how we finally got our slippers! These inconsistencies were not big things just annoying when you are paying for this level of a luxury hotel.

Another annoying item that came up was the use of the complimentary Mercedes. I read about it on the Maison webiste, and called & asked about it and was told that none of The Ritz's offer that anymore including NOLA. So we just took cabs back & forth to the hospital in Metarie for 3 days. The day before we were leaving, while talking to one of the Concierge staff about taking a cab to the airport, she replied, we can arrange the Mercedes (free) to take you. I thought that was great, but was a little annoyed, we could have saved some $$ taking cabs and taken the Maison car instead. The following day when we were getting ready to leave for the airport we received a call notifying us that the car had a flat and we would need to take a cab instead. Oh well, we tried!!

As far as Concierge, that is where they shined!! My sister 'n' law and her partner stayed here for the 2 nites before the surgery and then returned for 3 nites after surgery before flying home.

The day of surgery we were all leaving the hotel at 4a.m for the hospital, so we would miss breakfast. My sister 'n' law asked one of the Concierge staff if it would be possible to pack a little something for us for breakfast like some fruit, etc. Let me tell you, she took very good care of us, we had a feast of croissants, muffins, fruit, granola, and a lovely note enclosed too, this was very thoughtful and much appreciated!!

The manager of Maison, the Concierge staff and two housekeepers in particular were fabulous in preparing for my sister 'n' law's return to the hotel after her surgery, they wanted to make her feel at home and comfortable, did they ever, they went above & beyond that!! They had a vase of beautiful flowers, extra pillows, extra towels, small fridge filled with her favorite comfort foods, magazines, movies, etc. waiting for her return!! It was quite something!!

They were extremely helpful and accomodating, always asking if there was something else they could do to help out! We began to feel like we were surrounded by an extended family!! This service by Conceirge by far outweighed the annoyances of the inconsistencies of Housekeeping!! Although it would be nice if they could get Housekeeping consistent!! My husband said, all they need is a checklist of what should be in every room, it's that simple! All in all we had a great stay at Maison Orleans!

We stayed three nights here as an anniversary getaway.

Valet and Bellman:
They promptly took our luggage and car. We had trouble getting a hold of them when it was time to check out, but we contacted the club concierge and it was taken care of. It was a busy day for them, the start of the Essence Music event, so they were pretty busy.

Check-In:
Many reviewers have noted the elevator system is an annoyance. We've stayed in the building before, so kind of understood it. It is a neat old building and we didn't mind the elevator transfers. Check-in was immediate at the 4th floor desk. We were offered a drink, and since the mid-day meal was going on, we were offered a snack before we went to the room.

Club room:
There are three rooms to relax in. Drinks-various waters, sodas, champagne and wine- were always available. Breakfast, mid-day meal, evening treats were varied and plentiful. I was under the understanding we would also have tea, but was then told it is only on the weekend. Dessert was lackluster and one night it wasn't even put out, though cookies were always available. They did have a wonderful selection of cocktails in the evenings. The staff who worked the area were very nice.

Disappointment:
I had arranged two amenities for the room and neither were taken care of. I mentioned this simply because I didn't want to be billed. Later a different concierge came to me and said he was told I'd make a comment......it was uncomfortable and it kind of bothered me as I had to impression he was faulting me, but I think this particular concierge and I just didn't mesh. The other concierges were wonderful and really went out of their way.
At one point, some other guests decided to smoke cigars in their non smoking room. It was very strong, but it was taken care of immediately.
I lovely rose petal turndown was given one evening. I think this was due to our anniversary and missing amenities I had scheduled.

Room:
The room was very nice. Incredible bed, amazing tub. Very quiet room.

Housekeeping:
This was the main reason I was unable to give an excellent rating. Our bath amenities were never refreshed. I had to call down and request bubble bath. The tub is amazing and I wanted to take more than one bubble bath during our stay. Also, the towels would be taken and no new ones left. Every day I had to request extra towels. I also noticed the floor in the room was not swept while we were there. This was very frustrating and I feel I shouldn't have to ask for towels, especially since there are supposed to be two services a day. One day, the even took three of the bed pillows.

Turndown service:
Was done the first night, not the second, had to request for the third. When the service was done, it was only done for one person.

Spa:
We love the small resistance pool. I had an unmemorable facial. It was not the kind I expected from a Ritz Carlton. We both had the hot stone vichy shower massage. Both of us agreed it wasn't our cup of tea, but no fault of the therapist. We also had a couples massage during our stay that was wonderful.

Location:
Loved it!

I'm looking forward to giving the Maison Orleans another try and hopefully the housekeeping services will have improved.

I stayed at tthe Maison Orleans this past weekend and found everything to be exactly as expected.

What did I expect? I expected a beautiful clean room, good service in the club lounge, good to very good food, COMPLIMENTARY cocktails with really good wine and champagne and concierge services from someone who actually cares that you have a good time. That all spells a nice weekend to me!

I have stayed at Ritz Carltons all over the place and each experience is entirely different, based on the locale. This is New Orleans, where life is laid back and the people are easy and maybe on a slower, much more relaxed pace. As I read the previous reviews, I don't understand what people expect when they travel. I think if you stop expecting and comparing everything and just arrive and enjoy the place without so many big expectations, everyone would have a much better time.

Yes, this is an expensive place. And it is confusing to have 3 hotels within the hotel, and it is strange at first to find your way around the place. But since this town is different from all other towns, why would you expect the building to be shaped the same and the place to be identical to all the other Ritz Carltons?

If you can afford it, stay here. It's a fun treat. Try the whirlpool in the fitness center and also the resistance pool. It is awesome and I think even an olympic swimmer would love it. The bar in the Lobby was hopping on Saturday night and they were throwing a giant Father's Day BBQ and Beer sunday brunch in the French Quarter Bar. This place has something for everyone and we did see alot of people with their children here, and even their dogs!

Everyone greets you and makes you feel welcome. I thought the staff jumped through hoops to make sure we had a good time, but they did it on New Orleans time, and that was fine with me!

My husband and I and the other couple we were traveling with frequent the Ritz Club Level in Battery Park New York. Us about 3 times a year, them about 6-8 times a year. We love it there, the concierge is helpful, the staff in the lounge willing to get you anything, housekeeping impeccable. This is not the case at the Maison Orleans aka the Ritz New Orleans Club Level.

First the Good.

The rooms were beautiful, much nicer than the ones at Battery Park and the tub is HUGE. You could probably fit 3 people in there. The club lounge is also nicer and more elegant than Battery Park. The gym that is shared by the Ritz, the Maison and Iberville Suites is the best hotel gym I have ever used.

The complimentary food in the lounge was good, especially at lunch and hors douvers. Dessert was always fondue, which got old after a while.

Now the Bad.

When we arrived there was no one to help us with our bags or through the maze of elevators required to get to the lobby. We arrived at 10:30 am and we knew that we probably wouldn't be able to check in right away, even though we had requested early check in. They said our rooms would be ready by 1:30 which was fine, but they were not ready until after 4. (normal check in time is 3).

Most of the staff in the lounge at the Maison Orleans did not seem to understand anything that was said and consequently, requests to restock items like sodas, glasses, plates, crackers, etc were often ignored. If you got coffee in the lounge after 12 pm it was always lukewarm and had bits of coffee ground in it. The cocktails were all from a self serve bar which I thought was a little strange, but didn't mind. But if there was something that you had to ask for, like beer which they had in the back, the staff seemed annoyed that they had to get it for you.

Now the Ugly.

Housekeeping was awful. I cannot believe that the Ritz would let this happen. Our room was only cleaned 2 of the 5 days we were there and we were always out of the room between 10 and 4 so there is no excuse. We came back only to change for dinner and then were back out again. Turndown was only done 3 of the 5 nights and even then they only pulled the duvet cover over the sheets. They didn't even bother to straighten out the sheets underneath or restock any of the toiletries or towels. The couple we were traveling with came back to their room to find coffee poured into the sink without being rinsed out.

I would save your money, stay at a cheaper hotel and spend more money out in the smalls shops and restaurants where it is needed. New Orleans is a great town, and I would definitely return, just not to the Maison Orleans.