AC Hotel by Marriott New Orleans French Quarter

Location

Dark room

Would absolutely never stay again. We checked in late on October 16. The flouresent lighting in the lobby has just odd feeling - cold and not warm or welcoming at all. Their key card system was down and had to go to the 8th floor on the service elevator with an employee. We were told the key system should be up the next day. It wasn't. None of this would have been an issue, however, the staff was not checking ID's of anyone who said they were staying there. Anyone could have walked into the lobby, said they were staying in any of the rooms, and they would have been taken right up and the room opened for them. We were extremely uncomfortable with that. My husband talked to more than one person about our concerns. He was told more than once that it's during the day right now and they are simply taking people at their word. The room itself was a nice size, but low lighting, and the bathroom doors offer little privacy. They slide and meet in the middle. There were gaps on one of the sides when closed, and one side came off the track every time. These are huge glass doors. I was completely paranoid it was going to fall. We checked out after one night, and to the hotel's credit, they comped the one night we stayed. Our other two nights, we checked into the Hotel de la Poste (another Marriott property) and were so very happy with the accommodations there. I would never, ever stay in a hotel that would allow anyone to walk in and be taken INTO a room without ID.

Please stay elsewhere. The bad reviews are accurate. I ended up booking another hotel the same night I checked-in and checked out the following morning because I felt so uncomfortable based on the unwelcoming reception at check-in and the room quality. The room was very dark, three dim lights with a window facing a garage wall just feet away. There was no natural sunlight. TV remote did not function, wires hanging down from the TV, and the air conditioner was either freezing or humid. The room was very bare, like a hospital room. Noises from the hallway and garage all night long. One functioning elevator and visibly dirty floors in the elevator and hallways (which are like a maze). I mostly felt unwelcome during check-in. I was greeted by a very angry employee who should not be working in hospitality. I’ve never been spoken down to like that at any hotel and I travel often. I actually asked if there was a problem checking me in because the person was so aggressive in his approach. After 5 hours of travel I did not want to argue with someone within two minutes of meeting them. This person ended up doing me a favor because I decided to leave based on that interaction and stood at another Marriott property that was amazing in every aspect (Hotel Tonnelle). The area is not the safest at night so you can’t venture out past a certain time. Please book any other hotel.

The location

They keep trying to charge my credit card for services I didn't use/receive

Dear Marriott Customer Care Team, As a Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Member, I have always valued the high level of service and professionalism associated with the Marriott brand. Unfortunately, my recent stay at the AC Hotel New Orleans was one of the most disappointing experiences I’ve had as a loyal member. My reservation was fully prepaid through Expedia, meaning only a standard $50 incidental hold should have been required at check-in. However, upon arrival, the front desk associate initially placed a $260 hold on my card. When I informed him that the room had already been prepaid, he reviewed the system again and “released” the funds, then placed a $50 incidental hold instead. Later that evening, I received a notification from my bank showing another $210 hold, bringing further confusion. When I called the front desk to inquire, the associate stated the system “automatically does that.” As I attempted to clarify the situation, she abruptly hung up on me, which was both unprofessional and frustrating. To make matters worse, when I reviewed my account the next morning, I discovered that I had been charged $251 for the room—despite it being fully prepaid through Expedia. It appears the associate incorrectly used the card I provided for incidentals to charge me for the room instead of applying the prepaid Expedia reservation. In addition, the room key cards did not function properly, requiring staff to escort me to my room each time I needed access—further adding to the inconvenience of my stay. This experience fell far below the Marriott standards I have come to trust. I kindly request a full review of the billing error and a refund of the $251 charge, as well as an investigation into the unprofessional service I encountered.