We went to New Orleans for our anniversary in October, and had a wonderful time. The Avenue Plaza is an older building, which lent to its architectural charm. Even though it’s older it is well maintained, clean, and the décor is tastefully done. The roof top deck is beautiful, and there is a nice courtyard to sit in, and a very small pool. The hotel provides access to computers and printers for the guests in a large room on the first floor as well, which was helpful. The location is away from the French Quarter, which we preferred, since it’s quieter and safer. Eric’s description of the hotel and the one bedroom condo was very accurate; he emailed us and told us to check in at the front desk and just give his name. Check-in went smoothly, and everyone on staff was pleasant and helpful at all times, going out of their way to give us information about the city and hotel. The only thing I didn’t like was the push to attend the timeshare sales meetings. The Avenue Plaza is a Wyndham timeshare hotel, and offers free breakfast or lunches if you attend, but we aren’t interested in a timeshare, and don’t want to spend 10 minutes during check-in listening to a sales pitch after a long travel time. Other than that, it was a lovely experience. We were on the 4th floor and had no problems, but other guests staying on the 12th floor told us getting hot water was a wait.
The streetcar stops in front of the building, and takes you directly to the French Quarters, about a 10 minute ride. For $3.00 a day it’s a bargain and a much better option than driving a car – driving in the French Quarter (and New Orleans in general) is horrible. We also tried the Hop on Hop Off red double decker tour bus, which was great, and has a stop one block down. One of the stops is the Mardi Gras World where they make the Mardi Gras parade floats, which was phenomenal and a must see. The hotel neighborhood seemed safe, we had no problems, and there are great restaurants nearby, as well as a few convenience stores, and a pharmacy nearby within walking distance. Overall, a very positive experience, and we would stay there again. Thank-you, Eric!