We just returned from a fun trip to New Orleans for the Rock and Roll Marathon (and to visit our daughter who's in college there). We've visited a few times and stayed in "normal" hotels (Hampton Inn is nice) and historic French Quarter hotels. This was our first time renting a home in the Quarter. (Though we've rented homes before elsewhere.) We were traveling with two grandparents, a child and three adults. (One planning to "camp out" in the living room/couch.) The reviews opinions of the home varied a bit throughout our group. However, we all appreciated the fact we were living in a bit of French Quarter history. That said, we felt more could have been done to make the stay a bit more comfortable and less reminiscent of the downsides involved in living in the 1800s.
First off, living in a home surrounded by brick that was laid a couple hundred years ago is cool. The layout of the home is a bit weird, which is likely to be expected since it was built before indoor plumbing. (The upstairs rooms do not have a door between them...so no privacy. And the 1/d bath is inside on of the bedrooms. Not ideal.) The kitchen was small but serviceable. (But it's not well stocked for major cooking.) The home is also quite lived in. The fridge included items of unknown vintage and we did have a stain or two on some of the linens. (The home was clean overall.)
The courtyard was nice, though more of an asset in the summer when the evenings are warm, I'm sure. The entry way (down a tiny alley) was weird...but ok). The location was great...though a bit noisier than we expected as revelers tended to sit on the curb outside the home and drink/argue. (Right on the other side of the living room windows.) Which brings up the biggest negative of the home from our perspective. The living room windows are completely boarded up. No light whatsoever passes through them into the main living area. There also is no visibility or easy access onto Dumaine Street. (Our group felt that if you were going to be hearing the people going crazy outside, it might be fun to be able to people watch, at least.) As it was, the main living area is a cave. Not a problem at night, when it feels right. But a major downer during the day. (It didn't help that many light bulbs were out and/or light fixtures were weak.)
Overall, we were a bit disappointed, but not horribly.
