Staying at the Omni Royal Orleans made me feel like I was at an antiquated hotel in the heart of the French Quarter sadly in need of some TLC.

This stay occurred in January 2023.

Booking

I was once again required to travel as part of my volunteer responsibilities related to the healthcare industry. This time I needed to go to New Orleans, Louisiana. While the hotel was covered as part of my volunteer work, the views expressed in this article are my own.

The room block for this hotel was $219/night before tax. Omni does have a loyalty program called Omni Select Guest, but there aren’t “points” to earn with the program. Rather, you have to stay 20 nights with the program to earn a free night. Along the way, you could earn Platinum status with 10 nights, and one benefit would be earning double credit for each night, making free nights achievable with every 10 nights stayed.

While you could game the system with paying for stays at a cheaper Omni and redeem nights at more expensive Omni hotels, there’s not a good way to get a shortcut toward those free nights. The program then is best viewed as a punchcard—a simple rebate if you’re loyal.

Arrival and First Impressions

The Omni Royal Orleans is located in the French Quarter, right next to the Louisiana Supreme Court. The exterior looks like many other buildings in the area but the many flags outside the building set it apart. Once inside, there is a short walk up some stairs and the front desk is located along the right. The check in process was a bit disorganized, with no clear line and guests jumping in when there was an opening.

The Room

I was assigned room 702, which is on the top floor of this hotel. My room was at the back corner of the floor. While all the other rooms had a nice decoration above the doorway, my door was rather plain.

Once inside, I immediately noticed the lack of natural lighting in here, with one very narrow window. The TV on the left sat upon a unit that housed a mini fridge and a coffee maker. Next to the TV is a desk with an unfortunate decision to put a layer of glass on it. That glass makes it difficult to use an optical mouse—not to mention the glass itself was not affixed to the table, so the glass was shifting as I was using the table.

The bed was on the smaller side and unfortunately had considerable sag to it. I sank into it immediately upon sitting on it. However, one thing to note about the sleeping arrangement is that ceiling. I would recommend not sleeping on the far side of the bed. Doing so puts you in danger of hitting your head as you stand up or walk around. I’m not sure if this problem only exists in this room, in outward-facing rooms on this floor, or every room, but it wasn’t pleasant hitting my head on that wall.

Next to the bed is a closet and the entrance to the bathroom. The bathroom wasn’t anything unique, just a bath tub with a flimsy shower curtain. The shower also lacked sufficiently hot water. The temperature would have been enough for my kids but I prefer much higher temperatures. Toiletries are from Nest.

It’s at this point that I started realizing the damage in this room. The sink basin had large cracks in it, the shower head was in need of replacement, and the walls seemed to have been damaged. On top of that, the carpeted floor felt sticky in spots. It seemed the hotel needed some TLC and it definitely has not received any in quite some time.

The view outside the narrow window was not that exciting. While it was nice to see above the rooftops in the French Quarter, the room overlooked a back alley with lots of trash cans. There was also a good amount of noise that could be heard at night.

The Rooftop

Also on the seventh floor was an entrance to the outdoor pool and gym. You could more clearly see the architecture from up here, and also see that some rooms simply have no view, as windows are facing a blank wall and a floor in need of repair.

The pool here looked rather inviting, aside from the cold temperatures from being here in January. I did see some brave souls swimming here but I wouldn’t attempt it. There is an observation deck nearby, with stairs leading up to a nice area to check out the surroundings. I have to say this is perhaps the best feature of the hotel.

Service

The service from staff here felt a bit off for this stay. Employees I interacted with generally seemed a bit confused or inexperienced. I already mentioned the front desk seemed a bit chaotic. But there was also an odd interaction with someone attempting to deliver a microwave to my room. I didn’t request one, but he knocked on my door three separate times, asking if I needed one, then asking if I’m sure I didn’t need one, then asking me to please take it from him. I turned him down each time, and he progressively seemed more agitated that I didn’t take it. I’m not sure how I could have responded differently, other than taking something I didn’t ask for.

Recommendation: No

Between the hotel features in need of repair and odd interaction with staff, I’m left with an impression that the hotel isn’t quite worth its price point. Yes, the hotel is in a decent location if you’re visiting the French Quarter and it does give a nice view of the area from the rooftop. But the negatives outweigh the positives for me and I’d rather stay on Canal Street where there are better options for the money.

Have you been to the Omni Royal Orleans before?

Suggested reading:

• Destination Spotlight: New Orleans, Louisiana
• Good Service and (Mostly) Clean Rooms: Loews New Orleans
• Stop Thinking of Points as Free