This was a business trip for my wife, but I was ab...

This was a business trip for my wife, but I was able to tag along. First of all, if you want to park at this hotel, you MUST use their valet service (an additional charge of $50 per day). They don't tell you this when booking your room. You can use other parking means (public lots/garages) at a smaller charge, but that means you have to wheel your luggage to and from the hotel to the parking area. We decided to use the valet. Upon arrival, the bellman loaded the baggage cart and proceeded to bang it around into a private, locked area. I told him I would like to hold on to it until we check in. He said I wasn't allowed to hold on to my own baggage, but to come back when I had checked in. Wait, WHAT?! My wife went to check in (at 3:00 pm) and was told she didn't have the correct paperwork (for tax exemption and business expenses) because she had filled it out in Georgia and this hotel is in Louisiana. When we tried to use the business center to download and print the new forms (they didn't have any available at the desk), it was locked. We couldn't get in without a room key. Luckily an attendant was there and we talked her into letting us use the business center (how that happened, I have no idea - thank you ma'am!). When my wife was able to get all the paperwork together, guest services told her that she has to actually get someone from her organization to sign the paperwork. Luckily, because we were staying 4 nights they said we could check in and submit the paperwork when it comes in (I don't know why we couldn't do that first). However, our room isn't ready and we will be called as soon as it is available. Wait, WHAT?! Check in is supposed to be at 3 pm. By now it is 3:30 pm and our room still isn't ready? Wow. 45 minutes later, we were able to go to our room. I actually heard someone later that day say it took them 2 hours to get their room. Ridiculous. They did give us 2 free drink coupons for the bar because we had to wait, but you were only able to get Miller or Budweiser products or the house wine. Not much of a consolation in my opinion.

Some other issues we had with our stay:
The towels in the room are EXTREMELY rough. There was water on the carpeted floor when we checked in. There was no mini fridge. Some of the outlets in the room didn't work. The layout of the hotel is extremely confusing. For example, we were staying on the 3rd floor, and the pool and fitness center is also on the 3rd floor. However, they were on another area of the hotel on the 3rd floor, so you have to take the elevator down to the lobby, walk around to the back side of the lobby, then take another set of elevators up to the 3rd floor on that side. I thought maybe I just had to walk around, so I checked. Nope, you have to use both elevators to get from one side to the other.

I will say, if we needed anything (extra blankets and towels were requested at one point), they did in fact bring them in a timely manner. Housekeeping did do a good job of cleaning the room without taking anything.

We had a good time in New Orleans. The location was good, but if we ever return, we will be staying in another hotel for sure.