The California Building

“Our group had 2 different units with drastically different experiences at the California Building. We experienced two extremely disruptive nights during our stay. On the first night, a loud fight broke out in the hallway around 2 a.m. The guests in the neighboring unit repeatedly pounded on our door, mistaking it for theirs. Multiple residents called the building manager and police; officers didn’t arrive until after 6 a.m., and the guests were removed around 7 a.m. The noise was so loud it sounded like it was inside our unit. The following night, a large group of teenagers staying in the building ran through the halls around 4 a.m., yelling and causing disturbances. The night guard said many guests had reported it and that police had been contacted. Each morning the front desk apologized and said both groups had been evicted, but offered little additional information. They also stated they couldn’t assist further because the unit was booked through Airbnb, even though listed as host.”

“Good - Location, lots to do, big space Bad - Overpriced for what it was. Additional fees for early check-in ($100) and parking ($45/day). Not as clean as preferred. Bathrooms had mold”

“The apartment in the California Building was standard with all the key elements you need and no flare. We were in town for both weekends of JazzFest (11 days) and I needed a place to work. Our place had everything we needed. The major problem was we never got any check-in instructions and the phone numbers available through AirBnB did not work. Fortunately AirBnB customer service got it sorted out after a an anxious half hour at the airport not knowing whether we had a place to stay. The best thing about it was the location. We were just blocks from the French Quarter and trolley and bus lines that got us everywhere we needed to go. We downloaded the RTA app and for $15 got unlimited rides with an ability to plan trips with detailed instructions on where to walk and where we'd be dropped off. It saved us from using Ubers as extensively as we normally do and was an exceptionally pleasant way to navigate New Orleans - one of our favorite cities.”

“If you dont sleep this is the place for you. Blinds that dont shut out light and paper thin windows that allow you to hear conversations from the street below. Very sterile environment. No wall decor. The shower in the main bedroom allows water to go everywhere. Furniture very cheap. Constantly hitting our toes or knees on the metal bed frame. We had to pay extra to check in early and had to use a different card from the one on file with air bnb and it was hacked. Closed account and Could not use this card. Was not worth what we paid.”

“A very good location just a ten minute walk from key locations. The apartment was incredibly spacious and clean. Check in could have been clearer. Early instructions it suggests 'Entry code: ' and is blank. We messaged and waited for over half an hour before realising later on in the instructions that you need to check in at reception. I clearly should have read the instructions all the way through, but they weren't as clear as they should be.”

“I’m not sure where to even start. If I could give 0 stars I would. I was in room 701 and it was atrocious. The lights didn’t work, dryer didn’t work, paint chipping, black scuffs all over the walls, dirty stained carpet and rug (also it was sticky?), seeable DIRT and heavy dust on all baseboards, clogged bathroom sink, and overall FILTHY from ceiling to floor. Not even joking seriously. I was staying there for 4 days and maintenance had to come up almost everyday for something. I paid over 1k to stay at a slum. The pictures are fake. It is not that clean nor big. I was severely disappointed in everything. It looked like someone’s tiny slum apartment. It was absolutely disgusting and I felt uncomfortable the whole time. I hated every second of it. But with paying that much and planning months ahead I had no choice but to stay. Please do not stay here. I bet the red roof in is better. It’s not worth a penny you pay. Ps the shower/ sink water smelled like sewage so we could barely shower.”

“Great location with an easy walk to superdome. Front desk agent was very helpful during our checkout to lock up our luggage while we burned time before flights. Beautiful decor, lots of natural light, fabulous city view from patio. Felt very upscale in the unit. Some negatives... Puke was dried on deck, we reported it but no one cleaned it. There were no patio furniture cushions and when I messaged asking where they were the only answer was that theyre in the apartment, but they were not. We couldnt find the laundry area because the doors where they were seemed locked but it actually was that the doors get stuck and we had to use a butter knife to push the top button down. Very noisy because elevator is right at the door so you hear the elevator and everyone being loud at the elevator. Need to be able to carry luggage up and down 20 steps to bedrooms.”

“Obviously run by a management company and lacking personal touches. The abnb message that I requested to add an additional guest to the reservation was never answered. The check in instructions were unclear, thankfully there was someone at the front desk. TV wasnt properly connected, but they did promptly rectify that. The patio furniture is no longer what was pictured, minimal and uncomfortable so didnt use the patio as much as we could have. No decor, plants or pillows anymore as pictured. Kitchen offered pots and pans, silverware, salt and pepper, coffee pot and filters but missing some plates, and no serving bowls. The ice machine in the fridge didnt work. Toilet running and no body soap in primary bath. Location was great for what we wanted - walkability, yet a bit of distance from Bourbon St. The tile floors were surface cleaned - but obviously never scrubbed - black grout that used to be cream colored. Neither shower worked well. Will choose a personally run abnb next time.”

“Beautiful place, walkable. But needed more details with parking. They provide more details after paying parking. I needed more information on parking before paying. For one of the rooms, the lamp was broken and the light didn't work.”

“Despite great location, and great amenities, I am sorry to say that I will not stay this location again. We had awful check-in experience. The check-in instruction said that "see front desk (open 24/7) for check-in instruction. " When we arrived at 10 pm, we found out that we needed a keycode to go in the building to see front desk. Fortunately, someone let us in after trying to figure out what to do for 10 min. The lady at the front desk told me that "not proving a key code up front" was only applied to AirBnb guest. Also, their lock system at the room was complicated and I couldn't understand how to open the door right away. They should have included the instruction in check-in process. Needing 2 hands to unlock the door was a little annoying.”