<p>We have some flight vouchers and spontaneously decided to book a trip to New Orleans in February. We are going with another couple and none of us have been there before.</p>
<p>Any advice on where to stay? Should we try for the French quarter or the business district? I like the idea of being in the historic area but don’t like a lot of noise at night. We will be there from a Monday to a Saturday and it is not close to Mardi Gras but I heard that the Bourbon St area is noisy. Any and all suggestions are appreciated!</p>
<p>Chateau hotel. But tell them you want a courtyard room. It’s in the Q, and has the right vibe and a great location, but away from the noise. Have a bloody mary at harry’s corner for me. Make sure you go to maison bourbon on the corner of bourbon and st. Peter’s after 9, thurs.-sat. And sit through a set by Jamil Sharif. It’s good fun. There are LOTS of fantastic restaurants…mostly OUT of the quarter. Later I can make you a list of our favorites and ones we still want to visit but haven’t yet. I’m soooo jealous.</p>
<p>Just visited New Orleans for the first time in August. Stayed in the French Quarter at the Maison Dupuy Hotel. In the French Quarter but on the edge of it and very quiet. Reasonably priced. We walked everywhere-no need for rental car. Besides it is difficult to park in NO and parking rates at hotels are very expensive. If you take tours usually they will pick you up from your hotel for extra fee. We also occasionally used taxis. Do not stay anywhere near Bourbon Street unless you want to be up half the night!</p>
<p>I went on a trip to New Orleans last December. We stayed at a Hilton really close to the French Quarter (like 10 minute walk, it was just a couple blocks from Canal Street), it was a pretty good room and really cheap. I don’t know exactly what was hotel and what was flight, but it was $420/person for round-trip from Detroit and 3 nights hotel (3 people), so hotel was probably in the realm of $100/night or something. It wasn’t noisy at all, and was close enough to walk.</p>
<p>It was a little cool (like high 40s through 50s) but it’s not so bad if you’re coming from a colder climate, so the 10 minute walk isn’t a big deal.</p>
<p>I am a resident of New Orleans. Husband and I just did a staycation for our anniversary at the Omni Royal Orleans. Awesome hotel. Walking distance to KPauls, a must go to while you’re here. Also walking distance to Antoines, though I’ve never been.</p>
<p>There are several Hiltons. The above Hilton may be the one on St. Charles. I actually used to work in that building. It’s downtown, but the architecture is really nice and you can get on the streetcar to ride down the beautiful part of St. Charles, near Tulane and Loyola. At the bottom of that Hilton is Luke, a John Besh restaurant, which is supposed to be awesome.</p>
<p>There is another Hilton, the Riverside, where I’d love to stay and get a riverview room. So beautiful. In that hotel is Drago’s, charbroiled oysters. Need I say more?</p>
<p>You can take the streetcar to Canal Street to go to Palace Caf</p>
<p>I’ve been to New Orleans several times, never stayed in the French Quarter but always within a short walk of it, which I have found ideal because you can easily take in the architecture, history, and culinary delights of the Quarter without needing to tolerate the drunken excess, noise, and hordes of tourists.</p>
<p>If you go in February you’ll be there during the Mardi Gras season, but well before Mardi Gras itself which this year falls on March 4. Good time to visit, I think. There will be lots of little parades and parties building up to the big day, but you won’t be overrun by mobs of celebrators.</p>
<p>Don’t spend all your time in the Quarter. Take the St. Charles streetcar out to the Garden District. To my way of thinking, this is the heart of New Orleans’ charm. No stunning attractions, really, but lots of lovely ante-bellum residential architecture (including some historic homes you can visit) and great shops/restaurants, especially along Magazine Street but some other streets as well.</p>
<p>My husband goes to a conference in NOLA almost every year and I usually go with him because I really enjoy visiting the city. My favorite hotel is the Soniat House. It’s impossibly romantic–rooms surround an inner courtyard. It’s in the French Quarter, but just barley. Other hotel we like is the Windsor Court–nice, upscale hotel. The afternoon tea is fun.</p>
<p>If you’re not on Bourbon itself, the quarter isn’t necessarily loud. I’ve even stayed at the Royal Sonesta which is on Bourbon and with rooms on the back it wasn’t any louder than any other hotel. I think the Quarter is preferable especially for a first visit. </p>
<p>The Monteleone is another great historic hotel. In the Quarter on Royal which is mostly antique shops and art galleries. Not a noisy crowd. :). The Monteleone bar, the Carousel, is one of my favorites.</p>
<p>I second the Monteleone, it’s in the FQ but not in a loud area and the people there are very friendly. I also love the Omni Royal Orleans. It’s at quite a little spot where you can practically fall over and land at Brennan’s, K-Paul’s or the Napoleon House. Antoine’s is around the corner too. </p>
<p>Outside of the FQ I love the Roosevelt (and it’s so nice that it’s been renamed the Roosevelt) - just off the other side of Canal St. It was built in the 20’s or so and is quite ornate. The bar where someone shot at Huey P. Long looks just the same and the bullet hole is still there. </p>
<p>The tall modern fancy hotels are all in the CBD (central business district). If you like that sort of thing, fine, and the Windsor Court is supposed to be the best of them, but what a boring neighborhood!</p>
<p>P.S. The Krewe de Vieux parade is Feb 15th and they wind through the FQ. Don’t miss it if you’re there! They usually have an open “ball” you can buy tickets to.</p>
<p>Tip from a local. There is a parking lot on the corner of St. Louis and I think it’s either Rampart or Basin. It’s right near the cemetery, the police station. If I have to work in the Quarter, I park my car there and walk. I usually work on St. Louis Street, which does wind up intersecting Royal. In fact, our hotel room at the Omni Royal Orleans was at the corner of Royal and St. Louis. It was at that corner of Royal that an amazing pair of street musicians plays on the weekend, Tonya and Dorise, a classical guitarist and a violinist. They are absolutely amazing and I loved sitting on my balcony listening to them play all afternoon. If you decide not to stay in the Quarter, I would recommend parking in that lot and walking down St. Louis to Royal, to see the shops and listen to music. On your way there, you will come across Bayona, a wonderful Susan Spicer restaurant. It’s off of St. Louis, but not a far walk at all from that parking lot. On this walk, you’ll also see the beautiful architecture of the Quarter, glimpse the luxurious courtyards of those lucky enough to live there. It is a pleasant, safe walk, away from the crowds and debauchery of Bourbon Street. You could also park in the Jax Brewery parking lot, which is very expensive, and that will get you to Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral, but it’s a more touristy area and is not as charming as the St. Louis/Royal route. Enjoy!</p>
<p>My D goes to Tulane, so I have been to NOLA a few times. We generally drive down and stay at a cheaper hotel in Metarie with free parking. I have enjoyed the Audoben park and zoo, the WWII museum, and the Civil War museum.</p>
<p>My 15 year old son is really into genealogy and found a town named a family name. So, we drove there and walked through the town cemetery. There were lots of headstones with my H’s family name on them. Maybe ancestors? We met some people with our last name who took us through the town museum. </p>
<p>It is kind of cool to be able to have no timeline and the ability to come and go as the spirit leads.</p>
<p>Back in the dark ages (about 35 years ago) DH and I stayed at a great small hotel near Loyola and Tulane. It was actually between the two. DH worked during the day, and I was able to walk in the park there and go to the little zoo. I took the street car in both directions, and there was much to do. Getting to the French Quarter for the evenings was not a problem at all.</p>
<p>It was not a chain hotel. My guess is today it would be called a “boutique hotel”. I’d love to know the name, and if it is still in operation.</p>
<p>We actually enjoyed the street car ride from the garden district to the French Quarter.</p>
<p>bajamm - if you go back, you can do some genealogical research at the East Baton Rouge public library. They have wonderful resources and all the church records from every parish in the state. I started there with the name and town of a great grandmother and was able to go back to before the city was founded.</p>
<p>Thanks, Greenwitch! That sounds like something we’d like to do. And, we will definitely be going back, D is a junior at Tulane, so will go back for graduation anyway and probably more.</p>
<p>Gotta put in a plug for my favorite:
[New</a> Orleans Hotels : New Orleans Hotel - French Quarter Hotels - Le Pavillon](<a href=“http://www.lepavillon.com/]New”>http://www.lepavillon.com/)
Short walk to convention center/super dome area…like maybe 3-5 blocks?<br>
DH and I were there once and the bartender noticed that we were talking about the architecture of the interior. She called the manager and next thing we knew we had a private tour and history of the hotel. They are very proud of their history.<br>
And when you arrive back after an evening wining and dining and perhaps more, the white-gloved staff will send you up to your room with a PB&J and a glass of milk to ward off any discomfort from the night out.</p>
<p>Dragonmom, we were looking at the Pavillon. I made reservations at the Mazarin, which is highly rated on Trip advisor but I have free cancellation so I might reconsider.</p>
<p>We’ve been to New Orleans twice, the second time being just a couple of months before Katrina. Loved it! Yes, food is amazing. If you want to treat yourself to a fabulous (expensive) meal, try a reservation at Commander’s Palace for Brunch. Order the bread pudding ahead of time, it’s to die for! ;)</p>
<p>We went a couple of years ago for 3 nights, got a good deal at the Ritz Carlton Club level. We like tasting menus and had great meals at Louisiana Bistro (not so $$$), where you tell the chef “Feed Me!” and he says, how many courses? And is there anything you won’t eat? Then he makes you an awesome custom meal.</p>
<p>The other fantastic meal we had (but very $$$$$) was at Stella! It was our anniversary and they treated us like true VIPs. Great food and wonderful service.</p>