My girlfriend & I decided to take a trip to NO for Memorial Day holidays....especially since we found a great deal on Hotwire that we couldnt pass up.
We didnt make any plans when arriving in the city; we thought we could just 'wing' it and make the best of the long weekend. First thing we did when we got there was spoke w/ the Concierge in the hotel and asked him for his recommendations on what we should do and where we should eat each day. He ended up planning our entire weekend for us, booked all our events for us, called all the restaraunts before-hand and informed them of any of our dinner requests!
Because of him the entire weekend went flawlessly! I've never had such great service from any concierge without any hassles.
Ohyeah, the hotel wasnt so bad either!
Actually, the hotel was as expected - clean with nice amenities, but due to the excellent service, I rate this hotel as EXCELLENT!

Pros:
- Friendliest staff (from valet to front desk to concierge!)
- spacious bathrooms
- clean
- big gym
- cozy patio one of the roofs (like ur not in the city)

Cons:
- sometimes could hear doors slamming in the hallway (but that didnt really bother us too much)
- if you're hungry you have to walk over to canal street or farther
- the walls around the pool keep direct sunlight from hitting the pool whenever the sun isnt directly overhead - makes it kinda cold

My husband and I stayed at the Intercontinental in New Orleans on a combined business / pleasure trip. We have vacationed in NO annually for 15 years, but this was our first stay at this location. It was perfect for us, as we love to walk the city. We could get nearly anywhere we needed to go, either by foot, St. Charles Streetcar, or Algiers Ferry. It's about 3 blocks from Canal Street (French Quarter starts at Canal) and the streetcar stops directly across from the front of the hotel. The rooms were very comfortable and quiet, with updated decor. Beds were plush with duvets and lots of pillows. Work-out facility is very large and well-equipped, rooftop pool was great, and has a covered as well as open-to-the-sky lounging area.
Every staff person we encountered, including the in-house phone reservations agent, doormen, front desk staff, concierge, housekeepers, and coffee shop cashier was professional, friendly and eager to help. This hotel is a tremendous value, and we will stay there again.

The InterContinental New Orleans is a top-notch choice for those visiting the Crescent City. While I have usually stayed at properties in the French Quarter on numerous previous trips to NOLA, the IC is a great pick in the Central Business District on St. Charles Avenue, but only a few short blocks away from Canal Street and across to the Quarter.

After being greeted by friendly and welcoming bellmen, you proceed up escalators or an elevator to the hotel's cool and elegant marble lobby on the second floor.

We had a spacious and luxurious deluxe corner king room on the 11th floor with a huge patio balcony. The room, done up in a rich burgundy and gold, featured a minibar and all the usual plush hotel amenities including robes and slippers. The room's small foyer area and marble bathroom was quite nice.

While we did not dine at the hotel's restaurant, Veranda, or its casual Pete's Pub, we did enjoy a fine room service breakfast at the table on our room's balcony, and also a light breakfast another morning from the hotel's Sweet Car pastry shop located below the lobby. The Lobby Lounge is a relaxing and quiet spot for drinks before heading out to the heat and frolic of Bourbon Street and elsewhere in the Quarter.

We took advantage of the welcome, if somewhat small, rooftop outdoor pool on the hotel's 15th floor, just off the excercise room.

While the IC is a large hotel in the CBD, and may not offer the quaint charm of smaller and more historic French Quarter hotels, it is undeniably luxurious with first-class service. I would highly recommend it.

Needless to say, I was very impressed. Service at the front desk was classic Southern style (with an international flair). If you bring a car, the valet is really quick to respond.

The location is excellent -- a block away from Canal Street (where the French Quarter begins) so you don't have drunks regurgitating all over the front of the hotel :). You can *almost* completely avoid the potential traffic on the streets of the Quarter!

The BEST thing about this hotel is the size of the rooms. A regular room is HUGE compared to the typical New Orleans hotel rooms! Granted, this hotel is located in the CBD, not quite the French Quarter where the rooms are definitely smaller. I've stayed at the Iberville Suites and the Bourbon Orleans (both in the Quarter) and the Sheraton and the Le Pavilion (both in the CBD) but none can compare to the space you get here. (Note, however, that the rooms are not all the same size, so a "regular room" on floor may be slightly larger/smaller than the next -- so I discovered from another friend who stayed here as well.)

**TIP: To get this hotel from Hotwire at a GREAT price, find the 4-star hotel in the CBD that's marked "Customer Favorite". You will get either this, or the Sheraton.**