Background & Location
One of my friends was celebrating a birthday over MLK weekend, and we wanted to visit a new place. New Orleans had been on our list for a while now, and what a fun place to celebrate a birthday! The Ritz Carlton New Orleans opened in 2000 and is centrally located on the edge of the French Quarter, with Bourbon Street only one block away. This allowed for a slightly more peaceful atmosphere outside the hotel, yet it was still convenient. The hotel occupies the historic 1908 Beaux Arts Maison Blanche building, which was formerly a department store.
Travel Agency Benefits
I work with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays. Fora is part of Marriott STARS & Virtuoso. This partnership gives you special perks and offers when booking with me. The Ritz Carlton New Orleans comes with the following:
- Daily complimentary breakfast for 2, per room
- USD 100 property credit
- Early check-in & late check-out (upon availability)
- Upgrade at time of check-in (upon availability)
If you are interested in staying at Ritz Carlton New Orleans, feel free to email me at takeofftotravel@fora.travel, and I would be happy to help you plan your trip.
Takeoff Points
Pros: Amazing location & great club-level offering, offering newly renovated rooms.
Cons: Standard rooms are older in style but still clean and comfortable.
Takeoff Point: Overall, the Ritz Carlton New Orleans is a polished property with a solid club level offering.
Arrival and Lobby
After landing on my United flight, I headed to the hotel, which took about 25 minutes. Upon arrival, you take the elevators from the street level/conference space to the 3rd floor lobby.
We were assisted by a friendly receptionist, and then we were on our way to our room.
We had club access for the duration of our stay, and for our first two nights, we stayed in a City View 2 Double, and then on our last night, we moved into a Club Level 2 Queen. It was nice to try both to compare.
The Ritz Carlton New Orleans Club Level is really more of a boutique hotel within a hotel, called Maison Orleans. You have a separate elevator bay, and can reach your room from the ground floor with just one stop. Versus in the main hotel, you do need to go to the lobby level & transfer elevators. And, the Club Level, located on the 4th floor, also has its own reception desk.
City View Double Double
For our first room in the main hotel, we had a corner room, located at the end of the hallway. Upon entering the room, there was a small foyer and an entry table.
Then to the right is the bathroom, which was thoughtfully designed, with a separate door for the W/C. There was a single vanity and a tub/shower combination. Toiletries were provided by Diptyque. Amenities provided included mouthwash, cleansing face wipes, cotton rounds, a vanity kit, and a shower cap.
The main room featured two double beds, with a nightstand in the middle. There was a large armchair and an ottoman towards the back window, and then a desk with a chair on the other side of the room. The beds were on the smaller side if you were to share with another person, but the bedding & pillows were comfortable. The sheets were a bit on the thin side.
A fully stocked mini-bar was available with items for purchase. Also, amenities like complimentary shoe shine, as well as a shoe polisher, shoe mitt & sewing kit were provided.
As we were celebrating a birthday, a nice welcome amenity of fruits, cupcakes, and a candle as a gift was provided, which was nice.
With regards to service, one of us had forgotten a toothbrush, so we called down to reception, and they said they would send us a dental kit. It came in less than 2 minutes, which was quite impressive.
Club Two Queens
For our last night, we got to try one of the newly renovated Club Level Two Queen Rooms.
As you enter the room, there is a large console that is pretty, but it blocks the entryway a bit. It contained a stocked minibar with drinks and snacks for purchase, as well as a Nespresso Machine with capsules and teas.
The bathroom had a sliding door, and there was a single sink, a large stand-up shower with rainfall and wand, and a toilet, all in one open space. The standard room had a better design with a separate water closet with a door, but this room had a nicer stand-up shower, and the decor was quite pretty and elegant.
Toiletries were provided by Diptyque. There were additional amenities provided beyond the standard room, such as a comb, emery board, dental kit & shaving kit.
In the room itself, there were larger queen-sized beds with a nightstand in the middle, and it was equipped with power plugs with both USB-A and C on each side, which was nice.
The TV was swivel-able, with a desk/chair underneath. There was a cute chair that had an ottoman and a side table as well.
In the closet, there were plenty of hangers, robes for personal use, and slippers.
Overall, I really liked the renovated Club Room, and the queen beds are larger than the standard doubles if sharing with friends/family.
Club Lounge
The Ritz Carlton New Orleans Club Lounge is quite nice, especially for a domestic property. There are plenty of seating areas, and the lounge is designed tastefully.
The culinary presentation schedule is as follows:
- Breakfast- 7 am to 11 am
- Light Lunch- 12 pm to 2 pm
- Light Snacks- 2 pm to 4 pm
- Hors d’oeuvres and Cocktails- 5 pm to 8 pm
- Dessert and Cordials- 8 pm to 10 pm
Service was quite good in the lounge, except for an attendant who seemed to only focus on certain guests.
Breakfast normally had a few hot items each day and was a bit on the lighter side, but a good start to the day.
We tried the light lunch one day, and the Gumbo was nice! They even had macarons too.
The Hors d’oeuvres and Cocktails were great, and from the mini tacos one night to the caviar cart and the beef yakatori, each night spiced up the menu. While you have to order cocktails with the lounge attendants, there is self-service wines & champagne all day.
And of course, we had to try the desserts one night, and it was nice!
There is also a mini fridge with sodas, beer & water that you can grab, and some snacks/chips set out on the counter all day.
Overall, I was very impressed with the food offerings the club lounge provided, and I enjoyed how they changed up the menu each day.
Amenities
Fitness Center & Indoor Pool
The fitness center is on the ground floor, along with the indoor pool. It’s quite a large fitness center, with Peloton bikes, a cardio room, and a weight room.
There’s a small indoor pool and hot tub located between the cardio section & weights of the fitness center. We didn’t have time during our stay to use the pool, but a nice feature to have.
Spa
The spa is located near the fitness center. It is over 25,000 square feet, with 20 treatment rooms, a café, and a boutique. The spa is the largest in New Orleans!
Dining
Dining options at the Ritz Carlton New Orleans include the M Bistro on the lobby level for breakfast, lunch,h and dinner. And, in front of the M Bistro is The Davenport Lounge, which is open from mid-day to late and offers live music in the evenings as well as weekend afternoon tea.
The Spa Cafe is also open for breakfast & lunch. Additionally, in-room dining is available.
The Verdict
Overall, I truly enjoyed my stay at the Ritz Carlton New Orleans. It’s in a very convenient location, and the Club Rooms are a treat. If my travels bring me back to New Orleans, I would definitely consider staying at the Ritz again.
Have you stayed at the Ritz Carlton New Orleans before? How was your experience? Comment below!
Happy travels,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
