We arrived in New Orleans after midnight on our delayed Southwest flight from Dallas. After picking up our rental car, we headed straight for our hotel for the evening.
Booking
When I first started to put this trip together I was managing reservations in 4 cities, waiting to see where the Texas Longhorns would go bowling. Since it was New Years Eve weekend, prices in New Orleans were already high but, I managed to book the Sheraton Metairie New Orleans which had a great cash rate available for $155/night. I booked this rate directly through Marriott.com.
After the bowl games were determined prices in New Orleans proper had spiked. The JW Marriott on Canal going for over $2800/night and I didn’t find anything in the Central Business District for under $400. A 15 minute drive seemed worth the $250 per night trade off.
Location
The Sheraton Metairie New Orleans is located at the southeast corner of I-10 and Causeway Boulevard in Metairie, putting it adjacent to two of the busiest roads in the New Orleans area.
The entrance to the hotel is at the corner of 33rd Street and Galleria Boulevard. The roads around the hotel were slightly confusing and the Apple Car Play in our rental car wasn’t working but we managed to find our way to the hotel. Complimentary, on-site parking was available in the adjacent garage.
Check-In
We arrived at the hotel at 12:30a local time. The lobby was completely empty aside from the night clerk at the front desk. She was very friendly and chatted with us while she checked us in. Having grown up in Louisiana, the warmth and hospitality I feel when I’m back makes me feel at home. They may not be the most polished folks, but they’re the most genuine.
Thanks to my Marriott Titanium status, we were “upgraded” to a room on the top floor. The club lounge was closed for renovations and, instead, we received a $20 breakfast voucher per day. I also selected points as my welcome gift.
Mrs. ATX was starving at this point and they kindly offered to let her grab something from the small shop adjacent to the check-in desk. They also scrambled to locate a fork and finally found one somewhere in the back.
With check-in complete, we headed up to the 7th floor via an elevator with a very expired inspection.
Room
We were assigned Room 737, a standard queen room on the top floor near the elevators.
Upon entering the room, the bathroom was to the right while a small closet and an almost full length mirror were on the left.
Past the entryway was the large bedroom space. At first glance the room was clean but somewhat dated.
On the left side was a fairly large desk. It had plenty of rom for me to spread out and work. A coffeemaker, cups, coffee, and tea were also on the desk.
Next to the desk was a TV stand with a large, flat screen TV on top. There was also a small bench underneath and, I have no clue why. A single chair was also located in the corner closest to the windows.
Also against the window, there was a small table with two bottles of water, stemless wine glasses, and an ice bucket.
Opposite of the TV stand, the bed was flanked by a pair of nightstands, each of which had a large drawer and a lamp.
The bathroom, like the room and hotel, was clean but dated. A sink and large vanity was located on the left while the toilet was straight ahead.
On the counter, there were Guild + Pepper branded toiletries along with a couple of glasses and a box of tissues.
On the opposite side of the bathroom was a fairly standard shower/bathtub combo that was looking a little worse for wear.
Though I didn’t get a chance to check out the view until the next morning, our room looked out over the pool and the I-10/Causeway interchange. The room was well insulated so we didn’t have any issues with the noise.
Lobby & Restaurant
The lobby of the Sheraton Metairie New Orleans is the focal point of the hotel and is spread across two floors. The hotel was still decorated for Christmas during our visit and there was a large tree in the lobby.
Under the stairs, there was a living room style setup with a couch and a few chairs surrounding a flat screen TV.
Just off of the lobby was the hotel’s onsite restaurant, Zuby’s. This is where breakfast was served each morning and also the location of the hotel bar.
The bar was empty when we arrived for breakfast at 10:00a but, quickly, a rowdy group arrived a few minutes later and started throwing back shots. I didn’t have much faith that they would make it to the ball drop.
We arrived towards the end of breakfast and were invited to take a seat wherever we liked. We were also provided menus along with water upon sitting down.
Our server was very friendly but, as we started to order, the issues began piling up. I asked for a cup of coffee to start and was told that the warmer on the coffeemaker was broken so the coffee would have to be reheated in the microwave.
For my meal, I ordered the All American while Mrs. ATX had the pancakes with a side of eggs. She ordered over medium but got scrambled instead. Also, we were given plastic utensils as the dishwasher was also broken, according to our server. My meal was fine, but it wasn’t good.
While the staff were friendly, the breakfast experience left a lot to be desired and we didn’t return the next morning.
Pool & Fitness Center
The hotel Fitness Center and pool are located on the 5th floor. As you step off of the elevator, follow the signage towards rooms 507-539 and the entrance will be at the end of the hall on your right.
Upon entering the fitness center, there was a strange, bull bathroom to the left that appeared to be seldom used.
The main portion of the fitness center was small and split in two. Three treadmills were on one side while a couple of elliptical machines and some free weights were on the other. Guests were working out on the elliptical machines and using the weights so no photos of those.
At the rear of the gym was a door leading out to the pool deck. There were a number of tables and chairs surrounding the rectangular pool. Since our trip was at the end of December, I never saw anyone use it though it appeared to be open.
Summary
The friendly staff were great, but ultimately couldn’t save the overall experience. The hotel is dated and the amount of broken items negatively impacted our stay. Between the dishwasher and coffeemaker warming tray being broken and an elevator inspection that was over two years out of date, it was clear that attention to detail was lacking at this property. The next time I’m in New Orleans, I’ll be passing on the Sheraton Metairie.
