Wyndham New Orleans French Quarter

Positioned where the city’s Central Business District meets the French Quarter, this Wyndham stays busy with tourists and business travelers alike. It leaves little doubt that it's located in the heart of the Crescent City, as the wooden front desk and other areas of the lobby are adorned in tinsel sporting the iconic Mardi Gras colors of lavender, green, and gold. The modest lobby has coffered ceilings, columns, and crown molding that give the space a refined touch. A set of dark leather sofas and chairs are positioned directly across from the front desk, but guests don’t tend to stay there long after registration. The adjacent restaurant/sports bar is a different story. It invites lingering and has a more vintage New Orleans ambience, with stamped-tin ceilings, lots of black leather chairs, and weathered wood.

The Wyndham enjoys an excellent location on Royal Street, in the French Quarter. The Central Business District and Canal Street are about a minute's walk from the hotel. It’s a bustling and safe location, and the hotel has 24/7 security, but even this touristy area is not immune to the city's homeless population, and past guests have reported seeing homeless people right outside the hotel. A Walgreen’s pharmacy is next door, and several restaurants are within sight. It’s a nine-minute walk to Jackson Square and Harrah’s Casino on the other side of Canal Street. The Smoothie King Center and Mercedes-Benz Superdome are nine-minute drives or 18 minutes by street car, and the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is 12 minutes by street car. New Orleans International Airport is about a 30-minute drive.

Renovated in late 2014, guest rooms are well-maintained, although some of the wood furniture shows signs of wear. The look is simple and somewhat generic: Cream walls and bright-white linens are accented by dark-brown carpeting offset by a few aqua-blue accents -- a splash of color that's sorely needed. The only New Orleans touches are photos of the Royal Street sign in the bedrooms and of bridges spanning the Mississippi River in the bathrooms. Rooms include spacious desks and armchairs. Standard and Oversize rooms come in King and Double-Double bed options. Executive Kings include sleeper sofas. But bathrooms are cramped, with small wood vanities covered by granite tops. The shower/tub combos occupy the entire side wall. Standard amenities include room service, free Wi-Fi, safes, 42-inch flat screen TVs, and coffeemakers. Mini-fridges and microwaves are available upon request for a fee. Rooms pick up some noise from the street -- especially those on  the lower floors -- as well as some mild ambient noise from the hallways and other rooms. Views include the old city and the Mississippi River, with some rooms having only partial views.

As a full-service hotel, the Wyndham has a good, well-rounded list of features that drum up its appeal, starting with Deuce McAllister’s Ole Saint Kitchen & Tap. The popular restaurant and sports bar, bearing the name of a local football star, has 15 TVs, more than 50 beers on tap, and weekday happy hour specials. It specializes in classic Southern and New Orleans cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Functional wellness facilities appeal to active travelers with an indoor lap-style heated pool. It's surrounded by comfortable lounge chairs and tables that have city views. The fitness center is a bit small, but it has free weights as well as a treadmill, an elliptical machine, and exercise bike. Business travelers are also catered to with a business center that's open 24/7 and includes two computers and printers for printing boarding passes. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, and 1,000 square feet of meeting space is on hand as well. Concierge services include valet dry cleaning and laundry, and a guest laundry room is on-site. Parking is valet only in the hotel’s underground garage. It’s rather expensive, but in line with other downtown hotels and includes in/out privileges.