I stayed at this fantastic property for a short one-night birthday trip in early September, and it was everything you would come to expect from such an iconic and prestigious hotel brand as the Ritz: quiet, comfortable, and luxurious. This hotel was immaculately clean, elegantly decorated, and centrally located, just off the busy Canal Street. Service was top-notch. Exceptionally warm, yet formal and polite. We stayed in an executive suite and dined at the hotel restaurant. While this Ritz Carlton wasn't perfect, it was close, and is a strong competitor with the city's other luxury hotels. Only a few things could have been done better or expanded. This is a detailed review.
The Hotel:
The Ritz Carlton is located on Canal Street, a 1-2 minute walk to two streetcar stops, and walking distance to hundreds of shops and restaurants. It's one street away from Bourbon Street, and is on the edge of the Central Business District and the French Quarter. It's in a very central location, arguably the most central of any hotel in the city. While it's in a very busy area, the hotel is extremely safe and remarkably quiet. Both the valet entrance and the entrance off Canal Street have a doorman, and all guest room elevators are key card access only.
The layout can be confusing when first arriving, but the doormen and bell staff will point you in the right direction. The main lobby, Davenport Lounge, and the M Bistro are located on the third floor. The first floor has the Spa and Fitness Center. The fourth floor has the Maison Orleans Club Lounge. You must take one set of elevators either near the valet/Canal Street entrance or near the Spa to the lobby level, then cross the lobby to find the guest rooms' set of elevators. (Maison Orleans Club guests can skip the lobby and go directly to the club lounge using the elevators behind the spa.) While this can confuse some people, I find it elevates the experience and creates a safer and quieter atmosphere around the hotel.
The hotel is traditionally elegant, with marble floors, crystal chandeliers, old furniture, wood paneling, and an iconic New Orleans style courtyard in the center. It was immaculately cleaned, and well maintained for a building opened in 1909. The check in area is grand and smells amazing, very flowery and soapy. Check-in was fast, and the receptionist was helpful in showing us where everything was and explaining our added benefits and amenities. There's plenty of quiet places to relax, like the library, a wood paneled room full of old books and comfortable couches and armchairs, or the courtyard, full of large leafy plants and a pretty fountain. Next to the library is a small specialty shop with toiletries, a limited selection of small snacks, nice clothing, and some New Orleans and Ritz Carlton merchandise. The Davenport Lounge serves great drinks and live music from a resident jazz musician on certain nights. More on the M Bistro in the dining section. I didn't book a spa treatment, but the Spa is one of the largest in the city, and looks great. The Fitness Center is expansive, covers three rooms, and has fresh fruit, ice water, cold towels, and disposable earbuds. There's also a resistance pool and a whirlpool spa.
The only miss was the pool. It's not designed to be a leisure pool, so it's small and located in a very humid and seemingly unrenovated room off the Fitness Center. It's a shame there's not a rooftop pool like the other luxury hotels in the area. New Orleans can get very hot and humid, so an outdoor pool would be very much appreciated, and a great amenity to advertise. Some also say the hotel can be dated, and it does show in some places, particularly on the first floor.
The Dining:
Dining was fine. Not great, but not bad. We ate at the M Bistro for dinner and breakfast, and weren't particularly blown away. If you're staying at the hotel, it works, but it is in no way a restaurant you should go out of your way to try when in New Orleans; there are far better options. Skip this one if you aren't staying at the hotel, or if you'd like a memorable experience and top-notch food.
The ambience is lovely at dinner, everything is dimmed, and a small lamp is placed on each table to give the restaurant a more intimate vibe. The service was friendly and attentive. This is a fine dining restaurant, so expect premium prices. You are gently encouraged to dress a little bit nicer than daily wear, but not quite formal wear. I had the Salmon, it was just ok. The oysters are tiny, but good. The wedge salad and its house dressing were delicious. It was my birthday when staying here, so they brought out a nice treat, a strawberry bread pudding, which was very appreciated, and the best thing I had that evening.
Breakfast was better; it's usually a buffet, but the hotel was at low occupancy when we were there, so no buffet. I had a yogurt parfait, a side of breakfast potatoes, and a glass of pineapple juice. The parfait was extremely good, and the breakfast potatoes were perfectly seasoned and were a very big portion, far bigger than a normal side size. The pineapple juice was good, but it wasn't that cold when served. The NOLA breakfast (eggs, sausage, breakfast potatoes) was also good; everything was cooked well, and again was all great portions. I wish I could remember our waitress's name, as she was extremely kind and was a great start to our day. She was very attentive and a pleasure to talk to.
Other than the M Bistro or Davenport lounge, there's 24 hour room service with a nice selection, or a limited array of snacks from the specialty shop. That's where the dining ends. I would love to see a coffee shop or some other casual quick service spot, and another restaurant. The dining feels very limited here at this hotel, and what few options you have aren't worth your time.
The Room:
We were in room 1010, an executive suite on the 10th floor. We originally booked a standard room and were upgraded, so this was highly appreciated and certainly made this a special trip. Our room was very spacious, having a full living room with a writing desk, a half bath in the foyer, a big bedroom with an extremely comfortable bed, linens, and pillows, a big closet, and a large marble clad bathroom with a separate tub, shower, and water closet. Water pressure was great and very hot, very fast. The bedroom is separated from the living room with a pair of frosted glass French doors. Our view looked across the neighboring building and towards Hotel Monteleone, plus down at the quiet courtyard below. There were tons of complementary in-room amenities standard in Ritz Carlton hotels, and the scents of the products were fabulous. The honor bar was decently priced and had very nice liquor. The minibar fridge was a bit crammed, but it's not sensorized, so you can take some items out and place your own items in. There isn't a steamer/iron or a microwave in the room.
There was another small hiccup here, as the room was immaculately cleaned, but there were signs of wear and tear. Our side table near the couch had a particularly large chip on it, and our credenza with the pull out bit with the Nespresso machine on it looked like the leather was faded. So there is some oversight from the housekeeping and maintenance team here. But other than those two places, our room was very clean and otherwise maintained nicely.
Turndown service was also very nice; a housekeeper came by while we were still in the room, and we had a lovely chat with her as she dressed the room down for bed. White and dark chocolates on either bedside table, along with glasses and water bottles, plus the breakfast menu ready to be filled out and hung on the door. Robes were placed on the dressed-down bed, right above a mat with slippers. She folded some loose clothes, replenished our Nespresso pods, towels, water bottles, and glassware, took out the trash, and all done extremely fast while also making great conversation and recommending things to do the following day. She was another mark of warm and remarkable service at this hotel.
Final Thoughts:
The Ritz Carlton is an amazing choice for any traveler wanting a more luxurious stay in New Orleans. The property is well maintained and elegant, with great service and warm hospitality. While some say this Ritz isn't up to brand standards, I would have to disagree. There are parts that missed the mark, like the dining, limited options of dining, no leisure pool, and some maintenance upkeep issues, but these only dampened the experience very minimally. Rest assured, when picking this hotel, you will be treated to great service, a comfortable room, an elegant atmosphere, a central location, a safe stay, and a memorable experience. We will certainly be back.
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