New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in the US, but until this year, my wife never spent any time there. Back in February, my wife and I planned to finally rectify that with a four-day stay that ended up being anticlimactic: my wife was sick for almost the whole weekend, and our stay at the Hyatt Centric was underwhelming.
I’m not one to let failure keep me from trying again, so we went back to The Big Easy for our anniversary in early May. In the Summer of 2024, Hyatt announced that two New Orleans properties, Maison Métier and The Barnett, would be joining World of Hyatt, and those additions finally became official earlier this year. I’d heard great things about Maison Métier, so we decided to give it a whirl this time around. It was a distinct improvement.
Maison Métier Bottom Line Review
From the moment we walked into the impressive atrium, we loved Maison Métier. The property oozes Prohibition-era style – and has a “speakeasy” to prove it. When we walked into our room, the high ceilings and antique furnishings made the room feel spacious and airy, aided by the fact that the usual brand-specific, looped TV advertisements were replaced by the local jazz station wafting in from the radio in the bedroom.
There are some thoughtful little details for guests here. The lack of an in-room coffee machine is made even better by fresh coffee delivered to your door each morning. Wine, cheese, and charcuterie are offered each evening, at which point a bureau opens up to reveal a candle-lit honor bar with all the fixings. Breakfast is delicious.
Our stay wasn’t perfect, primarily due to a handful of service foibles. But, overall, we had a marvelous time. Thumbs Up
- Price: Maison Métier is a Hyatt Category 5, 21K/25K/29K points off-peak/peak/standard. Like many hotels in New Orleans, the cash price depends somewhat on the time of year. When I was there in early May 2025, the cash rate was ~$560+tax/night for a weekend stay. We paid 25,000 Hyatt points per night.
- Value: For much of the year, this is an excellent “value” redemption, often providing well over 2 cents per point in value. Off-season dips right around our Reasonable Redemption Value for Hyatt points of 1.8 cents each.
- Location: Maison Métier is located on a quieter corner of the Warehouse District, one block away from Lafayette Square. It’s about a ten-minute walk to Canal Street and the French Quarter or 15 minutes to the riverfront. Between the Warehouse District and the adjoining Central Business District (CBD), there are well over a hundred bars and restaurants within a short walk. I probably have a slight preference for staying in this part of town, versus being right in the middle of the cacophony of the Quarter.
- Room: We booked a standard room with one king and applied a Suite Upgrade Award to be confirmed into a ~620sq ft 1-bedroom suite. The suite felt roomier than the square footage would indicate, partially because of the massive windows and high ceilings, partially because of the gargantuan bathroom. Furnishings were stylishly antique, but very comfortable. Overall, the room was superb in every way, with one minor gripe: the combination of elevated light fixtures and rainy/cloudy days made things a bit dark.
- Parking: Valet parking is $50+tax/night, waived for Globalist members on award stays.
- Resort/Destination Fee: There is a daily destination fee of $25/day; waived on award stays. It includes:
- Fitness Center Access at The Barnett Hotel (sister property)
- Discounted Day Bed Pricing at High Five Rooftop for Hotel Guests
- Exclusive Discounts with our onsite Retail Partners – Friend, ShawArt, Parker Barber Shop
- Use of Hotel-Owned Bicycles
- Live Entertainment and Programming in Good Measure Music Hall and Barnett Hotel Lobby
- In Room Daily Coffee or Tea Delivery Service
- Refreshing Daily Beverage in the Living Room
- Daily Cheese & Wine Reception in the Living Room from 6-8 pm
- Daily Evening Cookies in the Living Room after 8 pm
- Shoe Shine Service
- 20% Discount to Cajun Encounters and New Orleans Legendary Walking Tours
- Sazerac House Merchandise Discount
- Private Tour of Sazerac House for Hotel Guests
- Internet: Excellent throughout the property.
- Service: The most hit-and-miss aspect of our entire stay. Overall, the managers and valets were excellent and engaging, quick to notice needs, offer umbrellas and towels, or provide recommendations. The front desk staff, housekeeping, and restaurant staff weren’t quite as on point. The agent who assisted us at check-in gave us confusing info on how to access the gym next door, neglecting to provide an access key that we needed. She also got our morning coffee order wrong and seemed very confused by Globalist benefits. There is a nifty tassel system behind the front desk, where you return the tassel when you leave, letting housekeeping know that your room is empty and can be cleaned. Great idea, except that it seemed to be disregarded by housekeeping, who knocked on the door each morning regardless of whether we had the tassel or not. Service in the restaurant varied quite a bit; one server was excellent, one was disinterested but proficient, and the last was friendly but completely overwhelmed between the restaurant and room service.
- Turndown service: Nightly, with some sort of small treat and water refills.
- Dining:
- Breakfast: Beautiful dining room located off the living room; open to guests only. The food, coffee, and juices were all excellent. The service was hit and miss. Open for breakfast daily from 6 am to 11:30 am.
- Salon Salon: Sumptious, speakeasy-style lounge accessed through a door off the lobby that looks like a bookshelf. I’ve heard that the cocktails are tasty and creative. We fully meant to try it out, but we were exhausted by the time we made it back to the hotel each night, so we never were able to. Open for drinks and snacks from Sun-Th from 4 pm to 12 am and Fri/Sat from 4 pm to 1 am.
- Living Room: Lovely space with several seating areas oriented around a counter-lined column. This serves as the primary public space, changing functions throughout the day. In the morning, there’s coffee and tea (and this is where they lay out the breakfast buffet), in the afternoon, it changes to iced tea, lemonade, and small snacks. From 6 pm to 8 pm, complimentary wine and charcuterie are served, alongside an honor bar in the evening that stays open late and is stocked with complimentary cookies.
- Spa: None.
- Fitness Room: There is no fitness center in the hotel, but guests are able to use the one that’s across the street in the sister property, The Barnett Hotel. The front desk was supposed to give us a key to access the gym, but I didn’t know that, and the front desk at The Barnett didn’t realize that I didn’t have one, so it took about 15 minutes for everyone to figure out why I couldn’t get in. The gym itself is functional for basic workouts.
- Hyatt Globalist Benefits:
- Room Upgrade: We used a Suite Upgrade Award to confirm a handsome ~620 sq ft one-bedroom suite.
- Free Breakfast: There is an excellent breakfast served daily in the guest-only dining room. Globalists have their choice between the small (and seemingly unheated) buffet or the a la carte menu. We chose the menu and enjoyed everything we tried.
- Club Lounge: No club lounge, although a rotating selection of drinks and snacks is served in the living room throughout the day.
- Late Checkout: We were given a 4 pm checkout upon request.
- Welcome Amenity: Two New Orleans-themed sugar cookies and an old bottle of oxidized (and undrinkable) Chardonnay that we initially mistook for rosé.
- Would I stay again? Absolutely. Our stay wasn’t perfect, but the hotel was a joy to stay at. We loved the room, the public spaces, the included treats, and the great location.
Pros
- A beautiful property from stem to stern that’s full of old New Orleans style
- Incredibly high ceilings make the rooms feel spacious and airy
- Great little inclusions abound, like daily coffee service left outside your door, to the evening wine and cheese that’s served in the delightful living room
- The breakfast (included for Globalists) is excellent
- Usually, a good value in comparison to cash rates
- Nice location; convenient to everything, but tucked away in a quieter corner of downtown New Orleans
Cons
- Our room felt a little dark on cloudy days
- Service was more hit and miss than it should be
Image Gallery
Maison Métier One Bedroom Suite
Maison Métier Living Room
Maison Métier Restaurant (and elite breakfast)
Maison Métier Library Bar
Maison Métier Gym and other public areas
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