Bienville House

The location was great if you want to be in the French Quarter and the owners have stayed true to the building's 19th century origins with the decor. A highlight is the beautiful courtyard around the salt water pool (although if you want to swim best to use the rooftop pool at the nearby Montelone Hotel which you have free access to).
The reason for the poor score is the at times almost comical poor service. They won't make your bed or restock toiletries in your bathroom unless you request housekeeping by 12pm that day. Not sure how one tiny tube of shampoo provided for three of us would have lasted for our three day stay. And they have a policy of not making the beds if there's any clothes on it... a new one on all of us..! The front of house staff with a couple of exceptions were generally unfriendly with normal asks like asking for a key replacement, a room switch (ours had no windows...) met with surliness. All in all an odd experience with shades of Fawlty Towers.

Located on a quiet street in the French quarter with walkability to many of the sights. We stayed in a balcony room over looking the pool courtyard in march and it was nice leaving the doors open and letting a light breeze in. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Comfortable beds! Would stay again!

Five star service! While I wouldn't consider the hotel luxurious it is perfection. Our room was comfortable and quiet. The beds and pillows hugged us to sleep. The hotel had all the amenities we needed. The location is fantastic since it is close to the streetcar, Royal Street, all the touristy spots but it wasn't loud when we were there. Perhaps because we were on the 4th floor but our family of three slept well. I don't think you can find a better place for the price.

Some things that made my eyebrows raise but not really a complaint:
1. The phone didn't seem to work. Not that we needed it but odd.
2. The pool heater was broken which I wish we knew about but you are allowed to use the pool at the Hotel Monteleone.
3. We didn't need housekeeping for the few nights we were there but the beds were never made or the towels we used replaced. This is great for environmental reasons but most hotels have a note saying, "If you want housekeeping please let us know". I don't know if we were supposed to call (which we couldn't since the phone didn't work) or if it was an oversight. Again, not an issue for us since we had enough of everything but something to note.

Still, I give this place 5 stars because it was perfect for us and I would stay there again in a heartbeat.

I reviewed the Bienville House a few years ago and just want to reiterate that this is a great hotel. We were there for three nights this past week and again encountered nothing but good things and good people. The location is so convenient for accessing public transportation, walking to Caesars Casino, and enjoying French Quarter activities. Our room (371) was spacious, immaculate, and comfortable. The king bed was wonderful, and its linens were a very nice quality. The room and bathroom had a good amount of space, and both were nicely appointed. We weren’t bothered by the sound of the train at night (as some reviewers mentioned), but neither my husband or I are noise sensitive, and we are acclimated to living near a railroad track at home. The staff, particularly front desk clerk Beverly, is phenomenal! Upon checking into our room, we were surprised to find a box of scrumptious candy (along with a note) as a gesture of appreciation for being return guests. The Downtown Irish Club St. Patrick’s Day parade passed right in front of the hotel during our stay. Beverly graciously offered us folding chairs to use while we watched it, and the bellman (sorry I didn’t get his name) even took them out onto the sidewalk and set them up for us.
If there was one minor detail that needs a little work, it’s the shower water temperature. It was difficult to find a happy medium that remained consistent. It seemed to become too hot quickly and when adjusted, it then became too cool just as fast. But we managed fine and didn’t feel it warranted addressing the issue. Again, we were very happy with our stay and look forward to lodging at the Bienville House Hotel on future visits.

Not easy to sleep with the sound of the elevator resonating through the room. But comfy, huge soft bed, clean and spacious room, and lovely glimpse of the Mississippi River from our terrace.
The location can’t be beat, the charming staff and lobby entrances right away, and overall we were very happy with the stay.

Will stay here again. Within walking distance of SOOOOOOOOOO many places to shop, eat, and drink. Helpful staff. Clean room. No complaints at all.

I always stay at Bienville House. It's almost like staying with family! Everyone on staff is so friendly and most of them know you by name!

Basically, just keep looking for another hotel.
Among other things, the service was very inconsistent. When we checked in the person at the front desk sent us to a room that was occupied and then sent us to a second room with the wrong keys. We eventually got into our 'upgraded' room with a balcony, but the small, cramped room had several maintenance issues (part of the bed was broken, the light in the bathroom didn't work, etc.). It should be noted that most of the balcony rooms face the interior courtyard and are too small to be of much use.
There was a different person at the front desk the next day, and she went out of her way to be helpful and offered to move us to a different upgraded room, which we took advantage of. The room was much nicer and more spacious but not very well stocked for a 4-night stay (2 towels, coffee and tea for 1 night and not much else). We called the front desk at 12:45 pm on the day before our departure to ask for additional supplies but the front desk person (same person that assigned us to an occupied room) told us that we missed the 12:00 pm deadline for housekeeping. I tried to explain to her that we just needed supplies and weren't requesting that the room be cleaned. She reluctantly said that she would see what she could do but, of course, did nothing.
It is also not accurate to say that this hotel was recently renovated. It seems like a hotel that was once nice but has since been forgotten and neglected. My guess is that the hotel was last updated at least 10 years ago. Overall, the common areas of the hotel didn't seem very clean, and I was nervous about getting on the old elevator that serviced the entire hotel. Needless to say, I took the stairs a lot.
The second upgraded room (without a balcony) was spacious, and we didn't have any issues with noise other than the usual sounds of being in a city. The location was very convenient to get most places on foot, and the neighborhood was decent with good dining options, shopping, and local entertainment.
I had high expectations for staying at a 'luxury, boutique style hotel', but was very underwhelmed by my overall experience at the Bienville House. You can tell that the hotel was a true gem at one time, but it has lost its shine, and the owners don't seem to care.

Very friendly staff, great location, valet available on premises. Rooms were spacious. A little dark, but glad we got a room with a window. Elevator is older, but everything else was well maintained.

Friendly staff. Great location. They should serve breakfast which they do not. Very serviceble staff.
WOULD COME AGAIN FOR THE RIGHT PRICE

The location is perfect for accessing the French Quarter, and the accommodations are beautiful. Just be aware, if you are a light sleeper, that there are trains that run along the river.

Everything was excellent the only thing was the smell of the rooms, they smelled like mold/mildue and the water pressure in the shower.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The staff is friendly and the accommodations are great. This is a nice quiet place to stay

The hotel’s location was perfect for exploring the French Quarter and beyond. We were comfortable in the smallish rooms and even though there was a little street noise, it wasn’t nearly what you’d find closer to Bourbon Street. Morning coffee in the courtyard was delightful.

This hotel is in a great location, is historic, and has a great bar/restaurant, but has many downfalls. The hotel is situated directly across the street from the fire station. I mean like 30 feet away. We didn’t sleep at all our first night as the fire trucks kept going out on emergencies. It was very, very loud all night long. Even with ear plugs and a noise machine we could not sleep. Also, the bed was so squeaky everytime I moved I woke my husband up. There was a large portion of the floor in our guest room that had water damage, and would move up and down multiple inches when we would walk over it. Because if all of this we asked to move to a different room the second night and this room was much quieter but the cleanliness leaves a bit to be desired. The hotel staff left bags of dirty laundry in the hallways for 2 days and when we checked into our second room there was throw up still in the shower from the previous occupant. I didn’t want to complain as it was obvious the front desk did not want to move us from one room to another. The only real positive about this hotel is the bar/restaurant in the back. I would not stay at this hotel again.

This historic hotel is a good deal in the heart of fine dining area, friendly staff, but avoid street-facing rooms if possible. The nearest pub gets loud in the wee hours.

Lovely classic New Orleans hotel. Rom was very clean and comfortable. We really enjoyed the balcony. The valet parking was a little expensive but worth it. Everything is within walking distance.

Great experience. We are local and stayed in the superior king suite. It was perfect and easy for the price. It definitely is an older hotel and the street is loud, but we were expecting that so it was not an issue for us. It was charming and we would stay again.

This hotel is located in a perfect spot in the French Quarter, we were able to stop by to drop off souvenirs, pick up/drop off umbrellas, etc. However, the room we we given faced Decatur Street, and while the first night we were there it was fine, the second night the noise from the club (which lasted until 3:30am) was too overwhelming to sleep. Would be willing to try again if we had gotten a courtyard room instead.

The location is perfect if you want to walk to the French courter/Bourbon Street, Jackson square. All local bars/restaurants are within walking distance, the history of the hotel is amazing, the pool is relaxing and very nice. The rooms are spacious and Nice. The staff are pleasant, helpful.