New Orleans
 

Just took a 5 day trip to New Orleans - Avoid if at all possible. We had a good time - however, crime possibilities ( we had 2) and post Katrina issues are still very prevelant. AVOID: St. James Hotel - (no air conditioning - and it's 100 degrees outside and inside), Mothers Restaurant - extremely hateful security guards forcing you around because of all the tourist and avoid NOLA's (Emeril's casual restaurant) - the food is undercooked and way overpriced. Bon Ton on Magazine Street is fabulous and understated. Excellent food and customer service. Port of Call is worth the cab ride - best hamburger you will ever eat. Also Luke's for brunch/breakfast and "yo mamma's for lunch - great.

Wow donnacc14 - sounds like a disaster movie! I have never planned a trip to New Orleans in the summer time because of heat/humidity. Love it about Novermber or December.

Don't know if you've been there during cooler weather because I think it's wonderful then but seems like summer is just not the time for New Orleans.

Having visited NOLA many times & twice since Katrina (& heading back in a few weeks)I think it would be helpful if you could provide some detail, particularly around the 'crime possibilities'. Nola is a big city, like many others. I'm curious as to the issues you faced (I'm sure others will be as well). To suggest that we avoid an entire city, seems a little 'dramatic' too me.

Forgive me for being skeptical, but this (& another one just like it, are also your first posts ??!!).

Sorry you did not have a good time. I would never recommend to anyone to get a hotel in New Orleans in summer without air conditioning. Perhaps you are from a cool climate where you didn't think about the possibility of extreme heat in New Orleans in the summer?

I find it hard to believe you would have a bad meal at NOLA's (Emeril's restaurant), but perhaps you like overcooked food. Haute cuisine usually leaves vegetables crisp and shrimp lightly cooked so it's not rubbery. I suspect you may be used to traditional American 1950's style cooking where vegetables are mush and food is always well done - that's gross to me.

I would recommend a mid winter visit and see if you still don't like it then...

You may actually prefer the old line Creole restaurants like Antoine's and Galatoire's as they tend to cook things more thoroughly as well...

I was curious, so looked at the St. James Hotel web site (assuming it's the one at 330 Magazine Street) and could find no mention, or even a hint, that the rooms were not airconditioned. It even states that they are "designed with the needs of the corporate traveler in mind". Did the A/C just not work, or not available?

If I, as a corporate traveller, found my room in N.O. to lack airconditioning, that hotel would never get business from my company again.

Wow - what a shock to read. We've gone to NOLA regularly for the past 15 years and have never had those kinds of problems. Shoot, I'm only 5' tall and have wandered the Quarter alone during the day for years. A hotel with no air conditioning is beyond my imagination and I have to wonder what caused that issue - did you ask the staff about it? I do agree that I wasn't impressed with Emeril's food and did really like Yo Mama's - I could go for a nice big burger as we speak! We're planning on another trip in September and can hardly wait to get there. You might want to give NOLA another chance sometime, the city is really amazing and the people are working very hard to come back where they were before the storm.