If you’re searching for a New Orleans hotel there are hundreds to choose from at all price points. The Hilton Garden Inn New Orleans CBD is right in the heart of the city and among the least expensive options in the Hilton family. But can it deliver value? Let’s take a look.
Where’s the Money? This site may contain affiliate links. Many travel sites include such links to earn a commission at no cost to readers.
I booked this hotel for 5 nights from Sun-Fri September 7-12 as part of a longer stay in the city.
Those nights totaled an average of $87.95 each after tax and all charges. The Hilton Garden Inn New Orleans CBD has an Expedia rating of 7.6 from 1000 reviews. Check the Expedia rates for your dates.
I chose this hotel because I’m close to requalifying for Hilton Diamond status and the price and location were outstanding.
Hilton Garden Inn New Orleans CBD Location
I prefer staying in the CBD over the French Quarter and this hotel is among a cluster of properties that are extremely central and convenient. The ideal location for a hotel is between Canal Street and Poydras Street and this property is just a two block walk into the French Quarter.
It’s also directly on the Saint Charles Ave streetcar line making it very convenient to get to any point served by all of the streetcars.
GET READY TO FLY: Search the Lowest Airfares with Skyscanner
If you’re traveling by car there are many parking garages within a few blocks of the hotel and booking one of them on a site like SpotHero will save you considerable money over parking at the hotel. A quick check for next week shows a garage in the next block available for $71 for a four night stay. The hotel valet at $48 a night comes to $192 for the same time, plus tips.
Hilton Garden Inn New Orleans CBD Property
This building dates from around the late 1960’s or 70’s and it could hardly be any uglier. But you won’t be looking at the outside. There’s an elevator lobby on the ground floor and the whole bottom half of the building is a parking garage. The hotel lobby is on floor 11 and the pool and gym are on 18.
The pool deck here is very impressive with lots of seating and shady spots that rotate throughout the day. Anyone with an issue with heights might have some trouble up here. In a mostly low-rise city like New Orleans 18 floors feels very tall and the views are spectacular. The pool itself is rather small and if kids are present they’ll dominate the whole thing.
The lobby includes a sundries shop and a small bar as well as a novel restaurant concept. They call it a food hall and guests can order dishes from several different menus by touchscreen kiosks. To be honest I wouldn’t be surprised if the hotel kitchen has a sideline business as a ghost kitchen for food app deliveries.
Hilton Garden Inn New Orleans CBD Guest Rooms
If you’re considering this hotel you should be very aware that the building has a dead-space courtyard in it and there are interior rooms whose windows face that courtyard, if they even have windows at all. I once stayed at the Wyndham Garden location a block away from this hotel and that property also had windowless rooms. It was pretty miserable and I hated it.
The room I received on this stay was fine. The solid wood furnishings are old and showing some wear and tear but overall the room was clean, good size, no issues at all and had a very nice view.
BOOK RISK-FREE: Browse Refundable Rates at Expedia
Downloading the Hilton app and choosing your room will go a long way toward insuring you get a good one that faces outward.
Issues at Property
When I arrived at my room I found I was able to open the door without the key. So the room could not be locked from the outside and if I left it would remain unsecured. The front desk gave me a new room with a working lock. However, the following day housekeeping came into the room and left the deadbolt open while working. So when I returned in the afternoon the door was left propped open by about an inch and anyone could have come in and helped themselves to anything in the room. I noticed at least one other room on my floor left the same way.
Throughout my stay a lot of trash cans and laundry bin were just left sitting in the hallways for hours or even overnight. The property has more wear and tear than I’ve seen at a Hilton property anywhere. Damaged signs and light fixtures are left unrepaired and there are lots of marks along the hallways where carts have scraped along the walls. Coffee may or may not be present in the lobby. Front desk may or may not have someone attending it at any given moment. Overall the staff here is just not getting it done.
About The CBD
I strongly prefer the CBD to staying in the French Quarter. It’s quite clean and safe relative to some other neighborhoods in the city. It’s also a neighborhood in its own right, with a number of towers having been converted to residential. Walking on a downtown street at night it’s not unusual to see residents just hanging out on the street in camp chairs, drinking and listening to music, because the buildings don’t feature balconies or courtyards.
The CBD is also somewhat frozen in time, like a museum of the American Downtown. Some buildings date as old as the 1800’s and every era is represented up to the 1970’s Brutalist/Modernist period. But there’s been very little material change since then.
BOOK EARLY: Browse Attractions and Tour Opportunities on Viator.
There’s plenty to see, do and eat on this side of Canal Street and it makes going uptown a bit easier as well. Far from being an empty or generic downtown, the CBD is integral to the full New Orleans experience.
Bottom Line
I wasn’t really in love with this hotel and I preferred my stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Convention Center. But this property does have a lot going for it: specifically price, location and a decent room.
I wouldn’t recommend this property for a romantic getaway but for many travelers it’ll be fine as long as the price is right. Check the rates for your dates and see if they stack up.
