PLEASE HELP- IS THE BIENVILLE HOTEL A NICE SAFE PLACE TO STAY. IS IT NOISY. WE HAVE BOOKED THERE BUT ALSO CONSIDERING THE SHEARATON ON CANAL. I LIKE THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE FRENCH QUARTERS AS LONG AS IT IS SAFE
AND NOT TOOO NOISY. APPRECIATE ANY ADVISE.

First, NEVER say French Quarters...it's just "Quarter." Locals will run you out of town for that!

Now, on to the question...I would stay at the Sheraton over the Bienville House primarily because the Sheraton, while large, is very nice. The Bienville has more charm but is also on a very noisy street and has some very tiny rooms.

I disagree with John. I LOVE the Bienville house, it's one of my favorite hotels. We stayed there a few times and now that we moved here, I appreciate it as a very nice hotel in an ideal location. I've never stayed in a small room, and I especially love their pillows. It could be noisy, but you can request a room on an upper floor -- I don't see how the Sheraton can even compare.

I have to AGREE with John, even though I have not been to the Sheraton in New Orleans. The Bienville was expensive for what we got and we could not sleep because of all the bus and people noise. Our room was average size. The hotel restaurant (Gamey or something similar) is well-known in the area but we did not eat there.

I am also considering the Sheraton. The Bienville and Dauphine are not avaialble in December for our date. Would the previous posters(or anyone else) suggest the best of 1.)Sheraton OR 2.)DoubleTree? (for a short stay before flight out)Thank you very much.

No question...Sheraton! The DoubleTree is okay but isn't in the same class as the Sheraton, which has been recently renovated. The DoubleTree is next door to the casino and lots of Harrahs patrons stay there, which could be a plus or minus depending on if you enjoy the foot traffic going by!

I agree with Pam, the Bienville House is GREAT! Alot of charm and nice rooms. Our room was wonderful, although we did not have a balcony, we did have a patio (shared with 4 rooms)that was very nice for sitting in the morning with coffee. The staff is the best and as for noise ... we did not hear anything.

Gamay, the Bienville House restaurant, is very good and worth the trip. I can not say the same for the hotel. I found it overpriced and very underwhelming. My room was not very clean and needed a remodeling. My last stay was 1997 so maybe this has been done. I also found it noisy during the day but not at night.

Lyle,

Are we all talking about the same Bienville House? I was there this June and there was not a restaurant, only a lounge. In fact, even the lounge is very small - I don't think the Bienville House has space for a restaurant. Just curious.

There is indeed a restraurant in the Bienville, but you may not have noticed it was part of the hotel. The hotel has been remodeled since 97, I'm pretty sure

Bienville Hotel is a lovely small hotel. We have stayed there and loved the location. The staff were very good at telling us which streets were safe at night and which were not. I would certainly stay there. That is my second choice. My first choice is Place d'Armes, another lovely small hotel, good location. We have stayed on Canal Street and we much prefer staying in the French Quarter.

Thanks Pam for the info! Maybe I spent too much time looking around to notice the place. I will certainly try it out when I go back in March!

For what it's worth, I love the Sheraton on Canal. It's my favorite "big hotel" in the U.S. The Canal location is convenient to the casino, river, and French Quarter.

I originally mentioned that I preferred the Sheraton. I would personally recommend staying at a smaller hotel or inn when visiting New Orleans, but given the choice between the two hotels presented I do prefer the Sheraton although I'm pleased to see Bienville House getting good reviews from recent travelers. Mark and Lyle mentioned Gamay, which is quite good, at the Bienville House...worth a try!

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