Cut Off 4 Stars Hotels

"This is a tough one because I appreciate the Pontchatrain’s heritage but unfortunately they seem to still be coasting on their past grandeur. First the good: The restaurants and bar are top notch, beautifully decorated and staffed by well-informed, friendly professionals. The location is great. The streetcar stops right across the street from the hotel, and it’s a fun, quick ride to the French Quarter. Just a few blocks away there are lots of spectacular mansions to stroll by, and it’s a short pleasant walk to Magazine Street. But…regarding the hotel itself, it has definitely gotten a bit long in the tooth and it doesn’t seem like there are any plans to give it a refresh. It’s small things that make a difference - for instance in our room the bathroom sink was broken (wouldn’t drain), the carpet was stained, and the floors were sticky. It felt more like a Days Inn than s luxury hotel. The staff is courteous, but the property is WAY understaffed. We called the front desk for ice (there aren’t any ice machines) and waited nearly two hours before anyone showed up. The second time we requested ice they never showed up so we had go down to the lobby bar and fetch it ourselves. Likewise when the housekeeper forgot to leave us towels, it took 2 hours for them to show up. We had a small suite with 2 twin beds in one room and a queen bed in the other - bizarrely, one day the staff made up the queen bed, but left the two other beds unmade. Not the level of service I’d expect. "