The Pelham Hotel in New Orleans, LA

We arrived after 2 pm on a Friday for a 2-night stay. The first words that the clerk said to me were, "So you want to pay for early check-in?" Huh? Pay extra? I didn't recall saying anything like that at ALL! Here, this was a largely empty hotel at the time, mid-afternoon, and she was unwilling to let two road-weary seniors have access to their room that was definitely ready and waiting and ALREADY PAID FOR! Apparently her earning a little extra folding money was more important than our comfort. The day earlier in Baton Rouge, our luxury hotel there let us check in 3 hours early with no problem and no additional fee. Now, I'm not a cheapskate so it wasn't about the $40 bribe she requested; that was chump change. It was the principle of the thing, about being treated less like valued guests and more like being told we weren't welcome and please go away. Did I mention that my girlfriend is handicapped, was in real pain, and wanted to lie down? I asked her if we could leave our bags there until 4 pm. She said yes, but that we had to lug them in because they don't offer valet service if they don't park your car. She also said she couldn't park my car since I had already paid for the first few hours on a street lot. Hmm, this was starting to feel like more of a bad Motel 6 experience than checking into a supposed luxury property. So we ended up cooling our heels at a bar down the street for 2 hours until they would release the room. Guess what? It didn't cool ME down; rather, it put a huge damper on our fun weekend in New Orleans. The Pelham hotel is off the beaten path, and the front entrance is next to the dumpsters of the Ruby Slipper restaurant next door. And while that is a great brunch restaurant, the hotel street front is, shall we say, "wet and fragrant." Our room and the amenities were nice enough, but just bear in mind that this is 100+ year old building, so rooms are small. I had to wait an hour for ice because that same desk clerk hadn't bothered to fill the bin, which also chapped me. So all told, I would say this is more like a youth hostel in terms of service and front desk concern for the guests' comfort. Don't get me wrong; we travel a LOT and normally stay at AirBNBs or VRBO, so we're used to hauling our own bags and roughing it a little. But we're seniors, and we thought we paid their higher room price to enjoy a little luxury, pampering and friendly courteous service. If you're looking for the same, I might suggest the DoubleTree, Marriott, Westin, Caesar's or any of the dozens of other nice properties in the very same area.

It was a great hotel. I’m not normally one who does reviews but i did have to highlight how well they treat their guests plus it’s a cute hotel with a comfy and very clean room. That is just outside the French quarter, which was a plus for me. Plus if you are a tourist like me, then you will find that being next to Canal street, which allows you access to the streetcar to get around is very useful. Very happy with our stay, would stay here again. P.S. Definitely use the ability to reserve a spot at the ruby slipper at the front desk at least once. Great place that gets a line really quickly for a reason.

We stay for a weekend and the location of the Pellham was perfect. Walking distance to the Bourbon Street, Natchez Steamboat, Casino, Jackson Square, etc Kudos to Nicole with her excellent service. Good choice of NOLA vibes without the Hotel's big names.

The Pelham Hotel is amazing! The staff are very helpful and knowledgeable of the area. The rooms are amazing clean; very impressed. The location is within walking distance of the French Quarters. My wife and I plan to lodge at The Pelham Hotel again during our next stay.

We had a great time. Convenient location, very clean, good service. Shanté was super helpful. The only downside was a small bathroom and thin walls - we could hear people in other rooms, despite the quiet hours policy. Overall, we enjoyed our stay. Thanks to the Pelham.