michele

Considering a trip to New Orleans..have been told not to stay in the French Q. (noisy, touristy)..would like your opinions. If I were a tourist here in L.A. I'd stay in Hollywood or Beverly Hills and not Santa Monica or points west. Use that as a guide.

Thanks

orgy7

you wont find anything that fancy in the frech quarters..

Anne

Michelle, it really depends on what you want. FQ is very touristy, but some people really like that! Personally, I would compromise, and stay in the Central Business District (CBD). This is directly across Canal Street from the FQ, so all of the convenience and none of the noise. Hotels range from Sleep Inn to Hampton Inn on the cheaper side to the Hotel Intercontinental, Meridien, or Fairmont on the higher end.

I see you are on aol...their travel board for New Orleans is great. Lots of good advice from people who really know what they are talking about.


Hope this helps

Anne

Cheryl

I would recommend staying in the French Quarter, but away from Bourbon Street. I like the Omni Royal Orleans ... It has a great central location so you can walk to everything, is on a nice street (Royal Street), yet is not too noisy at night. (It also has a great rooftop pool.)

J Correa

We stayed in the FQ and were glad we did because it was close to lots of restaurants, nightlife, museums, and so on. There are obviously a lot of tourists there, but it is also a neighborhood with lots or residents and a very interesting place architecturally and culturally.

The GD is beautiful - incredible houses, huge trees. It's very quiet and peaceful in that neighborhood. If you stayed in the GD within a block or 2 of St Charles St, then you could ride the streetcar over to Canal St any time you want and go into the FQ. Also, cabs are relatively cheap and NO isn't really that big geographically.

I think that both places have their pluses and minuses, it just depends on what you are looking for.

Personally, I like to be in the middle of things and was really glad we stayed in the FQ.

Bri

Actually, "orgy7", the city's nicest hotels are in the Quarter, not the Garden District.

You can't compare L.A. and N.O. Total apples and oranges.

slcmama

You should get some info and decide what you will most be doing. There are walking tours about architecture and Anne Rice in the Garden District, and it is pleasant, but not too much else for tourists. Whereas in the FQ, there is great wandering in the daytime if you stay away from Bourbon Street. There is also the waterfront, Jackson Square park and that great cafe whose name I am blanking on with beignets and chicory coffee. I personally vote for a nicer hotel in the FQ. I stayed at the new Ritz Carlton which was made over from an old Department Store (on a business trip--I know it is otherwise expensive) but I am sure there are many others.

J Correa

Cafe Du Monde

michele

Thanks all.

French Q. it is. I like to be in the heart of things as long as the heart isn't completely commericial Sounds like plenty of options...

Christina

The Hotel Intercontinental in the CBD is a nice hotel. The location was perfect because it was in between both the FQ, Garden District, and the River.

orgy7

bri. your correct..

It sometimes feels that some fodorites are wana be jet setters. and any hotel wich is not a Ritz or Regent is just unexeptable..

morgan

michele

Might I suggest the Hotel Monaco on St. Charles in the CBD. It's only about 2 - 3 blocks from the Quarter. I stayed there recently and thought it was very nice.

They'll even bring you a goldfish to keep you company if you like. It is animal friendly and the decor is African-Contemporary and very cool.

They have a Susan Spicer restaurant in the hotel called Cobalt's.

The street car to the Garden District runs right in front.

We loved it.

michele

Many thanks ,Morgan for the tip. I'll keep it in mind.

Bri, I was not comparing New Orleans to Los Angeles, just using L.A. as my reference point or an example.I am not saying they are similar it's just an analogy as to the type of area I prefer.

Ric

I stayed at the Iberville Suites just on the edge of the French Quarter. It adjoins the Ritz Carlton and was very quiet yet a stone throw away from the FQ. The rooms were very nice.

x

Last spring I stayed at the Hyatt in the CBD. It was nice. What was even nicer was the free shuttle to and from the FQ every twenty minutes.

Owen O'Neill

I visted NO for the first time last winter and wish I'd stayed in CBD or at the edge of the FQ. WE were welllout into the garden District and other than taking a few long walks there to soak in the atmosphere and appreciate the fine old homes, our time was spent downtown, the street car ride to reach downtown is fairly long and sometimes we had to wait for a second car as the first one to arrive was full. We did use cabs sometimes but it was about $12 with tip each way.

Jean

I have just recently started reading and responding on this board. I suspect I'm far from a typical 'Fororite'. I've never stayed at a Ritz, and really have no desire to. That being said, I'd just like to make a very biased pitch for staying in the Quarter. It seems to me that when you stay at one of the large 'chain' hotels in New Orleans, that once you get into the elevator, you could be in any city in the country. There are lots of interesting small hotels in the quarter. I don't know which is/are the nicest, I've only stayed at a few. Two years ago we staye at Maison Dupuy, and even that really didn't have a New Orleans feel, though it was a decent room. Stayed at De La Poste when it was that, it's a 'W' now. I'd go back again, except that the rates have doubled. I'm probably the only poster on here that enjoyed the Cornstalk Hotel and would go back. No, it wasn't fancy, but we had a great time and enjoyed the place. Also loved the location. I guess it depends on what you want from your hotel.

J Correa

Don't worry Jean, not everyone on this site stays at the Ritz. I am one of the many that would rather spend my travel dollars on other things besides luxury hotels.

I agree with you that staying in a big chain hotel in the CBD really takes away from the experience. It's better to stay in the Quarter.

My husband and I stayed at the Cornstalk and it is definitely in a great location. I wouldn't stay there again for a couple reasons. I expected more for the price. It advertises itself as a B&B, but the breakfast was coffee, juice and a dry corn muffin, hardly my idea of breakfast. Our room was uncomfortably cold due to the airconditioning and it was difficult to get extra blankets. Extra towels were non-existent - our room didn't even have a towel holder - and one of the employees at the hotel was very rude to me on 2 seperate occasions. I liked staying in a funky old house right in the middle of the Quarter, but the Cornstalk just didn't do it for me.

J Correa

Don't worry Jean, not everyone on this site stays at the Ritz. I am one of the many that would rather spend my travel dollars on other things besides luxury hotels.

I agree with you that staying in a big chain hotel in the CBD really takes away from the experience. It's better to stay in the Quarter.

My husband and I stayed at the Cornstalk and it is definitely in a great location. I wouldn't stay there again though. I expected more for the price. It advertises itself as a B&B, but the breakfast was coffee, juice and a dry corn muffin, hardly my idea of breakfast. Our room was uncomfortably cold due to the airconditioning and it was difficult to get extra blankets. Extra towels were non-existent - our room didn't even have a towel holder - and one of the employees at the hotel was very rude to me on 2 seperate occasions. I liked staying in a funky old house right in the middle of the Quarter, but the Cornstalk just didn't do it for me.