Very Disappointing Stay – Serious Concerns About Cleanliness and Professionalism My recent stay at Sonesta ES Suites Downtown New Orleans was extremely disappointing and fell far below expectations. Upon arrival, the room was noticeably unclean. The bathroom and kitchen counters appeared inadequately cleaned, and there were visible fingerprints and makeup stains on the bathroom door near the handle. The washcloths provided were rough, worn, and appeared soiled, which raised significant concerns about housekeeping standards. The reservation was for two guests, yet only two sets of towels and washcloths were provided for the entire stay. We followed hotel instructions and hung the sign requesting daily towel refresh service, but our requests were repeatedly ignored. As a result, we were forced to visit the front desk each day to request replacement towels and washcloths ourselves, which was both inconvenient and frustrating. Another major issue was the persistent odor of marijuana throughout the 11th-floor hallway. The smell was strong, frequent, and impossible to ignore. It created an unpleasant environment and reflected poorly on the hotel’s ability to maintain a comfortable atmosphere for guests. The most troubling incident occurred on our final day. A front desk attendant identified as Nicole engaged in a loud and unprofessional confrontation with our Diamond Tours bus driver in the main lobby area. Guests witnessed Nicole leave the front desk, approach the driver, and stand toe-to-toe with him while using profanity and repeatedly ordering him to “get out” and “get that bus out of here.” Such behavior is completely unacceptable in a hospitality environment and created an uncomfortable scene for guests. The only consistently positive aspect of our stay was the breakfast service. The food was hot, fresh, well-stocked, and enjoyable every morning. The breakfast and culinary staff deserve recognition for their excellent work and professionalism. Kudos to the chef team for providing the one bright spot during an otherwise disappointing experience. Unfortunately, due to the cleanliness issues, lack of housekeeping follow-through, persistent marijuana odor, and unprofessional staff conduct, I cannot recommend this property and would not choose to stay here again.

I checked into this hotel at 3:30am and checked out by 1pm the same day. A pro is that I needed a place to stay immediately and the staff was gracious in helping me check in early. The building is very dated and in desperate need of upgrading. The room I was given had a funny odor. The carpet was dated and had multiple stains on it. There was a dead bug on the bedside table and a nail clipping on the bathroom floor. I also saw a large roach crawl across the wall in the kitchen area. At that point, I decided to just count my losses and check out. The staff was very gracious about me checking out early.

Was close to downtown but not close enough. Lots of walking even to the trolley. Staff was good but not the most helpful in directions and where to go. Shower had a half glass on the shower/tub combo. Strange right? So every shower water got on the floor and we burned through towels and I can only imagine the mold festering under the sticky tiles. The kitchenette was sufficient. Breakfast was good if you wake up in time. Keycard access was nice and felt safe. To get to trolly, you had to walk past the bus stop which can be awkward but we had no issues. Buy the pass! Rooftop is nice though we didn’t use much on 3rd floor.

Service is excellent, but cockroach quality hotel. Horrid showers. Elevators are sketchy. The staff deserve 5 star bc service is top notch. Intuitive and thoughtful. Would give them 6 stars. But after all the issues its hard to give anything but 1 star. The bugs being the final straw. But having to start your day being unable to take a hot shower because they only have half a door is not how anyone lives in comfort or luxury. It makes what should feel like a 4 star hotel feel lower quality then a motel 6. I'm half tempted to get another room somewhere cheap just to take a decent shower. You can't access the controls without reaching in. Water gets everywhere.. Plus you're cold and miserable the entire shower. The TVs are cheap (30 mhz for inputs in 2026 really?!) the appliances are low quality & poorly maintained, stains on the walls and carpet. A lot of things that don't hold up well under scrutiny. The place just feels like the owners cut as many corners as they could vs. providing a high quality experience.

This is the worst service I have ever had at a hotel. The carpet had several large stains. There were stains on the cabinets. Overall, the building was clearly very old and was not well maintained. We paid $111 to have our car valeted just to have it sit out on the curb for 5 hours. When I tried to speak with the front desk they were nice enough, but were not able to adequately assist me or get in contact with the employees from the valet service. When we finally decided this was not a good fit and cancelled our reservation, our car had been taken to the secure parking and we had to wait another hour for it to come back. When we did get our car back it reeked of marijuana. I am deeply unimpressed and disappointed with this, as I have stayed at other Sonesta hotels and have received excellent service previously. DO NOT STAY HERE.

My wife and I booked a hotel room from our Amex Travel site. The pictures made the rooms look nice and clean and comfy. We arrived and noticed outside was very rough and not welcoming at all. It smelled like weed horribly with people just standing outside of the hotel doors blocking walking paths. The representative behind the desk was super nice and informative about the hotel and amenities. We went to our room and as soon as we opened the door, we were speechless. The carpet was absolutely disgusting. It looked like someone trampled through the entire room with muddy/oily shoes. I didn't want to take my shoes off because of how gross the carpet was. The fridge sounded like it was going to take off into space and was filthy. We check for bedbugs and to see if sheets have been changed at every hotel we go to. We checked and saw used toothpicks under the mattress at the edge of the sheets. How that wasn't caught and removed by house keeping makes me wonder how throughout the rooms are cleaned. We sat on the couch, which was not comfortable and felt almost like plastic/pleather. I messaged Amex to see what options we had to book a new hotel. When I went to the front desk to ask, the gentlemen behind the desk was nice until I informed him we wanted to see about checking out. He went from friendly to pretty snotty and snappy. I know the rooms are not his fault. But I was very friendly when I asked him what we could do in regards to the rest of the stay. From the time we went to the room and when I went to the desk to ask about cancelling the room, it was roughly 10-15 minutes max. He brought a manager up. She was very very nice and helpful. She informed me since we checked in they could refund the rest of the trip but the first night would be pro-rated. I understand and didn't go back and forth. I had Amex book us a new hotel right away and was much happier with it. This hotel is listed as a 4 star hotel, but this hotel is honestly much closer to a 2 star. I would honestly say 2.5 might be a stretch of a rating.

We have stayed at this hotel a few times before. I guess some rooms were renovated and some were not. The rooms we have stayed in before were very clean and well taken care of. The room we stayed in this time was a two bedroom suite. The tub had some rusted area at the drain. It could use some painting and thorough cleaning throughout the room. The let out couch matress needs to be replaced. It was FLAT. I understand that it is not the most comfortable thing, but you could tell that it had not been replaced or cleaned in a while. We asked for comforters several times and were told they were out each time. I understand the this is a very busy season, however cleanliness is next to God. The elevator floors were very dirty all the time. The cleanliness of the facility will say a lot about your stay. The staff was welcoming and the breakfast had great selections. The rooms were spacious for a 2 bedroom suite and the view was great.

The hotel is very well located, close to public transport and within walking distance of the city center. We had an excellent stay; the studios are very functional, practical, and clean. The staff was very welcoming and friendly. There are no additional taxes to pay upon arrival (as can be the case at other hotels in New Orleans), just a security deposit (which was returned very quickly, even before our return to France). Breakfast is also plentiful with several choices. If we return, we will choose this hotel again without hesitation.

The worst customer service! A friend of mine tried to check in to a reserved room before I arrived. Her card declined because her bank thought it was fraud so she told the Manager Issac at the counter that she would call her bank to get it sorted out. Issac told her she had 10 minutes to figure it out or the reservation would be canceled. I arrived and there were two women working behind the desk. Neither of them greeted me or even acknowledged my presence. When I asked if we could check in and I would pay for the room, I was told that we had to wait for Issac. Meanwhile, another gentlemen had walked in and asked to check in and no one assisted him either. One woman continued to sit in a chair behind the desk and stare at us as if she was a security guard and the other just wondered behind the desk. Issac finally came out, said nothing to anyone, and suddenly the two women began to check myself and the other gentlemen in. It’s as if they were being difficult for no reason and were instructed not to check anyone in until Isaac returned. We checked in, and the woman gave us no instructions on where to go to find our room and Issac quickly left and went back upstairs. Hotel staff should be kind and welcoming, not mute and intolerable.

I would have to say this is one of the best hotels I have stayed at. Yes I am budget friendly and love a good deal. I don’t stay at high end places but for this price it was beyond my expectation !! Great prices , great room , and even a hot breakfast . Staff no comment ; wasn’t welcoming or friendly but was not rude . Also, helpful and got us where we needed to be . Parking is super expensive but here is a tip ( USE SPOT FINDER ). There is a lot 5 mins away for .25 an hour ! Over all ; great room , great bed , very clean , has everything you need . Location as ok but there are homeless people around the area . We walked around at night with no problem but this hotel is a little bit far from the action. Only a few mins away but in the cold was a little much.