Matt & Caryn's Adventures in NOLA: Oh, The Festivals

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Oh, The Festivals

New Orleans is famous for all the festivals that they have. We were lucky enough to catch a couple the weekend before Thanksgiving. This is the Magazine St. Blues Festival. It was really more of a block party since it wasn't very big, but it was perfect to go to before we had to go to work.

We caught the first band, The Disco Amigo's, which were more of a cover band, but they were very lively and sounded great.

This is the Bacon Dog from Diva Dawg. All their hot dogs are cooked in bacon grease, so you know that combining two of Caryn's things is going to put a smile on her face. It came topped with Bacon and we added the onion. Damn good dog!

This came from the Fry Bar tent. It's fresh cut fries topped with Garlic, Rosemary and Freshly Grated Parmesan...and Yes, Matt is participating in Mo-Shave Movember. Caryn's not on board...Matt is loving every minute of it!

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About Us

OK kids, so here's the story. Over Easter weekend of 2013, we came to visit NOLA for a friend's wedding. We had a great time, and New Orleans quickly hit our radar for places to live. About 6 months later, we each applied for a position on a bit of a whim, and next thing you know, here we are!

While in NOLA, we want to submerge ourselves in the culture. This includes the food, music, festivals, and yes...Mardi Gras! In an effort to keep our friends and family in the loop, we put this together to showcase all that we've experienced.

Feel free to suggest activities, and places to visit, and we hope you enjoy!

M&C

Matt's Story

We mentioned applying on a whim, and it truly was. Matt found his position after Caryn, and it didn't really go as planned.

Before even applying, Matt sent an email to his would-be boss, and let her know a little about his current roles at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel. She suggested that he apply, and about three days later, he got a, "thanks, but no thanks" letter. Matt was pretty bummed, and a little confused.

A few days after that Matt received a message from the original lady he emailed, asking why he hadn't applied yet. Apparently, the application never even got to her. Matt interviewed over the phone with her and three other manager before he had a panel interview face to face. Matt was offered the job and started planning a move.

Matt's current position is Assistant Front Desk Manager at the New Orleans Marriott on Canal. This beast of a hotel has 1,274 rooms, 41 stories, and 80,000 sq. ft. of event space. Located two blocks from Bourbon St, you can bet that there is no shortage of action.

Caryn's Story

Things happened much faster for Caryn. She actually accepted a different position than what she applied for.

Originally, Caryn posted for a position called Rooms Controller. This position takes all your reservations, and assigns them a room number (now you know you know who to ask for if you have a special room request). It took a few weeks, but she eventually got an email wanting to set up a phone interview (this came on the heels of Matt's "thanks, but no thanks" letter).

After interviewing with a couple of people, she was told that the General Manager would contact her for a final interview. To her surprise, he asked her if she would be interested in applying for a Supervisor position. This would be a big step up, and allow her to get some great leadership experience, so of course, she said yes.

In case you couldn't figure it out on your own, they had already made up their mind to offer her the position. they wanted her ASAP, so three weeks later, she arrived in NOLA.

Caryn is a Front Office Supervisor at the New Orleans Downtown Marriott at the Convention Center. This hotel has 320 rooms, 15 stories, and over 24,000 sq. ft. of event space. Located directly across from the street from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, this hotel stays busy.