My wife and I spent four nights at the New Orleans Ritz Carlton over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The room had a nice view over the garden court, was very clean and nicely appointed.
Ask for a room higher-up to avoid street and party noise.

The staff was extremely courteous and helpful. On check-in, we were offered access to the Club Lounge at no extra charge - very worthwhile for picking up a cup of coffee and a small treat. The hotel is well-situated. It's not in the French Quarter (which can be very noisy) but within a relatively easy walk. There always were plenty of cabs to take you to more distant locations (or if you don't feel like walking in the sometimes oppressive heat and humidity of New Orleans).

Sunday brunch at Melange is expensive - $39 - but offers a wide assortment of tasty items, including sushi, prime rib, an omelette bar and loads of other items. It's worthwhile if you don't plan on eating again until late in the evening.

The bar scene at Melange can range from quiet and intimate (on Wednesday night) to boisterous and crowded (Saturday with two weddings and a convention at the hotel).

WiFi is expensive - $13.00 per day. If you have a wireless data card, this is a good place to use it. Had access on AT&T, but had problems on Sprint.

This is a great hotel and we plan to return.

I was the Maid of Honor for my best friends wedding and had booked around 29 rooms in the Ritz. Us bridesmaids had spent hours making up some very nice gift bags for wedding attendees which also contained directions to the wedding! The Ritz staff assured me that all the gift bags would be delivered 2 days prior to the wedding. The afternoon before the wedding it was brought to my attention that no one had received a bag. An employee by the name of Johanna assured me it would be taken care of immediately. At about 130 am I phoned the hotel operator because the bags still hadn't been delivered. She informed me there was no manager for that shift and she would have someone call me back. A very nice young lady named Jenifer returned my call within a matter of a few minutes. She introduced herself as Loss Prevention but would be the "acting" overnight manager and assured me once again this matter would be taken care of. I was skeptical..about 10 minutes later, Jenifer called me back. She explained that only 10 bags remained and she had no indication of who received what. She offered to photocopy the directions and include a nice letter offering those who didn't receive a bag to pick it up at the front desk. Jenifer put that under every single guests door in the wedding party and literally saved us from having a disaster. She also put together two very extravagant gift bags for the bride and groom and delivered them herself to the room. If it wasn't for her actions noone would have made it to the wedding on time or at all. Unlike most of the other employees we encountered she was the only one who was truly concerned about our issue. We almost lost faith in the Ritz but thanks to one employee..We will definitely be returning!

The Ritz Carlton in New Orleans is well located on Canal Street, bordering the French Quarter. It is about 2 blocks away from the beginning of Bourbon Street, short walks away from many historical sites and it's near the street car stop you take to ride up St Charles street into the Garden District.
The room on the 7th floor we had was very spacious, tastefully decorated and clean with a king bed. It didn't have a view; but we didn't ask for the more expensive room that had views. Although the shower pressure was very low, the bathroom was stocked with a nice brand of soaps/shampoos/lotions.
The staff are friendly but make sure you ask the concierge when you have a question about anything outside the hotel as both times we asked something of the person at the front desk, we were given the wrong information. Another note: if you leave a beverage bottle in your room that isn't completely full, it will be thrown away by the housekeeper (we lost 2 large bottles of fruit drinks that were 1/2 empty).
The only time my husband and I ate at the hotel restaurant was to have appetizers but the food was really good and not too expensive. ( I had crawfish quesadilla that came in 4 slices and was really tasty and filling for about $15). I noticed a sushi cart set up every evening in a lobby area by the restaurant/bar. The restaurant has live music and the night we were there, 2 famous local musicians showed up to play with the jazz band.
The hotel lobby offers complimentary lemonade in the afternoons. It seemed that the check-in counter located on the 3rd floor usually had one person working so service can be a bit slow. If you park a rental car in the valet parking lot it will cost you $32 a day. Overall, the hotel was a great place to stay. It's quiet and very pleasant.
I will write other tips on New Orleans in different reviews about the city and restaurants.

This was just a magnificent stay. We go to New Orleans about once a month and just decided to stay at the Ritz. We booked a room on the Club Level for one night, but ended up extending it for 2.

We arrived at night and were a little tired. We entered the typical Ritz entrance but the Club level is quite a confusing way from the main entrance. The first time was a little crazy, but after a the first walk-thru it was fine.

I can't say enough positive things about my stay there. Gracious and lovely are just the most appropriate way to describe it. The building is a beautiful Grand Dame. Elegant in every fashion. Beatiful floral arrangements at every turn that lightly scent the air. Books available to peruse while you enjoy a cocktail. I felt like I was staying at an elegant B&B without the forced friendly-ness of being in someone's house and sharing meals.

The room was lovely. Very English country. I loved it. The bathrooms were fabulous and they provided Bulgari products, which I love. I absolutely loved the room.

The Club level provided 5 presentations a day and by the time we arrived it was just savories and cocktails, which was fine. However all the presentations were great. We would get coffee, tea and a light breakfast and really be good for the rest of the day. We could come back in the afternoon for a cocktail and snack before heading out for dinner. We actually saved money on food. The quality was fabulous and the portion sizes were right on - just little bites. Not enough to fill you up, but enough to curb the appetite or get you going in the morning.

The hotel provides a complimentary Mercedes to shuttle guests from place to place. We really prefer to walk and take the trolley but we did utilize it for a ride to Emeril's and Adubon Park one early morning.

The service was lovely. It was friendly, yet restrained.

We typically stay in another hotel, but I believe this will be our new Crescent City standby.