Wanting to finalize my trip to NOLA in a few weeks. Concerned about the conflicting reports on the 2 hotels that I have narrowed it down to. Royal Sonesta was #69 in popularity and Omni Royal was #20. Should I be wary of these reviews or ignore them and chalk it up as a few people that have had a bad experience. Confused now..., any opinions?

I find the user comments helpful if there is a consensus. The numeric popularity rating are a joke, frequently rating 3 star hotels substantially higher than 5 star hotels.

I like trip advisor and it can be a good resource. However, some of the best hotels do not even make the list at all. Many people have stayed at them and enjoyed them - they just did not happen to get on trip advisor and write a review. And, reviews can also be subjective. The pictures can be very helpful and unless you see several people with legitimate complaints, I would not worry.

The Royal Sonesta and the Omni Royal are the best hotels in the French Quarter, regardless of tripadvisor. Our current favorite place is the Royal Sonesta, with a room overlooking the pool/courtyard. The rooms in the inside corner are the biggest!

I have been unable to fathom how those rankings are determined on TripAdvisor, but I do rely heavily on the reviews, especially the most recent ones.

Often the "bad" experiences are small quibbles or things that could have easily been taken care of if reported properly.

At any hotel, some employees are better than others. Much of the "experience" depends upon the particular desk clerk you get, the maid assigned to your room (even from one day to the next), the door man on duty when you encounter same, etc. Not to mention the current manager.

Don't confuse "popularity" with quality. If 10 people write a mediocre review of a hotel, and two people have written a glowing review of a newer hotel, the one that's had 10 reviews is rated more "popular".

Our friends (who are very snooty) stay at the Omni Royal and love it every time.

I absolutely LOVE Royal Sonesta!!! The location on Bourbon can't be beat and yet it is complete tranquility in the middle of mayhem. Nice rooms, great rooftop pool, gorgeous New Orleans courtyard, and a wonderful bar off the lobby as well. I wouldn't consider staying anywhere else (hope that helps!).

I think that the "popularity" rating is just the number of reviews/ratings received. So a dump could be "Popular" without being "good".

Reading the reviews can help, but don't forget that they can be written by the hotel manager, or by a disgruntled employee.

Also, remember that people are more likely to report on a hotel if there was something negative to report than if everything is possitive - it's just human nature.

I use Tripadvisor.com pretty much before I make any decisions on where I'm going to stay. It really hasn't steered me wrong yet. As for the ratings for New Orleans, I used it to help me pick my B&B stay and, in all honesty, it couldn't have been more correct.

<<Also, remember that people are more likely to report on a hotel if there was something negative to report than if everything is possitive - it's just human nature.>>

Not necessarily. While I am surely inclined to report negative experiences to preclude others from suffering same, I am also equally inclined to report excellent experiences - my personal thanks to the establishment for having provided same.

One thing I've noticed on TripAdvisor is that the positive experiences typically are far more numerous than the negative experience, no matter the establishment.

I think they are good for guiding you and you need to read the actual reviews, but a forum like this gives the best ideas.

Both of those hotels are top notch. If you really want to stay on Bourbon itself, Royal Sonesta is the only way to go.