Hotel Monteleone

My spouse and I recently returned from a stay at the historic Hotel Monteleone. At ages 84 and 74, we found many elements of the trip delightful, but we want to share some gentle cautions for fellow senior travelers regarding the hotel's physical accessibility and layout. The Highlights: Dining and Drinks By far, the absolute highlights of our stay were the food and beverage options. We thoroughly enjoyed having cocktails at the famous Carousel Bar and relaxing in the beautiful lounge area. The Hotel management also acknowledged my birthday and surprised us with two complimentary cocktails at the Carousel Bar. Additionally, our meals at the Criollo Restaurant were absolutely delicious. The culinary experience here is top-notch. Arrival and Accessibility Challenges: For older travelers, the arrival process can be physically demanding. When our taxi dropped us off, there was no valet or uniformed staff available to assist us with our luggage. Getting into the building requires navigating two separate sets of steps, which was tough while managing our own bags. The lobby was very crowded during our 2:30 PM arrival, and the reservation desk is at back of the lobby. The receptionist was polite but spoke softly with a heavy accent, making it difficult for us to hear her. Room Amenities and Street Noise: We booked a French Quarter King (Room 444) in the Iberville Tower. While the room itself was incredibly spacious and clean, the nights were very loud. Because the room sits right at the intersection of Royal and Iberville streets, heavy traffic noise and street music filtered in all night. When we requested a quiet room at check-in, the receptionist simply noted that New Orleans is a noisy city. To the hotel's credit, the Front Office Manager kindly offered to move us to a quiet, interior King room after our third night. However, we declined because the physical exertion of repacking all of our clothes, shoes, and toiletries was just too much for us at our age. Inside the room, storage is a bit limited. There is only one chest with three small drawers (and one drawer is cut in half to house the room safe). The closet only has two shelves. The Tech and Lighting: The lighting system is quite complex and difficult to navigate without reading glasses. There is a cluster of four switches on the bottom for individual lights and two master switches above, located on each side of the bed. If you get up in the dark, it is very hard to know which switch to use. On the positive side, the hotel has installed a brilliant motion-activated light under the nightstand and another in the bathroom. These are wonderful for midnight bathroom trips, though you do have to move quickly before the sensor timer turns them off and leaves you in darkness. As a minor note, we did miss having a traditional notepad and pen in the room. Overall Verdict: The Hotel Monteleone is a beautiful, clean property with excellent dining and an accommodating management team. However, due to the stairs, walking distances, heavy street noise, and complex switches, it may not be the best match for older seniors or those with limited mobility.

The place really shines because of its long-tenured staff. The employees are like family, and it show in all aspects of the hotel.

Amazing family experience in every way. The rooms were lovely. The amenities were fabulous. My children felt the love at every event from breakfast to the pool to the staff.

Beautiful building with excellent amenities, superb staff and service, great facilities within for work-based meetings.

First class in the French Quarter. The Hotel Monteleone offers the perfect location to explore New Orleans. The service makes it an easy choice when you come back. I will stay here again.