I stayed here for three nights for a convention being held at the convention center, which is just two blocks away. The location was perfect. The staff was friendly and extremely helpful. The room was clean and so quiet--just right for me. The weather during my stay was cool and breezy so I could not understand the freezing cold blasting from the AC vents throughout the hotel, but my in-room thermostat reacted quickly to my adjustments. I like having a refrigerator and microwave in the room, and I was prepared to purchase coffee of my own at Starbucks to use in the coffeemaker, but the Starbucks located a block away inside the Marriott would not grind a quarter of a pound for me, nor would the Starbucks in the Sheraton a short walk from there. Go figure. Anyway, the free breakfast is well-stocked and their coffee was good. I walked to the French Quarter for dinner with friends--everything was close by.

I stayed at the SpringHill Suites (a Marriott property) from 11-17 October. It is an excellent location if you are attending any event at the Convention Center, which like the River Walk is only a couple of blocks away. Service was excellent, and breakfast was provided daily. The rooms were clean, and housekeeping came to the rooms on a daily basis. It's a pretty healthy walk to Harrah's, Canal Street (shopping, souvenirs, other hotels, restaurants) and to Bourbon Street (probably a good 10-15 minute hike), but other than that I was quite pleased. Parking is expensive ($15/day), but parking tickets are more expensive, so it depends how far you want to look around. A word about Harrah's - NOT A GOOD PLACE TO GAMBLE. Harrah's is the only land-based casino allowed in New Orleans by law. They won the bid, so they have no other competition in the area and they know it. They don't have to loosen their slots or care whether you win or not. Riverboat casinos are not even allowed to dock at the nearby River Walk. Don't waste your time and throw away your money gambling at Harrah's New Orleans. I suggest the Treasure Chest, a smaller floating casino located outside New Orleans. Otherwise, go to Las Vegas or better yet, give the money to charity. Harrah's is OK to eat at, however, and they have good breakfasts. I don't recommend the local MacDonald's on Canal Street either. As the cheapest place to eat in town, they also get a lot of derelicts, street people, and unsavory characters in there. Overall, Marriott SpringHill Suites was Excellent.

I stayed here during Mardi Gras due the the good rate I got and the room could sleep 6 people. The room was a bit cramped for space, but the kitchen area was nice. Hotel and rooms were very clean. Bathroom was small, but the vanity area was separate from the bathroom which made it roomier. The hotel staff was not helpful when asking them Anything. Be sure and get there by 9:45 if you want breakfast. And hope the parking garage is not full or they will be sending you to some crazy area to park that costs more. It's the perfect location if you are going to the convention center. The Riverwalk Mall and Harrah's are only a few blocks. The quarter (ie Bourbon St) is a long 10 or so blocks. The hotel is clean and updated, but if you are looking for service you probably should go elsewhere. I felt completely safe in the area.

Our room was nice and very clean.It was on the ground floor and the window faced the sidewalk, something I had never had at a hotel before. It wasn't a problem, just different. Check in was fast and easy, which I really appreciated after a long trip and at a late hour. The beds were very comfortable and the decor was nice.

We did have some problems. I was travelling with three children and one other adult and the children were geared up to go swimming. I called the local number of the hotel before making reservations so confirm that their outdoor pool was heated. When we went to the pool (all dressed in swimsuits and the kids with their goggles) we were horrified to find that the pool was freezing! We decided to try the hot tub hoping that would satisfy the need for swimming. That turned out to be lukewarm and there were wet towels lying around the deck. When I turned on the jets, water started overflowing out the door and into the carpeted halls! We called maintenance and all that happened was a "closed" sign was put on the door. I asked about the pool and was told that the heater must be broken. (No kidding!)

Another problem we had was that there was a women staying in the room next to us that had about EIGHT kids staying with her. It sounded like they were having a party in there. As it approached midnight with no signs of letting up, it took 2 calls to the front desk to get some relief from the noise, which included what sounded like kids literally bouncing off the walls.

On the plus side, the parking garage is very nice and safe, and we never had to park more than 40 feet from the hotel entrance.