I really messed up my first post about this, so I will try again, as suggested.

I was reading some of the reviews of the hotels on trip advisor, and for instance the Wyndham at Canal, they said the rooms were still very dirty and smell bad, but they are booking them for the usual prices.
I was wondering how the Hampton downtown(Carondelet) held up, as we want to come back to our favorite city in May, but at the prices they are charging, I would like a decent room. This Hampton is where we usually stay.
I can't wait to get back and spend my money.

The Hampton is fine. It's a high-rise and is next to the high-rise Courtyard by Marriott and near the high-rise LaQuinta! I love it when "roadside" brands invade downtowns. At any rate, it's not nearly the same as the Wyndham and I'm surprised to read about dirty or smelly rooms. The Wyndham wasn't damaged during Katrina and is a four-diamond property.

If you can get a good deal, go with the Wyndham. If not, the Hampton is totally fine.

Dan:
Speaking of hotel prices, do you have any idea why are they so high right now? We're checking into our favorite hotel for September (which is when we normally visit New Orleans) and the prices are close to $100 more a night.

I'm guessing it's two things: limited supply compared to previous years and it's still several months away. Hotels have been generally booked solid for six months. Now that the FEMA hotel program for displaced folks is ending AND many contractors are finding apartments, I think things will get closer to normal.

I think N.O. will be expensive in the short term, however.

I think they were insinuating in the post on Tripadvisor that they people who stayed at the Wyndham trashed the place and the hotel is booking before fixing the rooms up. Just guessing.

Spyro, Dan has given you excellent advice. Not sure what the TripAdvisor report said, but I can tell you personally that N.O. relies on the tourist industry and the hotels are working hard to come back better than ever. If it were me, I'd call the hotel and talk to them about what you read on TripAdvisor. I can't imagine the Wyndham being dirty and smelly, but maybe that patron was there for the first week or so after Katrina. Not only was everything dirty and smelly then, every person was too. Hard to bathe and clean without potable water or electricity! ;-)

I hope you enjoy your trip. I find N.O. (FQ, Uptown, Downtown, Lakeview, 9th Ward, Chalmette) especially wonderful now as we recover--such resilient people willing to start from scratch and build it all back again. It makes me proud to call this area home. (Please don't judge us by the behavior of some of the workers here from other places, however! ;-))

Don't forget to post a trip report when you get back home~