Angeles W.
Yelp
We could not be happier after our stay with Prytania Park Hotel.
I'll admit, I was a bit nervous after seeing some of the mixed reviews. We were quickly put at ease prior to our stay, thanks largely to a quick email correspondence with the general manager, Dori Schulman. We had a few specific questions, all of which were answered in detail.
Finding the hotel (even for two people who get nervous when traveling in unfamiliar areas) was easy. Free parking - HUGE bonus in this area, by the way - was in the lot in 'front' of the hotel. Easily manageable, easy access. Excellent.
Front desk staff (WHY can't I remember her name? I hope someone will comment and remind me - our stay was on 5 October, and we checked in approximately 4:30pm) was EXCELLENT. Friendly, knowledgeable, excited at being involved in the big secret my best friend and I were keeping from our daughters (the reason for our NOLA visit: the Taylor Swift concert - one of their favorite artists!). She was ready to answer any and all questions, had plenty of information to give us, and was extremely patient with our (seemingly airheaded, at times, since we were tired and excited and looking forward to surprising our daughters) chatter.
The hotel itself was charmingly beautiful. After chatting with the staff member at the front desk, we made our way to our carefully-chosen room. Our particular room was chosen for the "loft" area, which held the second queen bed ... and was accessed by a quaint spiral staircase. The room was the first surprise for our daughters, who squealed with delight and immediately climbed the stairs to their portion of the room.
I'd read that the bathrooms were small, so I was a bit nervous, seeing as we had four females getting ready to go out for the night. We decided to let our daughters wear crazy (one blue, one turquoise :D) wigs and fun makeup (darker than usual), sparkly shirts, and whatever else they wanted to do. All they knew was that we were in New Orleans ... so they were game to dressing up and being silly. My nervousness was unfounded, though. Although the shower/toilet room is JUST large enough for the shower and toilet, there was PLENTY of counter space in the vanity area! This is important, because you know us girls like to spread our hair/makeup products all over the place while we decide what to do!
By the way: there was also a mini fridge and decent-size microwave (not the kind that just pops a bag of popcorn - this one would equate to the counter-size m/w I use at home!). Also important!
We had requested a cab be called for us at a particular time, and it was. We'd requested waters and snacks be placed on our hotel bill (it was), and the clerk continued to talk with us while we waited for the taxi and had a quick snack (lunch had been at noon, and we knew dinner wouldn't be til sometime after 9pm). She continued to hold onto our secret, and help build the girls' excitement.
Side note: hotel staff should not assume that out-of-towners know how public transport works. We assumed the trolley near the hotel would go directly to the French Quarter, where we'd be going later that night ... we did NOT realize we'd have to take THREE trolleys to get where we wanted to go! While she was sweet about telling us how inexpensive the rides were, and how the money machine works (doesn't give change), and how they become less frequent as the night gets late ... she didn't mention we'd need to switch trolleys ... or that we'd have to know whether to take the red or green line at each interval.
We returned to our room a little after 1 a.m., exhausted but happy (phenomenal concert ... deliciously delightful beignets and hot chocolate at Cafe du Monde ... beautiful night!) and were greeted by a cool room, sigh-worthy-comfortable beds, and soft lighting (we'd left a lamp on, and it had a low-light setting).
Let me say, the beds were TRULY dreamable. Firm, but with a pillow-top layer. So, soft to the touch, but great for my aching back (4 hours of driving, 4 of concert, 2 of taxis and walking).
Water pressure was fine for us. Again, the vanity space was wonderful as we all crowded around to brush our teeth and hair, apply a little makeup, and tame our hair.
Breakfast consisted of coffee, juice, milk, cereal, cheese/fruit danish, and croissants (with various butters and jelly packets). Simple, which was exactly what we needed before we headed out to walk around the French Quarter for a while (again, not understanding the trolley system, since we'd taken a cab the night before).
I cannot think of a single thing I would change about the Prytania Park Hotel. We plan to eventually get back to NOLA for some more sightseeing, and will DEFINITELY stay here again!
Thank you, Prytania Park Hotel - we're definitely FANS!!