Hotel Monteleone

The Monteleone is, at first glance, exactly what many travelers hope for when staying in New Orleans: majestic interiors, aristocratic charm, and an unbeatable location right in the heart of the French Quarter. The hotel undeniably has character, history, and visual appeal. Unfortunately, beyond the beautiful façade, our experience fell far short of what one would expect from a hotel of this reputation and price point. Let’s start with the positives. The room itself was spacious, nicely designed, and thoughtfully appointed. The turn-down service was excellent, with chocolates, extra towels, and replenished amenities every evening. The housekeeping team deserves genuine praise — they were professional, attentive, and by far the most competent and welcoming staff members we encountered during our stay. However, several issues significantly undermined the overall experience. The famous Carousel Bar may be iconic, but for hotel guests it is more of a nuisance than a luxury. It is constantly overcrowded with non-residents, to the point where finding a seat (reservations are not accepted) is nearly impossible. Rather than feeling exclusive or refined, the atmosphere often became loud, chaotic, and rowdy. For a supposedly upscale property, the experience felt surprisingly unmanaged. The room, while attractive overall, also showed clear signs of wear. Much of the furniture was tired, dented, and overdue for refurbishment. It gave the impression of a hotel relying heavily on reputation and aesthetics while neglecting maintenance details that matter at this price level. The most unacceptable part of our stay, however, was the handling of the security deposit and the attitude of the reception staff. Although our stay had already been fully prepaid, the hotel blocked USD 200 per night on our card — USD 1,000 in total for a five-night stay. This was never clearly disclosed during the booking process. Had this been transparently communicated beforehand, we could at least have planned accordingly. It should be underscored that we're not Americans, but Europeans, and we believe, without absolute certainty of course, that this policy is applicable to non-Americans, only! The explanation given was that the funds were needed for “possible expenses incurred during the stay.” Frankly, this made little sense, especially since we were perfectly willing to pay any restaurant or bar charges directly as they arose. Instead, the staff rigidly repeated “hotel policy” without showing the slightest willingness to engage intelligently or professionally with the situation, and without reacting to "your policy is NOT disclosed on the the online platforms you have a presence on" just said "we're telling you now!" Wow! Just Wow! Worse still, after checkout, the blocked amount was not promptly released. In reality, an amount roughly equivalent to the total cost of our stay remained tied up on our card for approximately 10 additional days. Our stay had been prepaid BEFORE our arrival! Since we were continuing our travels in the United States afterward, this created unnecessary financial inconvenience and significantly impacted our available funds during the remainder of our trip. What was perhaps most frustrating was the complete lack of accountability from the front desk team. They came across as disinterested, inexperienced, and ineffective throughout the process. I called twice after departure, provided a valid American contact number, and never received a follow-up call. Instead, we were repeatedly given the standard scripted response claiming that the hotel had “already released the funds” and that everything now depended on the bank. That explanation is only partially true and conveniently shifts responsibility away from the hotel. A property of this level should absolutely be capable of actively assisting guests in resolving such issues quickly, particularly when such substantial sums are involved. Instead, there was zero urgency, zero ownership, and very little professionalism. In the end, the Monteleone feels like a hotel living largely on its historic reputation. While visually impressive and perfectly located, the poor front desk service, lack of transparency regarding financial policies, overcrowded public spaces, and careless handling of guest funds left a deeply disappointing impression.

Hotel has very comfortable rooms with the most famous New Orleans bar. Excellent service is provided by very long term employees that take pride in serving in this famous hotel. French Quarter is unfortunately now overwhelmed by the lost souls who stagger and sleep on the streets. I was very impressed with the individualized service that was rendered. If you want the mystique and rawness of being in the French Quarter yet being able to escape into the gentility of the hotel, this is the place to stay.

Very great hotel - staff is so nice, common areas well worth it and the bar included is truly something to write home about. Gives old time New Orleans feel!

Very nice accommodations and professional staff. We were there to attend a conference but would gladly return for a vacation.

Amazing service and food all around. Khiya at the roof top pool/restaurant was absolutely fantastic. Room service was unreal as well. Can’t wait to come back.