For my single night in New Orleans, I decided to make use of an old Bonvoy Amex free night certificate. Though limited to redemptions of 35,000 points or less, one of the eligible properties was Q&C Hotel Bar, Autograph Collection by Marriott. I typically enjoy New Orleans boutique hotels, so it fit my needs perfectly. With a cash rate of $152 a night, it perhaps wasn’t the most lucrative certificate redemption. But free is free, and it seemed like a cool hotel to check out.
Note: this installment is part of my larger trip report to Louisville and New Orleans in December, 2021. Click here for the trip report summary and introductory post.
Q&C Hotel Bar, Autograph Collection by Marriott
- 344 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA
- Website: https://www.qandc.com/
- Features: restaurant and bar, free glass of wine (Tuesday through Thursday arrivals), fitness center, pet friendly
If driving yourself to the hotel, beware that central New Orleans is a maze of one-way streets that might not head in the direction you’re expecting, and that change names at Canal Street. Camp Street is one way eastbound, becoming Chartres Street east of Canal. If coming from I-10 eastbound, exit Poydras Street, head south, then turn left on Camp Street. When headed westbound, exit Canal Street, head south, right on St. Charles, left on Poydras, then left on Camp. Either way, you’ll find the hotel on your right. The hotel charges $42 for valet parking. There’s a public garage (Poydras Center Garage) at the SW corner of Poydras and Camp for $30.
The hotel’s location places it between the French Quarter downriver and Warehouse District upriver. That makes it a relatively quiet spot within easy walking distance of pretty much everything. Besides the French Quarter and Warehouse District, you’re also 5 blocks from the Aquarium and 3 from the casino. You can catch the St. Charles Streetcar to the Garden District two blocks west at Carondelet Street. (If you visit the Garden District, don’t miss the barbecue shrimp at Pascal’s Manale.)
One quirk to note – the hotel actually occupies two separate buildings on either side of Natchez Street. The reception and bar is on the NE corner of Camp and Natchez. Rooms are both in the main building and the satellite building across the street.
Date of Stay: Monday, December 13, 2021.
Q&C Hotel Bar, Autograph Collection by Marriott – History
The hotel, like many boutiques in central New Orleans, has an interesting backstory. The building began life in 1913 as the headquarters of the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad. Many referred to it as the Queen & Crescent because it connected Cincinnati (Queen City) and New Orleans (Crescent City). Eventually, the railroad shut down, and the area between the French Quarter and Warehouse District grew dilapidated. The initial hotel conversion occurred in 1986, though the ramshackle property shut down in 2013. As part of the general renaissance of the area, the building was fully gutted and renovated, with the Q&C Hotel reopening in 2014. Finally, the hotel rebranded as an Autograph Collection property in 2016.
Unlike many hotels in the French Quarter, though, there’s no word on whether the Q&C is haunted.
Q&C Hotel Bar, Autograph Collection by Marriott – Review
Check-In and Common Areas
I arrived at the hotel late evening, and was the only guest in line. Thus, it took just a few minutes to check-in and get my key. The reception area is directly connected to the bar, and with Monday Night Football on, it was hopping. The crowd made it difficult to get photos, so I borrowed some stock photos from the hotel website. While researching the hotel’s history, one sit described the common area decor as similar to a “Victorian train station”. That seems like an apt description, logical perhaps given its history as a railway headquarters.
As mentioned, the bar sits adjacent to the reception desk. It’s well-stocked but cozy. One somewhat unique feature, though? Power outlets on the table. I guess these are meant more for breakfast than evening happy hour…
There’s an additional seating area in front of the bar as well.
I didn’t eat at the hotel, but they do serve beignets (among other things) for breakfast. They’ll cost you $6 an order, though. By comparison, Cafe du Monde charges $3.85, and Cafe Beignet $4.75.
My assigned room was in the satellite building across the street. There’s a second lobby of sorts in here; a much larger one in fact. The hotel describes it as a “gathering space”. To me, it resembles one of those warehouse lofts you see in historic buildings these days. Appropriate, I suppose, since the hotel’s down the street from the Warehouse District.
Heading up the elevator to my room, the corridors feature New Orleans-themed artwork (jazz in this case) throughout. I also found the hexagon-patterned carpet kind of interesting.
And last but not least, there’s an old school rotary telephone by the elevators.
Overall, I must say the common areas still looked pretty good, considering they were 7 years old at that point.
Guest Rooms
My free night certificate booked into a standard 1 king bed room. First impression – after the palatial suite I received at the Brown Hotel, this felt like a broom closet. Then again, it’s not all that bigger than one. The door opens right into the bed, which is right up against the wall. The TV is well placed to watch from the bed. In addition, a nightstand to the right of the bed includes USB and power outlets. That makes it reasonably easy to work on the bed. If you prefer not to use your laptop on the bed, there is a desk and chair underneath the TV. Space is really limited, though, because of the ice bucket and phone.
Forget about the view outside that huge window, by the way. It faces the side of the building next door. The giant shade does effectively work as a blackout curtain, though.
The bed and pillows were really, really comfortable. I slept quite well, which is the most important quality in a hotel room.
All rooms include a Keurig machine, by the door in this room. Continuing the jazz art theme, my room included a photograph of a young Louis Armstrong (that’s really cool, actually).
You can also take a very expensive bottle or two of Voss water. (Don’t pay $6 for a bottle of water. There’s a Walgreens a few blocks away on Royal Street.)
The clothes closet is surprisingly spacious for such a small room.
The bathroom, meanwhile, is well-appointed, with marble fixtures and floors and nice tilework. All rooms at the hotel are shower only. Bulk toiletries are provided by Molton Brown, and are of good quality. All of the dispensers worked properly on my visit. But as with the room itself, it’s quite small.
Final Thoughts
While the tenor of this review might sound negative, I really don’t feel that way about this hotel. It’s just that the standard rooms are too small for my taste. I’d stay again, but I’d spring for the “larger guest room”, which runs $30 more than a standard room. I especially like the location of the Q&C; it’s in a quiet area but super close to pretty much everything in central NOLA.
