I found myself in the New Orleans metropolitan area earlier this year and I stayed overnight at the Best Western Plus Slidell hotel property located in Slidell, Louisiana.
A Disappointing Experience at Best Western Plus Slidell
The hotel shares a parking lot with the adjacent Comfort Inn and Suites, whose entrance is through the trees in the right of the photograph above. The exterior of the Best Western appeared to be like the exterior of a typical mid-range hotel.
As I entered the hotel, I passed the outdoor pool, in which I did not swim.
As I walked down the hallway to my room, I could not help but think that the design on the ceiling was a little too much.
The Room
I opened the door to my room…
…and began to sneeze uncontrollably. What seemed like several minutes passed before I was able to take this photo of the entrance from the inside of the room.
The curtain next to the door is the entrance to the closet, which contained a luggage rack, safe, hangers, iron, and ironing board. When the curtain was closed, it would sometimes get caught in the resulting gap created when opening the door to the hallway. I ended up moving it to the end of the rung farthest from the entrance.
The beds were reasonably comfortable, once I was able to get to sleep after some more sneezing and slight wheezing.
A telephone and alarm clock sat on the nightstand between the beds.
The television, remote, and coffee maker sit on top of this piece of furniture which houses a microwave, refrigerator, and three drawers.
Outlets and phone jacks are available behind the desk, on which sits a lamp and a telephone.
The climate control unit was not effective enough to combat the hot and humid summer climate of southeast Louisiana, as I got hot the night I stayed.
The Bathroom
The small bathroom contained a bathtub with a shower head…
…as well as a toilet, toilet paper, wastebasket, and towel rack.
The vanity area was located outside the bathroom next to the closet, which is where all of the towels, washcloths, and amenities were located. I was blown away that there were also tissues to help with my sneezing fit.
Amenities included soap, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and makeup remover.
The View
The view was nothing special, as it was mainly of the parking lot. In the background is Taos Street, with some small businesses behind it.
The other direction had a more wooded backdrop, but otherwise the same view.
The Lobby and Breakfast Area
The lobby was crowded the morning I left the hotel, so I could not get a decent picture of it—however, breakfast was a more limited version of a typical breakfast found at a Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn, or Holiday Inn. Strangely, even after I searched the whole area, I could not find butter. What hotel doesn’t carry butter?
Summary
I did not actually pay for my stay at Best Western Plus Slidell, as the organization I was a part of covered hotel costs for me—but upon checking prior to my stay, I found that the night I stayed would have cost slightly greater than $90.
Though I was not able to find it, there was a likely chance of mold or dust being present in the room, as when I left the hotel for New Orleans, I did not sneeze nearly as much. I was allergic to something in the room, and unfortunately I cannot recommend this hotel property because of that. I guess this was snot the place for me to stay in Lou-wheezy-ana.
If you decide to stay here, however, Best Western Plus Slidell is located just off of Interstate 10, and it is surrounded by shopping and restaurants. It is located 32.5 miles northeast of downtown New Orleans and 27.5 miles west of Bay St. Louis in Mississippi.
Best Western Plus Slidell
120 Taos Street
Slidell, Louisiana 70458
(985) 781-5655
All photographs ©2019 by Matthew Cohen.
