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Our first week at Wyndham Avenue Plaza in New Orleans

VegasBella

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Resorts Owned
Carlsbad Inn
Avenue Plaza
Riviera Beach & Spa
Aquamarine Villas
We acquired a free week through TUG. This is our first use. The week is a pre-Mardi Gras week at Wyndham Avenue Plaza in New Orleans. My husband is there now with my mother-in-law. My son and I will be joining them for the weekend. Husband is very happy with our decision to take this week off someone else's hands. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

We had seen the resort's exterior from previous NOLA trips and we read reviews online and looked at pictures but we took over this ownership sight unseen and were a bit nervous about how things would work out. We had heard rumors that Wyndham gets confused about the fixed weeks there (because the event weeks are separate and special, not calendar weeks) and that sometimes the reservations are messed up. Well, we followed the recommended procedures (call 9-12 months out and book your week, then verify a week or so ahead of time) and checkin was fine - they had a room for us.

Of note:
- I read varying reports of the cost for parking (valet) here and on TripAdvisor. Many said it was around $20/day which is reasonable. Hubby says he's paying $12/day. Perhaps owners get a special rate? Not sure why he got that rate.
- My MIL has some troubles getting around so they asked if it would be possible to switch to an ADA room. Even though our deed is for a fixed week, fixed unit they swapped us out and put is in an accessible room.
- The resort was accessible by car even during a parade. The resort is "outside the box" and valet was still there during parades to help.

I will post updates
 

taffy19

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So glad that it is working out well for you and that they even swapped your room for an ADA unit, when you asked. Have fun in NOLA!
 

scootr5

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
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Location
Second City
Resorts Owned
Marriott Grande Vista, Wyndham (points and Avenue Plaza Mardi Gras week)
I read varying reports of the cost for parking (valet) here and on TripAdvisor. Many said it was around $20/day which is reasonable. Hubby says he's paying $12/day. Perhaps owners get a special rate? Not sure why he got that rate.
- My MIL has some troubles getting around so they asked if it would be possible to switch to an ADA room. Even though our deed is for a fixed week, fixed unit they swapped us out and put is in an accessible room.

Glad they're enjoying their time there.

Yes, if you are there on a Wyndham reservation the parking is $12 per day.

To my knowledge none of the ownerships there are fixed unit.
 

presley

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I stayed there a couple months ago and liked it a lot. The staff was excellent. Someone visited me for the day and the valet parked her for free for the day. If I was to visit NOLA again, I'd want to stay there. The fitness center was great.

If you are looking for good places to eat within walking distance, Houston's (head left out the hotel door) was the best place we ate. We also enjoyed the restaurant in the lobby of Hotel Indigo (go right out the hotel door). The bartender was top notch. We really enjoyed the overall service in the area. I guess there really is something to "southern hospitality." It was so much different than traveling anywhere in California.
 

Sugarcubesea

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QH, HBC, VBHC, & Pinestead Reef
I love NOLA, I own at QH but I need to check this place out when I'm in town next year...
 

clifffaith

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San Juan Capistrano, CA
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Worldmark
My standard comment when this wonderful resort comes up: DO NOT allow any staff to come to your room with a "gift" or maps and coupons for the area. You will quickly (or not, we were slow to figure out what was going on) find yourself in the midst of a stealth timeshare presentation.
 

scootr5

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
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Location
Second City
Resorts Owned
Marriott Grande Vista, Wyndham (points and Avenue Plaza Mardi Gras week)
My standard comment when this wonderful resort comes up: DO NOT allow any staff to come to your room with a "gift" or maps and coupons for the area. You will quickly (or not, we were slow to figure out what was going on) find yourself in the midst of a stealth timeshare presentation.

That holds true for pretty much any Wyndham resort, and is not exclusive to AVP.
 

shagnut

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Winston Salem, NC
I stayed there and Quarter House both while in NOLA. I liked them both. I think the staff is what made both so nice. Avenue Plaza is on the trolley line which we took to the end to see the beautiful old homes and got off at the zoo which we loved.
 

VegasBella

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Location
Vegas
Resorts Owned
Carlsbad Inn
Avenue Plaza
Riviera Beach & Spa
Aquamarine Villas
To my knowledge none of the ownerships there are fixed unit.
Well we shall see how it works out in the future. But the deed has a fixed unit, fixed week and it's a legacy ownership so very likely different rules apply to it than to traditional Wyndham ownerships.

I love NOLA, I own at QH but I need to check this place out when I'm in town next year...
Husband says he thinks the location is great. It's well situated for a visit that includes more than just the Quarter. He grew up in NOLA so he likes that it's kind of central to everything. People describe this as the Garden District, but technically it's just on the edge or outside of the Garden district. This means that during Carnivale, though, the resort is still accessible even when a parade is going on. If it were actually inside the Garden District then it most likely would not be accessible during a parade.

He went uptown to watch a Druid and Nyx Wednesday nights. Then last night he walked to the Quarter to see a show. Tomorrow we plan to watch Iris and Rucks from the resort balcony and then Sunday we will go uptown again to get a good family-friendly spot with our chairs to watch three parades. The king cake is already waiting for me :)
 

VegasBella

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Carlsbad Inn
Avenue Plaza
Riviera Beach & Spa
Aquamarine Villas
Indeed, the staff is just wonderful! We all remarked at how nice they were. Very helpful all the way around.

We watched one parade from the balcony at the resort. It was mostly older folks hanging out there and it was great - you can see and hear everything without being in the midst of chaos. That particular parade was the one where last year my son was hit in the face hard with some very large beads and he was afraid of it happening again, so the balcony was great. And that's where Grandma watched - which was neat because she doesn't even like the parades but she found that watching on the balcony was actually pretty fun.

The location is really nice - within walking distance to many things. And on the street car line too.

For Mardi Gras time they have a special t-shirt for sale that says "Avenue Plaza Mardi Gras 2017" - it was pretty cute. We bought one.
 

pedro47

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Thanks for sharing your information about your stay and the resort.
 

Here There

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to OP: I stayed at Avenue Plaza for 5 nights pre-mardi gras (booked at $.07/credit via Winter Flurry from a WM waitlist request placed 13 mos ago which surfaced ~60 days out). This was my 4th stay at AVP over a 15-mo period & I offer these suggestions to make your future visits easier & more pleasant:

My standard comment when this wonderful resort comes up: DO NOT allow any staff to come to your room with a "gift" or maps and coupons for the area. You will quickly (or not, we were slow to figure out what was going on) find yourself in the midst of a stealth timeshare presentation.

- You will get pestered by the friendly Guest Guides to receive your "welcome package," which consists of a thermos/water bottle (for WM) or a $50 gift card (for Wynd members). Be wary of their stealth tactics of enrolling you into the WyndRewards visa (to obtain your credit info) or signing you up for PERKS (@ $59/mo) on your smartphone. Their "Stepford" closers are the Worst in Wynd-dom.

- The only benefit from attending the above is getting a "Big Easy" card, which entitles some discounts with nearby merchants, eg. free eggrolls appetizers at Pho Orchid, 10% off at Ave Cafe, and my fave: free dessert at VooDoo BBQ which serves great brisket, gumbo & bread pudding...[I travel for the food :)]

- Although AVP is well-appointed and right on the parade route, staying on the edge of the Garden district is different than staying at the FQ, where there's lots going on right outside the door (I've stayed at 4 other FQ TSs over the years). Waiting for the Streetcar can take ~20 min (and your mom may benefit from the senior fare.) But during parade days the <2 mile walk to Canal Street can actually be stimulating.

- Staying at AVP can be a springboard to discovering that there's lots more to NOLA than just the FQ. Over time the friendly staff will recognize you as a regular and will share with you some insiders tips.

Congrats on obtaining such a great week! Best wishes on your continued enjoyment. And please contact me should you ever think about dis-owning it.
 
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