Hotel de la Monnaie

I have been an owner here for 4 years and consider it to be one of the best investments I ever made. No, it is not the most elegant, nor most comfortable in NOLA. But it is frankly the best in terms of location, friendliness of staff and security. Very confortable and quiet accommodations. Free, secure parking.

Owner for 2 years with great experiences every time we visit! Love the location, staff and interior.

We own a 2 BR unit here and love it. The only reason I give it a 4-star instead of a 5-star is because there is only 1 bathroom in the 2-bedroom unit. We like the location--very convenient yet quiet.

If you are thinking of buying a timeshare in New Orleans, this is a good place to consider. There is a great owner rental program. Highly recommended.

We are staying here in March, 2006, as I write this review. Everything is up and running and in great shape.

We first stayed at this property 5 years ago during New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. After several years of renting, a week during Fest became available to purchase. We bought and have not regretted.

We always enjoy the people we meet here during Fest. The property has 2 open interior courtyards and there is a veranda along the front of the building on the second floor......people meet there and relax in the evening (between daytime at the Fest & the nighttime activities).

We LOVE the location for both Fest and exploring the French Quarter. It is located at the ''back" of the Quarter, just steps from the French Market and Riverfront Trolley. There is also easy access to the Interstate - without going through the Quarter traffic.

Although the property is not luxurious, it is clean and comfortable. The location, location, location and the friendly staff are huge benefits. Also, there are a number of free off- street parking spots. Free parking is like gold in the French Quarter.....and we have always been able to get one at HDLM.

The other review mentioned that it reminded them of some of the places they stayed in Europe. I think that's a great description. If you've ever been to Europe, you might discover that their standards aren't quite like the pampering standards we are used to. That being said, and the fact that we are here in the U.S., I'm going down the pampered American standards and giving it 3-stars. It's basically an oversized cheap motel, not a Marriott.

We stayed in a one bedroom unit. It says it can sleep 4 because the couch is a pull-out. A pull-out. Remember that. Some friends stayed with us a couple of nights and we were able to get an extra mattress to put on the pull-out, otherwise it would have been quite uncomfortable. But again, it's a pull-out so you shouldn't expect much.

The unit was kind of beat up (walls, floor). Pieces of the blinds were missing. The TV didn't work in the living room (bad cables likely because if you jiggled the cables, it would work for another 30 seconds). The kitchenette area was old and beat up. The same thing was true for the bathroom. There is only a 30-gallon hot water tank for your unit so make your showers quick! We didn't even bother trying to fill the tub and use the jets. In the bedroom, you could hear water going through various pipes. The AC wasn't too quiet either.

The living room is quaint and includes a small office table with two chairs. There's a VCR as well.

The kitchenette included everything you basically needed - forks, glasses, coffee maker, college-dorm fridge.

The bedroom was a basic small bedroom with side tables, dresser, closet and TV.

The front-desk staff were friendly and helpful and can make various reservations for you (Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues is a good recommendation).

There's a washer and dryer downstairs somewhere. Obviously we didn't use it:) Actually, we were only there for an extended weekend, not the whole week.

The location is right next to the Old Mint, 30- second walk to the French Market and the Trolley car. Party go'ers - the heart of Bourbon St. is a good 10-15 minute walk. That could be good or bad. Good to walk it off. Bad because you just want to pass out.

Good food is next door at the Marisol or around the corner on Frenchmen St. at the Praline Connection. But, it's New Orleans, part of the fun is finding the good food yourself, and there's plenty of it.

In all, if you're looking for a "resort" kind of place, this is not it. It's a place to keep your stuff and sleep. If that's all you want, then it's perfect and I would recommend it. It's not like there were any rats or cockroaches all over the place. I enjoyed my stay overall.