Hostelz.com Hostels Reviews
EnglishFrançaisEspañolItalianoDeutsch
Find hostels in:

New Orleans Hostel - Marquette House

New Orleans

1 of 4
Address
2249 Carondelet Street, New Orleans Louisiana, USA   Map
Price
Dorm Bed: $16.96-17.86 + tax ($22-28 during special events) Check Current Prices by Date Here
Location/Contact
Details
New Orleans Hostel - Marquette House Online Booking
Arrival Date:   Nights:  People: 
Their Description

Features

  • Kitchen
  • Lockers
  • 24 Hour Free Hot Showers
  • Air Conditioning
  • Washing Machine (laundry)
  • Lounge / Common space
  • Travel information provided
  • Phones (public or in room)
  • BBQ
 
The Hostelz.com Review
If you're after a hostel that's not a full-on party house nor a sterile dorm, you'll find a good balance at Marquette House. The female dorms are located above the main hostel building off Carondelet Street and the male dorms are located behind in adjacent mini buildings, where there are four to six dorm beds downstairs and the same number upstairs.

Marquette House doesn't pretend it offers lots of amenities, but it does the job as a decent and generally clean hostel. The outdoor garden area with vending machines is a great bonus and an awesome area for socialising. Pay telephones and lockers inside the office area are also a plus.

The dorm rooms are generally clean and lacking in carpet, which helps rid them of the musty/stale smell you might find in other hostels. There are toilets upstairs and down in the male dorms, with a large bathroom upstairs. Cleanliness generally depends on who you have staying in the dorm, but the staff have taken all the steps necessary to rid the dorms of roaches and seem very willing to keep the dorms as tidy as possible.

Since Hurricane Katrina, everything is changing, or as the t-shirts point out "Re-New Orleans." Bad areas have become good and good areas have become bad. The great news is Marquette House was in a good area to start off with and it has remained so. The bad news is the streetcar to the Garden District is no longer running, so you'll have to catch the bus instead -- which arrives and departs until 11 p.m. in front of the Chase Bank in St. Charles Street.

There are several awesome bars located nearby, including the combined laundromat/bar Igors on St Charles Street. If you're arriving via car than you'll find plenty of free parking in front of the hostel and it's generally safe to leave your car there for several days (just take note that Carondelet Street is one-way when arriving).

The hostel office is shut between noon and 5 p.m., but access is still available. They do require a key deposit. Walk-in room rates are much more expensive than the internet rates, so you'll save a fair amount by booking online. At the time of writing, the hurricane-damaged kitchen and common areas were still under repair and no self-catering facilities or indoor common areas are available at the hostel.

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
December 2006


Ratings & Comments

2.2 Average from 55 Ratings

This is an open forum, and unlike other hostel guide websites we don't censor out the negative comments.
We can't validate the legitimacy of comments posted on this site—so take what you read here with a grain of salt.
Comment by Rob, Sweden
August 2009
4 Good Value!
Great location, in a calm neighbourhood right by the Garden District and not too far from French Quarter (fifteen minutes by streetcar or forty-minute walk). I ordered a single private room and ended up getting a huge six-bed room with bath, kitchen, and fridge all to myself. Not too bad! Apparently they rent them out both as single rooms and group rooms. The room had A/C which worked very well. The interior is a bit worn, of course, but I've definitely seen worse. The room was clean enough when I arrived, so I can't complain about that either. In all, I am very satisfied with my stay. My only complaint would be the Wi-Fi, which didn't work at all.
Comment by Jim, US
November 2008
4 Not bad
Stayed here April '08 for Jazz Fest in a private room. Staff were great, I arrived late at night but had no problems getting in. Room was fine, cleaner than most hostels. Did see one roach, but he is dead and I am not. Surprisingly, that was the only one I saw -- it's New Orleans and they leave the doors open when they clean, which is how I assume this one got in. This is not a hotel, but especially when hotels jack the prices tenfold, this is not a bad place to stay.
Comment by Jason, USA
November 2008
5 Ok for my first hostel experience
This place is great if you are on a very tight budget like I am. It is not the cleanest place in the world, but for $20 a night, you can't complain too much. What it lacks in cleanliness it makes up for in other area. The staff is very helpfull. They have maps of the bus and street car lines and are very willing to help you find your way anywhere. They are not rude and are very friendly. The location could not be better. Only one block from St. Charles, they are right by the street car lines so that makes access to anywhere in the city, extremely easy. There is a corner grocery store a block away that sells daily and weekly transit passes as well as anything else you may need. I was not too sure about it when I first got there, but by the end of the day, I was very pleased with this place. Great Staff, great location. I will be back.
Comment by Amanda, USA-Southern CA
October 2008
4 Pretty good
For a hostel, it's pretty good. Stayed in the private rooms, during the off season (September). Complete with a kitchen, refrigerator. Towels, bed sheets smelled clean. Saw only two cockroaches, one in the room, one outside. Alan, one of the front desk guys, is a sweetheart, very accommodating and helpful. He had maps and good info. If you're looking for a decent place, on a budget, I'd definitely recommend this place.
Comment by Jonathan M., American
April 2008
4 Very pleasantly surprised
I stayed at the Marquette House in April of '08. I helped set up the stay for our group of forty-nine people -- adults and middle school children. Due to the volume of negative comments posted on this site, I went to great lengths checking and double checking all information gathered. I had not been to N.O. before and relied largely on the honest information and opinions of those that knew more than I. I have traveled for many years with groups and have stayed in hostels around the world. They do vary from hostel to hostel. I found the hostel staff to be helpful and accessible. The desk was staffed with people willing and able to help with additional blankets to neighborhood information. They guided us toward restaurants and sites and away from troubled parts of town or areas less secure. The accommodations were clean and functional. They work well for groups. We had no experiences of feeling unsafe or unsecure while there. We opted to rent cooking suites that proved extremely helpful in providing facilities for food storage and preparation. We ate around the courtyard and veranda and prepared a large barbecue on their grills. I would recommend this hostel without reservation. When price is an issue this is your place. The St. Charles streetcar is one block away and makes the city easily accessible. If you want the Hilton, stay at the Hilton. If you want affordable, safe, and central, stay at Marquette House.
Comment by Joe Alia, USA
April 2008
4 Inexpensive and great location
My experiences at Marquette House were good ones. I stayed in NOLA at Marquette House for a few days during an American Chemical Society (ACS) national meeting that I attended in April 2008. Among the other guests at Marquette House during this time were others people from the ACS meeting, students, world travelers, aid workers, volunteers, and workmen. Nobody was rude or threatening and the place was remarkably quiet at night. The St. Charles Avenue street car stop is about one block away and this gives easy and inexpensive transportation to the French Quarter and also a stop within a few blocks of the Convention Center. Either are within walking distance if you like to walk and taxis are not difficult to find in this area. The Marquette House staff was helpful and friendly and the place was reasonably clean -- no bedbugs or lice that I was aware of. I would certainly stay at this place again. I reserved a bunk for $16 a night through hostelz.com and think that this was a great bargain.
Comment by Angela, Australia
February 2008
1 Quite gross
the location was good close to St. Charles street car line and walking distance to the French Quarter. I got a private room which was located in the building across the road. It cost me $75 for my one night. But it definitely was not worth that. There was hair in the bath and on the bathroom floor and on the shelves in the bathroom. The comforter had cigarette burns and did not look very clean. I did not even touch the blankets on the bed and was very glad that I brought a sleeping bag with me and did not have to touch anything. They were my main issues. They say they have limited housekeeping since Katrina, but seriously, how hard is it to clean a bathroom and change sheets? The staff that I saw were friendly though. It was still cheaper than other places to stay in the area so if you want cheap (and for one night) stay here. And bring a sleeping bag, and don't necessarily expect a shower. Next time I'll spend more and stay elsewhere.
Comment by IBDino76, USA Ohio Feb. 07 Mardi Gras
August 2007
4 Affordable, clean, friendly, helpful, convenient, and safe
The Marquette House was my first Hostel experience. I didn't know what to expect so I researched as much as I could, during that process I stumbled across this site. I was intimidated but after conversing through email with The Marquette House, I decided to risk it. I saw no rodents and was bitten by no bugs, in fact the only bug I saw was a lone spider and I can assure you it is now dead. I stayed during Mardi Gras in a female dorm room above the office. You needed a key (or to be buzzed in) to enter the office and then passed through the building to the back fenced in area linking other units together and then you needed your key to enter your actual dorm. Key to enter was good enough security for me and we had no problems. I never saw any of the units across the street. At the time I was there the kitchen was still under renovations. however the staff had a microwave in the office and was more than wiling to warm anything up for us. The lockers were also not locked while I was there but again the staff was more than willing to look after anything of value for a very small fee. As I've said I stayed in a female dorm. People come and go at all hours of the day and night. If your uninterrupted sleep is that important to you pay for something more private. Even if you are lucky enough not to be disturbed by neighbors the street noise will in the morning will wake you. That wasn't a big surprise or even such a bad thing as I said I was there for Mardi Gras and The Marquette House is right off the parade route, where you can go right up to the floats -- no barricades. I'm not sure of the exact distance but The Marquette House has to be under two miles from The French Quarter. We were able to bike and walk. The Marquette House even had a bike rack free of charge to lock up our bikes. The facilities were clean and the staff was friendly and went above and beyond to try and accommodate any needs. They always had the answer and the directions (and map). The Hostel was not at its full potential when i was there but there was work going on and progress is being made. I think a lot of people forget that the hurricanes caused a lot of damage and there is a lot of work going on as the communities are still recovering and rebuilding. I will be returning to The Marquette House in the future (hopefully Mardi Gras 08) and I would recommend it to everyone. The Marquette House is as close as you will get for this kind of money and well worth every penny!
Comment by bme, USA
June 2007
1 Terrible to deal with over the phone
I called this hostel to make a reservation and I had the worst experience ever. The staff was a complete crack-head and a jerk. Wouldnt take my reservation and wouldnt even tell me anything about the hostel. I hung-up on him after a few questions with "what? huh? what?" and it wasnt a hearing problem, it was obviously an intelligence and maturity problem on his behalf.
Comment by YOKI, JAPAN
May 2007
1 Of all the hostels I have been to, this is the worst. I have seen people beaten up, whiskey bottles on the tables permanently. The owner, Steve Cross, is an alcoholic and the staff, Eddie, is doing crack. I heard from one man that people have broken into the hostel twice the last couple of weeks and one of the staff members who was working there has been stabbed in the head three times and they broke his arm in several places. And he is in the hospital right now. It is very unsafe there. The cameras at the front desk do not work so anything can happen.
Comment by Forrest, USA
May 2007
1 I dont expect much from a hostel, just safety and some sleep. Random people and local girls kept coming in the guys dorms after midnight -- drinking and smoking! Loud music and just being annoying. I didnt feel safe at all since these weren't visitors, they were random locals (friends of the people living there). It was pretty nasty looking mattress as well. Manager guy was borderline prick too. Stay away!
Comment by Kara, Australia
April 2007
1 This is the ultimate dive -- we looked at the so-called dormitory, saw the state of the filthy mattresses, and the incumbent woman who growled each time we opened the door, it woke her up? It was the afternoon! So we took one of the so-called rooms over the road. The minute we got inside a cockroach ran away underneath the cupboards; the curtains are rotting on the rail, mainly as they have never been cleaned; dust rules everywhere; the air conditioner sounded like a train was coming to demolish us; the lock on the door was so flimsy it was laughable, obviously many had tried to break in before; and to top it all off, there was pubic hair inside the bath. The floor was disappearing in the corner, so we had to studiously avoid it. The only reason we didn't walk out was because we were too tired to go elsewhere, but we used heaps of Lavender essential oil to chase away the bedbugs (the blankets were also filthy). This place is a flophouse. I stayed at many locations in the U.S.A. and this one surpassed them all for filthiness, lack of friendly staff, lack of security -- just a bum outfit. Be afraid.
Comment by Cass
February 2007
1 I stayed there for three days and it was horrible. The guy behind the desk was very nice but the hostel itself was terrifying. There were random nutters all over the place, the girls dorm had several of them, and they regularly had rows at 4 a.m. On my last night there a large, nasty smelling lady turned up on the bed next to me, changed on the bed, then started muttering threats at me. I moved shortly afterwards and informed the manager who did nothing. Just dire! Don't stay there especially if you're female -- it's dangerous.
Comment by Allen
November 2006
3 Well, in spite of the negative comments, I stayed here in mid October for almost a week. I chose this place as I figured it had the best location.The India house was to far away from the Quarter and Jo's charged to much and I wasn't so sure about that area. I didn't get any bedbug bites even though the mattress wasn't the cleanest and didn't see any rats. Also, this hostel is not in the ghetto as someone stated but on the northern edge of the Garden District just north of St. Charles Ave. I didn't see any prostitutes or see anyone doing drugs. About a mile south are some of the most grand homes one will find in Nola and I had no problem with the area. I had a rental car and other than needing a bed for the night, I spent little time here as I was up early and on my way to see and do things and sometimes back a little late. I didn't meet too many people but there are several rescue or construction workers staying here to help rebuild New Orleans. They are indeed workers and not transients. No problem with them. The photos they have shown here are not of the hostel but of the building across the street which is owned by the hostel owner as well. It has suites or apartments that can be rented daily, weekly, or monthly. Upon entering the hostel is the reception area and lots of brochures on New Orleans. You are given your linen and a key and exit through the back of this building into the courtyard. You will need your key to get back into the reception building from the courtyard. Security was good. The hostel rooms are in several long buildings with different entrances or rooms. There are different prices depending on the room and how you book. If you just show up they will try to charge you $25 but if you book through this site you will pay the $16 plus tax. Also, a room with less people will cost the 25. I had the prices of the hostels written down and showed the owner. He gave me the room for the 16 even, as I guess he thought I might go to one of the other hostels. I didn't have any problems with the owner or the current staff. As stated there is no kitchen service and there didn't appear to be a TV room either which is too bad and due to this, 25 is too much if you have to pay this. I stayed on the main floor as the upstairs rooms were occupied by the workers. There were only two bunk beds near the back so you had more room. I kept my stuff in the trunk of the car since I was spending little time here. One strange thing is that there are lockers in the main building or reception area but they cant be locked as there are no hooks to attach a lock. The door just closes. The shower/bathroom was upstairs and was relatively clean. No better or worse than most hostels. Since I was on the main floor you had to put up with people coming and going but what can you expect for a hostel. If you have a car rental you can park on the street or on the grass lot next to the reception building. At this time the St. Charles streetcar is not running but there is the bus just a short block away to get you to the French Quarter. Overall, if you just need a bed and don't plan on spending much time here as you explore and enjoy New Orleans, this hostel will suffice. However, if you are one to sit around the place or don't want to eat out and try all the good Cajun/Creole food you will be disappointed. I went to a few of the hotels for continental breakfast and enjoyed eating out for dinner. With no kitchen or TV room, I should probably just give this place two stars but I will be generous and give it three as average since I didn't have any problems.
Comment by Bradley
June 2006
4 I stayed here in April of 06 and are planning to again this weekend. I liked the place and the guy who runs it was very friendly. My room was clean as was the shower/bathrooms and I will gladly stay here again. I liked the courtyard and it was a shame the kitchen can't be used but I just ate out. It's a good location and all the guests I met there were nice too. So thumbs up from me!
Have you visited this hostel? Post your comments here.

1 of 4


Hostelz.com is the only hostel guide with complete information and reviews on all youth hostels and backpackers worldwide.

Exclusive Photos Taken by the Hostelz.com Reviewer
Additional Photos

Hostelz.com Poll
Which do you use for opinions when choosing a hostel?
Comments from Hostelz.com Users (the ones with star ratings)
Hostelz.com's own Exclusive Reviews
Both
Not sure / don't understand
Other: