This is my second time staying at the Crowne Plaza hotel on Canal St. The first time was a few trips back during the summer of Hurricane Gustav. We got evacuated out of New Orleans that summer. It was both exciting (for my son) and terrifying (for me). I’m normally pretty laidback, but having my boy with me and knowing how devastating Katrina was three years earlier, the mamma bear in me was on high alert.
What was strangely fascinating to me was being able to walk down Canal St. and not see a soul. Storefronts were boarded up throughout the city. Sandbags lined the doorways. New Orleans was prepared this time round. At the airport, we sat on the floor with thousands of people, waiting for planes, as army personnel handed out MREs. I never knew you could boil water with one of those kits. My inner geek was intrigued.
I was impressed with the professionalism of the Crowne Plaza during that time. We got updates under our doors regularly. The front staff were calm and well-informed. I felt that they cared and they wanted to help us out by calming our fears and in planning the logistics of our unscheduled departure.
Our room in 2008 was great, too. The beds were comfy, the view was great, and when we had a problem with the hairdryer, one was delivered quickly. I was curious to see, 7 years later if I felt the same.
We arrived on a Friday in August for a three-day stay. I had booked a double room rather last-minute, but in doing so, got a great rate. Wi-Fi, a necessity for my son and I, was free because I belong to the IHG rewards club. A nice bonus. The line at check-in was long and took forever. The front-desk staff was pleasant, but they were taking at least 10 minutes per guest. I’m not sure what the hang up was, as when we got up, we were through in four minutes.
Upon making my request, I had asked for a room away from the elevator. Unfortunately, we got a room right beside the elevator. I didn’t have it in me to go back and deal with that line, which had gotten longer by the time we left, so we decided to see how it was the first night and make a change in the morning if we needed to. The noise from patrons of the hotel didn’t turn out to be a problem, but the elevators themselves were ridiculously noisy. Every time one opened, closed, or moved up and down it created a loud grinding sound in our room. Tip for the Crowne Plaza, do not stay in a room near the elevator. Ask when checking in and get moved right away if you’re beside one.
Other than that, we found the room pleasant. The beds were very comfortable, the room was a good size and was clean. There was a large flat-screen, which we didn’t watch, but it looked new. There were no USB charging plugs, but there were two outlets for chargers on the lamp on the bedside table. The washroom contains three large containers of shampoo, conditioner and body wash in the shower. The soap smells of lemongrass and was lovely. There was an abundance of towels.
The business centre is open 24 hours. It came in handy when I needed to print boarding passes for our return trip home. No charge for this service. There were three computers with huge Lenovo monitors.
The rooftop pool was clean and refreshing. It was perfect for a dip mid-afternoon. The bar and adjoining restaurant were busy and looked good. We didn’t visit them, so I can’t speak to the quality of food or service, but as they were always busy, I would think it was good. We also didn’t visit the fitness centre.
A receipt is left under your door the morning you are due to check out. There is no need to wait in line unless you find a discrepancy. We didn’t so that didn’t cost us any time. There were cabs waiting in front of the hotel to take us to the airport. There was no need to call one or wait. If you plan to drive, parking and valet details are below.
All in all, I would stay here again, but probably only if I got a good rate again. The long wait at check-in put me off, as did the elevator noise. The high points were the location. At Canal and Bourbon, it doesn’t get any handier for evenings out, and when wandering further afield, the street car stop is on Canal in front of the hotel. Also the comfort of the bed and the generous size of the room were selling points.
