6/10 Good
6 January 2025
Yappy Dogs, Happy Service
I normally am all-in with staying at the Royal Sonesta when in New Orleans for the holidays, given its usual top-notch service, holiday decorations, jazz club, and Desire Oyster Bar. This holiday visit started out with good service and lively chats from the ladies at check-in but turned sour on day two of my week-long stay when - after promising me in an email that I would be given a quiet room - the hotel installed someone with three non-stop yapping yapping yapping little dogs in the room directly opposite mine. I mean, nonstop, and their constant yapping set off a bigger dog down the hall to join the chorus.
My many calls to the front desk went unanswered, so I went down to complain. Thirty seconds into that complaint, the shift manager threatened to have me tossed out, and, when I leaned over the counter to get the name off his badge, he upped the ante, saying if I leaned again he said he would call the police to have me removed. Seriously. A regular guest complaining about yapping little dogs merits police action.
Happily, a followup conversation the next day with front desk manager Derek Chivers - the kind of guy with the people skills good hotel management requires - restored my faith in the Royal Sonesta, and great housekeeping - especially by the always-cheerful Nazarena - and above-and-beyond attention by Acacia in the Desire Oyster Bar pretty much left me leaving the Royal Sonesta wanting to come back. Those three individuals are super stars.
George
George, 7-night trip
Verified Hotels.com guest review