Above: Bourbon St. from Conti (or somewhere very near there) looking toward town on Christmas Day morning about 11am - the bars were open, but nary a soul in sight…We believe that the street sweepers also had the day off. We were headed to Cafe DuMonde - again! - because hotel staff thought that they were open. They weren’t. Sadness.
I have to mention the hotels where we stayed on this trip because one was horrific and the other two were outstanding. You might want to note the worst one so that you can avoid it in your travels throughout the south as well. Plus I’ve added notes about our Haunted History Tour, so read on…
NO NO NO to Best Western
Eliminate this name from your brain: Best Western. This used to be a semi-classy hotel chain at a reasonable price. But, I’ve stayed at a few Best Westerns over the past year and I’ve been constantly disappointed. This last experience just put me over the edge, and I’ll never, ever stay at a Best Western again.
The name and location of the last culprit is the Best Western Riverchase Inn, 1800 Riverchase Drive, Birmingham, AL, situated in Hoover directly across from the Riverchase Galleria (”largest mall in the southeast”). I walked into the lobby with a cheery, “Happy Holidays,” and the woman who manned the desk moved slowly from in front of the TV in the lobby to behind the counter with a grunt and a scowl.
Ok, so I hear that Scrooges exist, and I’m willing to remain cheery. But, later, when she told us that we needed to hunt for our remote control because she was sure we had one, I got a little testy. As I searched the room, I found candy wrappers, bottle lids, and leftover food from previous guests behind the bed table and under the beds, but no remote control.
If you want access to their advertised wireless connection you have to hunt for that as well. I was told the next morning that I could have called a 1-800 number to get the wireless, but it was a little too late for that information. Plus, why do I need to dial the number when my hotel room was - supposedly - right next to the router? Insane, ugly, dirty, and downright not worth the money. In fact, I’ve stayed at places that were twice as nice for half that price. We’re talking $72 with tax. Hugh was more forgiving than I was about this stay. I rate it a -10.
YES to Hampton Inns
Burn this into your brain instead: Hampton Inns. For the same price you can get - in 99% of the cases - a clean room, fast wireless connections, and friendly staff. The Hampton Inn off exit 301 (I-65) in Cullman Alabama was sweet. The beds had those thick foam eggcrate cushions and those radical Hampton Inn pillows that are “firm yet soft.” The wireless was super-fast here, and the hotel clerk called us to make sure all was ok. That was a first. 10+.
Holiday Inn Chateau LeMoyne
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Chateau LeMoyne in New Orleans. This hotel, which is charming and clean and serviced by a friendly staff, is located at 301 Dauphine St., within walking distance to all the attractions we visited except Commander’s Palace (15-minute taxi drive). We managed to snag rooms with balconies, which was wonderful during the day. But, if you’re a light sleeper you might want an inside room even when it’s not Mardi Gras. The streets can get awful noisy around 2am and again at 4am. The first time it’s the drunks going home. The second time it’s the street cleaners cleaning up after the drunks. The hotel is located just one block from Bourbon Street, which can be either convenient or entirely off your radar depending upon your tolerance.
One more thing - this hotel had great coffee, both in the room and downstairs at their breakfast buffet restaurant. You can snag a cup at the restaurant for free if you’re a guest, but unless the hotel is packed (and it wasn’t this time around), avoid the breakfast because food can get old fast on a buffet. This is where my daughter decided to try the not-so-fresh Eggs Benedict that made her unhappy. Plus, the buffet isn’t worth the price unless the food is fresh. It was over $40 for the three of us.
Other than this - give the Holiday Inn Chateau LeMoyne a shot when you’re in New Orleans, because you’ll be happy with prices (other than the $28 per day parking fee, perhaps) and with the service. A solid 10 for the experience, location, and all that yellow paint and the flags posted on the outside so that my daughter and I could find the hotel once we glanced down any side street along Dauphine from St. Louis to Canal. Plus, it’s not haunted…yet.
The Haunted Ghost Tour
Some guy named Sidney founded Haunted History Tours about ten years ago, and he’s cornered the market for ghost, vampire, voodoo, garden district, and cemetery visitations in New Orleans with good reason. This is the group that is recommended by the Travel Channel as #1 in New Orleans tours and that you may have already seen on A&E, Discovery, Fox Network, The History Channel, MTV, or Sci Fi channels.
The guide who escorted us on our ghost tour was informed, friendly, funny, and sharp. Granted, since we were the only two people on the tour that evening, he could relax a little and we all enjoyed some informal conversation about New Orleans. But, my daughter and I learned a lot about New Orleans folklore that evening as well.
These walking tours never cancel, even come hell and/or high water, so don’t miss taking at least one tour while you’re in town. But, you must be game for two hours’ worth of walking, even in the rain if necessary. You might visit streets and buildings you never knew existed, and you could learn about how and why New Orleans is worth saving. This town is a historical wonder, and the Haunted History Tours’ personnel will prove it.
Call anytime to make a reservation. Sidney has a cell phone, and he always answers. My daughter and I give the Haunted History Tour and our tour guide a 10+.
Posted by beanybabe at 4:38 PM PST
