JW New Orleans
- Ben HC
- 7 days ago
- 8 min read
New Orleans is an often overlooked trip for families with great character, friendly people, and fantastic food. Just a quick 3 hour flight away and you can enjoy warm weather and plenty of activities for all ages.
Jump ahead:
Getting There
First, the things that the hotel has no control over, transportation to the resort. The only direct flight from Canada is YYZ-MSY and operated 3-5 times a week depending on the season. This is an AC rouge flight and typically leaves 8-9am and is a short 3hr flight such that any class of service is certainly sufficient. Instead the recommended luxury upgrade is to stay at an airport hotel the night before such an early departure.
While not a full review, we continued our rotation of YYZ airport hotels and this time tried the Westin which was really quite nice. We were Titanium status at the time and were initially upgraded to a larger king room with airport view, but at checkin when I inquired we were further upgraded to a large suite that retails for ~$200 more per night than we paid. The extra room for Max to run around is always appreciated. They also sent someone to deliver a welcome gift of some macarons, perrier, and a handwritten note (perhaps this was already in the other room we were upgraded from).
We ate at their restaurant for dinner, it was unremarkable but no complaints. There wasn't a lounge but platinum status and above did receive breakfast offered as of 0630, just enough time for a quick bite before rushing to the airport for our flight. The selection was plenty, and quality was good. There was also a cook who would make omeletes, waffles etc on request.
The flight is typically quite cheap both in cash and points, and you'll often find business class priced closely to economy comfort.
There is frequently R-space available for eupgrades, but if you did want business for this journey, the small price difference would favour booking it directly.
Pre Arrival Communication
We had a harder time than typical getting a response from the hotel prior to our arrival. There had been a glitch on our booking (showing 6 people instead of 3) which I was concerned would impact pricing or ability to upgrade, and I was hoping to get a recommendation for a spa for my wife for an early Mother's Day gift. Ultimately this was resolved a few days before arrival but it was certainly less smooth than other properties
Arrival and Getting Settled
We took an airport taxi, the cost was $45 USD (they charge per person and Max counted), for groups of 3+ an Uber may be cheaper. The JW Marriott is situated directly on Canal Street, close to the famous trolleys (a highlight for Max) and walking distance from the French quarter. We selected it based on pricing lining up well with our free night certificates from a previous US card sign up bonus, but in the area you are drowning in Bonvoy eligible properties across the scale of luxury. Within a couple of blocks we saw: Courtyard, Westin, Sheraton, Marriott, Le Meridien, and a Ritz Carlton.
There was a mandatory $30USD per night "destination fee" which included a $15USD per day food and beverage credit, $30USD per day credit for tours and some other unremarkable inclusions. We used our credit at the lobby "market" to get pretzels and other snacks, but considering we had use of the lounge I didn't consider this of any meaningful value. The credits for tours didn't seem to apply to any that were appropriate for a child of Max's age/size so those went unused.
No suite upgrades were available, except to a bilevel for an eyewatering $600USD per night - we passed on that. Instead upgraded to a corner deluxe room, for our status.
The room was reasonably sized and critically had a view of the Canal Street trolleys - Max was happy so we were happy.
Service
From the moment of our arrival service was impeccable. Staff were quick to open doors and help with luggage, friendly and approachable, it was a very positive experience. A reminder to consider carrying some cash as this is the US and while we were never pressed for tips we felt a bit sheepish to have nothing to offer. Fret not however, the Bonvoy app has an option to search to staff and tip them from there.
Whether it was the doormen, front desk staff, or people working the lounge, everyone was very kind. Particular praise to Terrell who worked the front door and to a lounge staff member who made a strong recommendation for the new playground on the waterfront - Goldring Woldenberg Park.
Food
Elite status or room tier can gain you access to the JW's Executive Lounge. Throughout the day this meant soft drinks, tea and coffee (including a cold brew and nitro dispenser), and some snacks like chips and chocolate covered raisins. This is where they served the breakfast benefit you receive for elite status, and they also offered hot appetitizers and desserts in the evening. We ate breakfast here every day, but only once made it back to the hotel in time to try the evening spread. Breakfast was quite typical with eggs, sausage, potatoes, oatmeal or grits, a selection of fruits, yogurts, pastries etc. Many of the elements rotated slightly, from say sweet potatoes to regular, andouille sausage to breakfast, fritatas to quiche, but the core structure remained.
Instead or rushing back to the lounge for appetitizers, most of our meals were outside of the hotel.
Lost Coyote was not the most child friendly but their crispy olives were a hit with Max, who couldn't decide how he felt about their pet goat Rosita
French Truck Coffee, directly adjacent the hotel had great trolley views, and the cinnamon cruffin got rave reviews from Max "it starts with a 'cr' sound like croissant!" he said between mouthfuls.
Zesty Creole had massive portions and Max kept going back for more catfish, meanwhile the cup sized jumbalaya was more than enough for Valentina.
Patula in the French Quarter had a lovely outdoor seating area away from the bustle of the crowds that felt transplanted from Europe. The food was also incredible - we enjoyed some small plates including their marinated olives, mushroom toast, and crab cake.
A quick stop at Sucre on the walk back to our hotel rewarded us with a lovely pistachio and raspberry entremet and an almond petit four.
We chose Cafe Beignet at their French Quarter location for our chicory coffee and beignet experience but you certainly would also do well with Cafe du Monde.
Finally, to round out the experience we went to the famous Mother's for a shrimp po'boy, fried chicken and cheesy grits. Just be aware that they fry their chicken fresh so this can lead to a 40 minute wait.
Activities
Ultimately a trip with a toddler is more about what you do than anything else.
On the day of our arrival we went to the fantastic City Park and the Louisiana Childrens Museum. Note that they are not open Mondays and Tuesdays. We grabbed coffee and a snack at the nearby Acorn Cafe but for the most part spent our first day here. Numerous interactive displays appealing to both the artistic and the STEM oriented and Max couldn't get enough of it.
The next day we fulfilled our little guy's excited requests and rode the trolley as much as we could, even when it would be faster to walk.
Our first stop was the waterfront where there is a great aquarium and insectarium. You can purchase combo tickets that also include the Zoo (located across town) for a solid discount, but as a rewards pro tip, consider buying these via Viator in advance. Viator is frequently included on the Aeroplan Estore and Rakuten US with high multipliers (at time of writing 15x on Rakuten), and codes as travel on cards like the Amex Gold and US Amex Green (this card was my go to for this trip with 3x travel and food).
There is also a trolley line that continues along the waterfront, at the final stop you can find a great playground, and can easily enter the French Quarter by foot before walking your way back to Canal Street.
On our last full day we went to the Zoo, known for its Swamp exhibit and white gators - just a word of caution that their "swamp train" is currently out of commission, being replaced with something newer... Max took this news surprisingly well. You could easily spend a few hours here between the varying exhibits, and depending on the time of year there is also a splash park component.
Speaking of water, we didn't take the opportunity to use the hotel pool but it is an outdoor affair with great city views.
If you asked Max what his highlight was he would no doubt mention the trolleys and since his joy is my joy I'm inclined to agree. A day where you trolley down to the Aquarium, over to the playground, and then wander back through the fantastic vibes of the French Quarter sampling beignets and iced chicory coffee, stopping at Patula for dinner and Sucre for desser, would certainly be a dreamy holiday day for almost any family.
I had arranged a spa visit for Valentina as a Mother's Day gift but unfortunately she was feeling under the weather that day so she sent me instead. It was at the Ritz just up Canal street and was a great experience for those looking to splash out on an incredible massage.
If Max had met the 48 inch height requirement we would have likely gone on a swamp hovercraft tour, or if we had a bit more time one of the paddleboat river cruises. A return to City Park to explore more would have also been on the menu.
Summary
All in all it was an excellent trip, we met up with friends we hadn't seen in quite some time, had excellent food, enjoyed the character of the city, and rode/watched many trolleys. We stayed 3 nights in New Orleans and 1 night at the Westin on our way there and for us this was close to the perfect trip duration. An extra 1-2 days in New Orleans would have allowed for a bit more of a relaxed pace, and we would have likely added on a river boat cruise and returned to the incredible City Park. From a points and miles perspective the flights were cheap and the hotel (outside the destination fee) was covered with free night certificates, instead we could focus our spending on food and activities, which through the correct use of cards and portals allowed us to earn back a sizable chunk of points.
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Disclaimer
This should not be taken as financial advice and details are subject to change. I have made good intentioned efforts to be accurate but ultimately consult card terms and conditions. We may receive compensation for products discussed in this review but did not receive any compensation from any hotel or airlines.
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