I want to start my review by saying that The Quisby is a cool place in a great location for Mardi Gras parades, and is probably a fun stay for a social experience in New Orleans. The only staff member with whom I interacted was nice and helpful, the room was clean and comfortable, and you can’t beat the price.
That being said, I did have a few issues with my experience. I detailed them below, but I still gave them five stars because I think a lot of these were flukes, and there were a lot of positives to my stay (as noted above). I would give this place another chance if coming to New Orleans, and I think it’s worth others to do the same, as long as you keep in mind the following -
1. If you’re staying during Mardi Gras, check the parade schedule and be prepared for the street to be closed.
Perhaps I should’ve known, but as a first-time Mardi Gras-goer, I didn’t expect, and wasn’t told, that the street would still be closed upon my arrival (after midnight) for parade clean-up. So I had to be dropped off at the end of the street and walk with all my luggage to find it.
2. The only sign for the building visible from the sidewalk is on the front door, and it very much looks like a bar.
There is a sign on the overhang, but you can’t see that if you’re walking on their side of the street. On this night it just so happened that the AC had broken, so the door was open to accommodate that. But unfortunately, that meant I couldn’t see the name of the hostel on the door and therefore couldn’t identify the building when walking by. So, with all my luggage, on foot due to the road being closed, I completely passed it and eventually had to circle back.
3. If you’re checking in late, call to give them a heads up about your eta when you arrive in New Orleans.
I had given them a heads up via the Airbnb messaging that I would arrive after midnight to ensure it wouldn’t be a problem for check-in. Unfortunately, when I arrived, there wasn’t anyone at the front desk, and nobody had any idea when she would be back. I waited for no less than ten minutes, which, while not an insane amount of time, was a lot after a lot of traveling and the ordeal of finding the hotel on foot in the first place. The front desk attendant had been trying to fix the AC, and was very nice on her return, as well as very helpful going forward. But given that I had provided my arrival time, it was a frustrating experience.