This was my first experience with the W chain. I arrived about 4 pm on a Saturday. I found the lobby to be annoying. There was music blaring like a bar. This seemed to be standard procedure starting in the afternoon. It was very hard to communicate with the desk clerks and concierge. There were unattractive decorative vases filled with clear gel with various items floating in them. They seemed nasty and weren't visually appealing.
Be aware that on each floor in the corners there are doors to 4 rooms clustered together. There are also doors that lead straight off the hallway into the rooms. I don't know if the ones in the corners are classified differently than others but they seemed to be less desirable. The entrance into the room was at an odd angle and the entrance into the bathroom was at an odd angle.
The bathroom was much smaller than you would expect at a hotel of the class. The bath fixtures were nothing special and hard to operate... leading to scalding. There was a very cheap clear vinyl liner. There was nothing luxurious about it. They did offer BLISS products and that was the highlight of the room.
My room was on the 8th floor facing the river. On the first night which was Saturday, I kept hearing car horns honking on a pretty regular basis (at around 11pm - midnight). Finally I figured out there was a parking garage adjacent to hotel and the valets were honking as they moved the cars. This garage served the casino nearby.. so there was plenty of honking. So a floor lower than the 8th would be worse.
In the evening, they light candles in the lobby and spray fragrance. That seemed "cheap and cheesy".
They do have a car that provides a drop off service which is very nice. The coffee they serve in the lobby and that they provide in the rooms is a disgrace for a city known for its fine coffee.
Also, I when to the restaurant one morning to buy a standard sized carton of yogurt ... I was obliged, along with a bill for $6.95. Come on. Maybe for room service...maybe....
All in all, this hotels image doesn't really fit with New Orleans and the actual accommodation provided is not a very good value for the money.

We stayed at the W for two nights and our stay was comfortable. This was our first experience at a W and it will surely not be our last.

The customer service was excellent and the common areas of the hotel were relaxing and cool.

The room was okay in size (not too big, not too small) and was decorated very modernesque.

We were situated on the top floor with a nice view of all New Orleans and the French Quarter.

There were only a few things that I did not like about the room:
1. The bathroom sink -- while trendy and fun -- was way two small for both my husband and I.
2. There were no dressers in the room. Yes, there was a nice closet and two nightstands with drawers but I typically use a dresser when I check-in so this was odd.

I also hated that valet parking cost us $33 per night. That was very expensive but then again all the hotels in the area were right around this price, so come prepared.

Now to the things that I did like:

1. The lobby was a buzz with very cool chic people all over.
2. The room was quiet (I did not hear a peep, like some who have written reviews on here).
3. The bed was comfortable.
4. I liked the location we stayed at. Great access to walk to the French Quarter, Magazine Street, Canal, the Riiverwalk and the Harrah's Casino which was right out the back door. Some may say that it lacks the New Orleans charm and I absolutely agree. This is a hotel that could be located anyplace but then again it was a nice retreat from a night on the town. I will admit that we did try to stay at the W in the French Quarter but it was sold out for the dates that we stayed.
5. The W pays attention to the tiny details. An example is that when you leave at night and are in the elevator there is a floor rug that says "Good Evening" and in the morning it has been changed to say "Good Morning."

Would I stay there again...the answer is YES! Would it be my first choice...probably NO! Especially with so many other hotels in New Orleans fighting for tourism dollars. BUT this was an above average stay none the less!

Just got back from 4 nights at the W. The biggest issue is the cleanliness of the room. This hotel isn't up to standards, TV cable went out, shower dripped, room wasn't cleaned by 5:30PM. I could go on and on. Bottom line, there are other hotels in New Orleans with much better service.

This is a nice hotel close to the French Quarter. The rooms are a little musty but perfectly fine. The common areas are what you would expect at a W Hotel. The Westin which is about 3 blocks away is a much nicer hotel in terms of the view of the river and the overall finish of the hotel. However, the fitness facility is definately better than the Westin, so stay at the W if you are a gym rat. Otherwise, the Westin is more elegant.