PLEASE READ: The "holding fee" was not the same as a the deposit people pay on a hotel. I had already paid a $240 deposit, the $100 "holding fee" was IN ADDITION to everything else, and the staff could not explain to me what it was for. If someone says "oh by the way we're charging you an extra $100 for something we can't even describe", that puts up red flags.
A holding fee sounds the Webjet price guarantee fee. I would assume that the price is guaranteed because you’ve booked a specific ticket and paid for it.
What an absolute enchanting wonderland from yesteryear New Orleans is! And the historic hotel looks quaint and cozy, too. It’s just too bad the otherwise bespoke experience was so tragic (to be slightly dramatic). One issue AFTER another! I can’t!!
The thing is that most hotels in the nearby area were completely booked out, and we couldn't afford to rent a car or pay for Uber rides to get to and from a farther building.
Make sure you write a review so others don't have the same issues you experienced. I read reviews prior to booking and avoid properties with problems/issues. Love your channel!
Sounds like such a loverly hotel... (LOL) Years back we stayed at the Cosy Motel "now closed" in Montreal Canada, our room had no sheets on the beds or pillowcases for the pillows. The room smelled like cheap beer mixed with an overfilled ashtray, with a TV that didn't work -- the Cosy was not quite a 5-Star experience. But your bad room experience and what we went through at the Cosy all part of the charm of a road trip. In a year or so you'll look back and laugh and joke about it.
Hello Alex, Thank You for sharing your travels. Very Unfortunate regarding the hotel stay. Historical or not, sorry to say, it was a cash and grap dump place. They definitely took advantage of you and the guests. I probably would have jumped Ship and found a reputable place Immediately. Did you have to pay for all the hotel days Up front? Cant Imagine, hard wood floors 2 to 3 hours sleep. I did notice in your narration video you do look somewhat tired and beat up 😢 Look forward to more of New Orleans and the paddle boat and piano organ narration was funny 😂
@AlextheHistorian Thank You for replying, I guess it's not like coming to Disneyland and if have an Issue they can simply just toss you in another room
Please give your pops a shout out from a Milwaukee WI viewer thanking him for making such a dope creative son and im really glad you all kept your composure with the room bill because i would've went off on them
Oh Alex, this is very interesting and I feel your frustration. I understand completely what you are explaining. Your experience sounds very unique and unfortunate. To be honest I am shocked and I think your approach to the property (post-stay) is almost too kind. I will be following your next posts! So sorry this happened to you, nobody should have to endure this for the price you paid.
This is definitely a room I’ll never forget 😂 getting attacked at midnight by the psycho shower curtain, having the AC turn on and off by itself.. our fan and light were wired opposite so we kept hitting the wrong switch lol.. it was all more comical than anything but that $100 did piss me off because I don’t know if you heard me asking him about it and he was confused why I was asking him and didn’t have an answer either. I’ll give this place 1/10. I even stripped the sheets off and laid them in a pile with the dirty towels to make it easier for them. Ps Thank you Alex for the shout out ♥️
There are other historic hotels that are local chains that are not like this. I’m so sorry for your experience. Also, the reason the sidewalks and the houses are so janky isn’t necessarily the age. The ground there is unstable. Very sandy and wet - remember it’s essentially a swamp - even houses with modern technology have foundation issues and always have crooked floors
I just came across your New Orleans travel videos and love them! I was there last May and will go again next year. I am so sorry that Inn was less than hospitable. I wanted to stay in an historic location, but chose to stay in chain hotels based on reviews. For your next trip, I highly recommend the Best Western St. Christopher, which is on Magazine, right off of Canal and close to the Quarter, river, and streetcar lines. Also the Hampton Inn on Elysian Fields, also right outside the quarter (on the Marigny side) and a block from Frenchman Street. Extremely comfortable, quiet, big room… had a great view during a big thunder storm one night. Can’t wait to watch the rest of this series! :)
If I had a hotel, I'd probably want to arrange tours for the guests and places where they could meet and eat. I'm not sure what holds what up or down, but that larger bedroom could be made wider if it was possible to remove the slanting eaves on each side. Then the window might be widened too.
The buildings in the French Quarter are under the protection of the Vieux Carre Commission, any alterations or changes to the buildings must go through them first, and they wouldn't stand for the structural alteration of a 200 year old building 😉
I stayed at Inn at St Ann February 2024. The room was very small. Didn’t have a view of anything when I went on the balcony. Made the best of it because I love New Orleans.
So sorry you had such a seedy hotel experience. NOLA chain hotels lack charm. Do reconsider the smaller inn experience. Two I'd recommend: La Belle Esplanade; and Monrose Row Bed and Breakfast.🙂
@AlextheHistorian Another thing this may sound dumb but is there a way you can report the hotel or something like mabue the BBB Better Buissness buro lol Also did you see any freight trains at the tracks by the river Also reading some of you other replies in would recommend if you have the experience with no hot water again you should definitely report it to the health department im pretty certain NoLA has one
@@5capsfilms152 Yes I could report the hotel to the BBB, however, I don't care enough to do that, I've got bigger issues in my life to manage. We saw freight trains every day by the river, sometimes going and sometimes arriving.
@AlextheHistorian That's understandable there are bigger issues than a broken hotel but I think if the hotel was to not fix the cold water the health department should check it out
Sorry about your eperience. That was unacceptable!!! No hot water. No bed. You should have been compensated . My husband and I have visited New Orleans twice. Last year during Easter week and this past September for the Eagles/Saints game.We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express(Loyola street) and the Marriot(Canal street). Both were great,very close to The French Quarter and resonably priced.
Yeah its unfortunate because we really wanted to stay in a historic building in the French Quarter...it was the highest rated historic hotel in the Quarter aside from Place D'Armes Hotel. I would have stayed there but they didn't have availability.
It sounds more like one of those shady Air BNB places than an accredited hotel. A holding fee is normally a collateral charge on a credit card to make sure a customer pays at the end of their stay. If you pay up front or if you pay in cash or debit then there should not be a holding fee! Air conditioners produce condensation as part of their operation and they can leak, but to *fling* water means that unit has not been serviced in at least ten or fifteen years. Even a modern external AC unit needs a service every five. That couch is probably so very moldy inside. Yuck.
Yeah we paid a $240 deposit on the room ahead of time, and then when we arrived we were charged the full amount for the room, we paid using a debit card. I agree it seems strange to still have been charged a non-refundable holding fee after all that.
Seems like you're feeling better, at least enough to let the vitriol rise up and trash that hotel's staff, or at least Gary. 😂 I work at a hotel with at least one young (to me) guy who doesn't seem to know his elbow from his a**hole. 😂 Very frustrating to have to clean up after him and fix his mistakes. This Gary strikes me as that kind of guy. Or maybe I'm being too hard on him. He probably just wasn't trained properly to know that the hotel (like every hotel) had a maintenance guy, a rollaway bed or cot, or extra towels and pillows. Welp, now he knows. The city looks so nice. I'll really have to visit it someday. Birthplace of my beloved jazz.
Well I would have been more forgiving of Gary if he was a young man who seemed new and poorly trained...but Gary was a man in his late 50s/early 60s, and he seemed like he was the manager of that property, because he was the only one who never wore a uniform.
I love the history and video content of stream. Sorry the Hotel was bad. Look at the most current reviews. They mention the No hot water, No vanity mirror, no extra bed. This hotel should be exposed for False advertising. Also the $100 dollar BS "holding" fee you charged should be advertised. Give Alex and his Guests a refund. Do the right thing. French Quarter Guest Houses. You just disrespected a great historian that has 80,000 viewers and could have got you a great review. You have failed. Do the right thing. Comp his room and the others. I will gladly remove this.
That Hotel at St Ann is obviously poorly run, and definitely needs some retraining for their staff. It also reflects that the hotel owners choose to mislead people about your suite and should of given you a third off your room, no 3rd bed, No Hot Water!, damaged air conditioning unit(very common with a lot of mom and pop establishments). Pretty bad. But the video of the sites looked nice and clean.
Yeah the room was very clean and recently renovated, but yeah a hotel must have hot water, that's one of the basic health and safety requirements. And like you said, a discount on the room for the deception would have been a basic courtesy, but they didn't even do that!
You should file a dispute with your credit card company, you aren't going to go to that hotel anyways again. See what happens and explain your experience. You might even get some or all your money back. Show proof of the type of room you purchased on your receipt with what they advertised, then show photos of the actual room as well as its condition. Then explain Gary not willing to offer accommodations at first and the holding fee. You can get most of your money back and use that for your UK Trip. It the principle of the experience you had and it worth a shot.
What a terrible hotel. The room looked nice but what a rip off. If you had paid with a credit card you can dispute the charges. The footage of downtown at night was beautiful 😊
Hello just random seen your channel. I have lived here all my life. The Bridges is the called the Crescent City Connection. The building with the Jax Beer was closed in the late 70's due to strike and it does not make beer anymore. Most of the buildings is businesses on the ground floor and condos on the upper floors except the small one next to the big building which is the not the original part of the Jax Beer. A fire destroyed the original one. Sorry to hear about that hotel. There is a lot more better small hotels in the quarter. I have never heard of a holding fee. I have worked in hotels in the quarter. Seems that guy Gary pulled a scam on you. You need to contact the French Quarter Guest Houses and let them know of the issues. They own a few hotels and room rates is not 300.00 a night.
It was only $300 per night if you include state taxes and fees. It wasn't listed at $300 per night. But we're through with dealing with that company, we just want to move on. I doubt we'd get any money back if we made a fuss anyway.
Cafe du mond is over rated, there’s better places down the street. Those places aren’t open at night. I wouldn’t walk around where the crowds aren’t! You’ll get robbed. My son spent a few months in Nola,during and after Marti Gras,a couple of years ago. He said it was the most racist city he’s ever been to! The French quarter closes up tight for the night. You gotta go over to Bourbon st for the bars,and restaurants to eat at night.
Really.....? You couldn't just share the KING bed with your dad??? Deposits are very normal for any hotel, when you check in. I think your complaining a lot. Next time, spend the money and stay at the Hilton.... not a hundred year old hotel.
No sharing a bed with my Dad is very awkward, we're not the kind of family that shares beds. As for the $100 "holding fee" no that was not the deposit. I paid a $240 deposit already on the hotel. They couldn't tell me what the "holding fee" was for. If someone says "oh by way, pay me another $100, sorry I don't know what it's for", would you be happy to just hand it over? And it wouldn't have been so bad if Gary didn't lie to our faces and say there was no maintenance guy or extra pillows, blankets, or towels. I think my reaction to being treated that way is pretty normal. Let's also remember that most hotels without hot water would be forced to close down, because it's a major violation of health and safety.
If you pay for a bed, it needs to have a bed. I booked a twin room and the place i was staying booked me a double. It took three attempts to get a correct room but it finally got sorted. I don’t have to share a bed because they screwed up. That place fixed the issue and that is what should be expected. Why should accomodation providers even give you a bed at all since you think gusts should just accept anything. Is scamming part of your culture?
PLEASE READ: The "holding fee" was not the same as a the deposit people pay on a hotel. I had already paid a $240 deposit, the $100 "holding fee" was IN ADDITION to everything else, and the staff could not explain to me what it was for. If someone says "oh by the way we're charging you an extra $100 for something we can't even describe", that puts up red flags.
$350.00 😞
A holding fee sounds the Webjet price guarantee fee. I would assume that the price is guaranteed because you’ve booked a specific ticket and paid for it.
What an absolute enchanting wonderland from yesteryear New Orleans is! And the historic hotel looks quaint and cozy, too. It’s just too bad the otherwise bespoke experience was so tragic (to be slightly dramatic). One issue AFTER another! I can’t!!
Yeah the French Quarter of New Orleans was really fantastic and charming!
I love how you do a shout out to the people who helped you make it happen to be there or at all your other places you visit. I love that 🖤
I couldn't have done it without them, and everyone who watches. It never could have happened. 🙂
@ awww 🖤 your so humble. Love it 🥰
I would've checked out when there was no bed and disputed the charge on my credit card bill. Life' is too short. A Red Roof Inn would've been better.
The thing is that most hotels in the nearby area were completely booked out, and we couldn't afford to rent a car or pay for Uber rides to get to and from a farther building.
@@AlextheHistorian That is a bummer! I hope your next trip there is better!!
Thanks for the shout out! Really like this vlog style and looking forward to the rest of the videos too!
Oh good, I was hoping this style of presentation would be enjoyable! Yes there's lots of interesting things to come!
Make sure you write a review so others don't have the same issues you experienced. I read reviews prior to booking and avoid properties with problems/issues. Love your channel!
Thank you Joann! Yeah I'll write a review soon :)
Im so sorry you all went through this horrible experience. Hope youre geeling better, Alex.
I'm feeling much better, thank you!
@@AlextheHistorian you're welcome
Sounds like such a loverly hotel... (LOL) Years back we stayed at the Cosy Motel "now closed" in Montreal Canada, our room had no sheets on the beds or pillowcases for the pillows. The room smelled like cheap beer mixed with an overfilled ashtray, with a TV that didn't work -- the Cosy was not quite a 5-Star experience. But your bad room experience and what we went through at the Cosy all part of the charm of a road trip. In a year or so you'll look back and laugh and joke about it.
That's true, I am quick to forgive and forget so the hotel experience for me is already water under the bridge.
Hello Alex, Thank You for sharing your travels. Very Unfortunate regarding the hotel stay. Historical or not, sorry to say, it was a cash and grap dump place. They definitely took advantage of you and the guests. I probably would have jumped Ship and found a reputable place Immediately. Did you have to pay for all the hotel days Up front? Cant Imagine, hard wood floors 2 to 3 hours sleep. I did notice in your narration video you do look somewhat tired and beat up 😢 Look forward to more of New Orleans and the paddle boat and piano organ narration was funny 😂
We couldn't go anywhere else because all the hotels in the French Quarter were booked up by the time we arrived.
@AlextheHistorian Thank You for replying, I guess it's not like coming to Disneyland and if have an Issue they can simply just toss you in another room
Please give your pops a shout out from a Milwaukee WI viewer thanking him for making such a dope creative son and im really glad you all kept your composure with the room bill because i would've went off on them
Oh Alex, this is very interesting and I feel your frustration. I understand completely what you are explaining. Your experience sounds very unique and unfortunate. To be honest I am shocked and I think your approach to the property (post-stay) is almost too kind. I will be following your next posts! So sorry this happened to you, nobody should have to endure this for the price you paid.
Thanks Mark. Thankfully though, the next vlogs are full of really fun stuff!
This is definitely a room I’ll never forget 😂 getting attacked at midnight by the psycho shower curtain, having the AC turn on and off by itself.. our fan and light were wired opposite so we kept hitting the wrong switch lol.. it was all more comical than anything but that $100 did piss me off because I don’t know if you heard me asking him about it and he was confused why I was asking him and didn’t have an answer either. I’ll give this place 1/10. I even stripped the sheets off and laid them in a pile with the dirty towels to make it easier for them.
Ps Thank you Alex for the shout out ♥️
Oh my gosh, besides the shower curtain, I didn't know you had all that stuff going wrong with your room!
The room looks so nice, I love historic hotels! Sorry to hear about the issues though
Yeah the room was really nice looking, and clean, aside from the issues mentioned, we actually liked the room.
There are other historic hotels that are local chains that are not like this. I’m so sorry for your experience. Also, the reason the sidewalks and the houses are so janky isn’t necessarily the age. The ground there is unstable. Very sandy and wet - remember it’s essentially a swamp - even houses with modern technology have foundation issues and always have crooked floors
Yeah I was saying in the video that the older buildings have settled into the ground. The newer buildings haven't been affected as much.
I just came across your New Orleans travel videos and love them! I was there last May and will go again next year. I am so sorry that Inn was less than hospitable. I wanted to stay in an historic location, but chose to stay in chain hotels based on reviews. For your next trip, I highly recommend the Best Western St. Christopher, which is on Magazine, right off of Canal and close to the Quarter, river, and streetcar lines. Also the Hampton Inn on Elysian Fields, also right outside the quarter (on the Marigny side) and a block from Frenchman Street. Extremely comfortable, quiet, big room… had a great view during a big thunder storm one night. Can’t wait to watch the rest of this series! :)
Thank you so much for the recommendations! And thanks for watching my videos!
If I had a hotel, I'd probably want to arrange tours for the guests and places where they could meet and eat. I'm not sure what holds what up or down, but that larger bedroom could be made wider if it was possible to remove the slanting eaves on each side. Then the window might be widened too.
The buildings in the French Quarter are under the protection of the Vieux Carre Commission, any alterations or changes to the buildings must go through them first, and they wouldn't stand for the structural alteration of a 200 year old building 😉
I stayed at Inn at St Ann February 2024. The room was very small. Didn’t have a view of anything when I went on the balcony. Made the best of it because I love New Orleans.
Would you stay there again or recommend it to others?
@@AlextheHistorian no I would not stay there again. Im going to stay somewhere else next month.
I dont blame you. I wouldn't stay there again either
@@AlextheHistorian will you visit New Orleans again?
Eventually someday in the far future, but for now I have a small list of other places I want to visit to bring new content to my channel.
Great video 💯💯💯
Thanks!
So sorry you had such a seedy hotel experience. NOLA chain hotels lack charm. Do reconsider the smaller inn experience. Two I'd recommend: La Belle Esplanade; and Monrose Row Bed and Breakfast.🙂
Wow I wish I had heard of Monrose Row Bed and Breakfast, that looks like a great little place to book. Ok I'll give that place a try on my next visit!
Hey alex lets all sign a petition to rename it the scam on st ann lol
lol!
@AlextheHistorian Another thing this may sound dumb but is there a way you can report the hotel or something like mabue the BBB Better Buissness buro lol
Also did you see any freight trains at the tracks by the river
Also reading some of you other replies in would recommend if you have the experience with no hot water again you should definitely report it to the health department im pretty certain NoLA has one
@@5capsfilms152 Yes I could report the hotel to the BBB, however, I don't care enough to do that, I've got bigger issues in my life to manage.
We saw freight trains every day by the river, sometimes going and sometimes arriving.
@AlextheHistorian That's understandable there are bigger issues than a broken hotel but I think if the hotel was to not fix the cold water the health department should check it out
Sorry about your eperience. That was unacceptable!!! No hot water. No bed. You should have been compensated . My husband and I have visited New Orleans twice. Last year during Easter week and this past September for the Eagles/Saints game.We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express(Loyola street) and the Marriot(Canal street). Both were great,very close to The French Quarter and resonably priced.
Yeah its unfortunate because we really wanted to stay in a historic building in the French Quarter...it was the highest rated historic hotel in the Quarter aside from Place D'Armes Hotel. I would have stayed there but they didn't have availability.
@@AlextheHistorian Again I'm sorry you had an unpleasant eperience. I am new to your channel. I look forward to watching your videos. Subscribed.
Oh wow, thanks so much! Next video is on Friday!
@@AlextheHistorian Ok. Thank you.
It sounds more like one of those shady Air BNB places than an accredited hotel. A holding fee is normally a collateral charge on a credit card to make sure a customer pays at the end of their stay. If you pay up front or if you pay in cash or debit then there should not be a holding fee! Air conditioners produce condensation as part of their operation and they can leak, but to *fling* water means that unit has not been serviced in at least ten or fifteen years. Even a modern external AC unit needs a service every five. That couch is probably so very moldy inside. Yuck.
Yeah we paid a $240 deposit on the room ahead of time, and then when we arrived we were charged the full amount for the room, we paid using a debit card. I agree it seems strange to still have been charged a non-refundable holding fee after all that.
Seems like you're feeling better, at least enough to let the vitriol rise up and trash that hotel's staff, or at least Gary. 😂 I work at a hotel with at least one young (to me) guy who doesn't seem to know his elbow from his a**hole. 😂 Very frustrating to have to clean up after him and fix his mistakes. This Gary strikes me as that kind of guy. Or maybe I'm being too hard on him. He probably just wasn't trained properly to know that the hotel (like every hotel) had a maintenance guy, a rollaway bed or cot, or extra towels and pillows. Welp, now he knows.
The city looks so nice. I'll really have to visit it someday. Birthplace of my beloved jazz.
Well I would have been more forgiving of Gary if he was a young man who seemed new and poorly trained...but Gary was a man in his late 50s/early 60s, and he seemed like he was the manager of that property, because he was the only one who never wore a uniform.
@AlextheHistorian Oh, interesting. Perhaps he was just forgetful. 🤷♂️ A shame, either way.
@@wildsmileyForgetful? No. Lazy, uncaring, disrespectful. Not atypical of the older generations at all
I love the history and video content of stream. Sorry the Hotel was bad. Look at the most current reviews. They mention the No hot water, No vanity mirror, no extra bed. This hotel should be exposed for False advertising. Also the $100 dollar BS "holding" fee you charged should be advertised. Give Alex and his Guests a refund. Do the right thing. French Quarter Guest Houses. You just disrespected a great historian that has 80,000 viewers and could have got you a great review. You have failed. Do the right thing. Comp his room and the others. I will gladly remove this.
Nicolace Cage owned this building for awhile,,, he also has a plot in a cemetery there shaped like a pyramid 😂😂😂🎉
That Hotel at St Ann is obviously poorly run, and definitely needs some retraining for their staff. It also reflects that the hotel owners choose to mislead people about your suite and should of given you a third off your room, no 3rd bed, No Hot Water!, damaged air conditioning unit(very common with a lot of mom and pop establishments). Pretty bad. But the video of the sites looked nice and clean.
Yeah the room was very clean and recently renovated, but yeah a hotel must have hot water, that's one of the basic health and safety requirements. And like you said, a discount on the room for the deception would have been a basic courtesy, but they didn't even do that!
Any new updates for your train layout?
Work on my train layout will resume in the coming weeks on a separate channel.
You should file a dispute with your credit card company, you aren't going to go to that hotel anyways again. See what happens and explain your experience. You might even get some or all your money back. Show proof of the type of room you purchased on your receipt with what they advertised, then show photos of the actual room as well as its condition. Then explain Gary not willing to offer accommodations at first and the holding fee. You can get most of your money back and use that for your UK Trip. It the principle of the experience you had and it worth a shot.
What a terrible hotel. The room looked nice but what a rip off. If you had paid with a credit card you can dispute the charges. The footage of downtown at night was beautiful 😊
Yeah the city was really beautiful at night!
@@AlextheHistorian Looking forward to more videos :)))
Hello just random seen your channel. I have lived here all my life. The Bridges is the called the Crescent City Connection. The building with the Jax Beer was closed in the late 70's due to strike and it does not make beer anymore. Most of the buildings is businesses on the ground floor and condos on the upper floors except the small one next to the big building which is the not the original part of the Jax Beer. A fire destroyed the original one.
Sorry to hear about that hotel. There is a lot more better small hotels in the quarter. I have never heard of a holding fee. I have worked in hotels in the quarter. Seems that guy Gary pulled a scam on you. You need to contact the French Quarter Guest Houses and let them know of the issues. They own a few hotels and room rates is not 300.00 a night.
It was only $300 per night if you include state taxes and fees. It wasn't listed at $300 per night. But we're through with dealing with that company, we just want to move on. I doubt we'd get any money back if we made a fuss anyway.
That place sounds like a bit of a scam. A holding fee and advertising a bed that they don't have. Definitely suspicious.
Cafe du mond is over rated, there’s better places down the street. Those places aren’t open at night.
I wouldn’t walk around where the crowds aren’t! You’ll get robbed.
My son spent a few months in Nola,during and after Marti Gras,a couple of years ago. He said it was the most racist city he’s ever been to!
The French quarter closes up tight for the night.
You gotta go over to Bourbon st for the bars,and restaurants to eat at night.
Really.....?
You couldn't just share the KING bed with your dad???
Deposits are very normal for any hotel, when you check in. I think your complaining a lot. Next time, spend the money and stay at the Hilton.... not a hundred year old hotel.
No sharing a bed with my Dad is very awkward, we're not the kind of family that shares beds. As for the $100 "holding fee" no that was not the deposit. I paid a $240 deposit already on the hotel. They couldn't tell me what the "holding fee" was for. If someone says "oh by way, pay me another $100, sorry I don't know what it's for", would you be happy to just hand it over? And it wouldn't have been so bad if Gary didn't lie to our faces and say there was no maintenance guy or extra pillows, blankets, or towels. I think my reaction to being treated that way is pretty normal. Let's also remember that most hotels without hot water would be forced to close down, because it's a major violation of health and safety.
If you pay for a bed, it needs to have a bed. I booked a twin room and the place i was staying booked me a double. It took three attempts to get a correct room but it finally got sorted. I don’t have to share a bed because they screwed up. That place fixed the issue and that is what should be expected. Why should accomodation providers even give you a bed at all since you think gusts should just accept anything.
Is scamming part of your culture?