vvv03

Hi -- I just decided on a whim to take my husband and 5 month old daughter to New Orleans for a long weekend in May (today's his birthday. Looking for a nice hotel, preferably a local one (non chain) in a quite section of the French Quarter or maybe the Garden District (if that sounds like a good idea -- I need advice on that, too!) I'd like it to be reasonably priced (ideally $100-$150 range) -- cleanliness and safety are of most importance to me. Also, if you're familiar with NOLA, is it CRAZY for us to go in mid-May? I don't mind heat, but super muggy might not be fun. Thanks in advance!!!

bardo

For a first visit, you should stay in the French Quarter. Save staying in the Garden District for your 2nd time.
The area below Bourbon and between Dumaine and Esplanade is nice and quiet and still close to everything. This area also has more local residents. The area below Bourbon between St. Ann and Canal St. is livlier and has tons of tourist hotels. Don't stay above Bourbon st - it's kind of unsafe. Most(but not all) hotels in the Quarter will be well above you price range (don't let that keep you out of the Quarter). One hotel that meets all your requirements is the Cornstalk Hotel. I've stayed there (in late June) it's quite nice and one of the few affordable places in the Quarter. http://www.cornstalkhotel.com

Don't worry about being there in May. Just remember to walk on the shady side of the street

benj

NO in May will probably be muggy. It's muggy here now in March!Just keep drinking water & rest when you feel overwhelmed. There are loads of places to go in that are airconditioned so you can cool off.You'll have such a good time that you'll forget about the weather!

I grew up about 4 doors down from the Cornstalk & it is in a quiet area. I just don't know if you will be happy with the room size since you have a 5 month old along. It is like staying in an old southern home (which it was). If you don't mind that then I think the location can't be beat.

Another sugestion for a bit more modern but still old NO hotel is the Monteleone. It is on Royal St too but closer to Canal St. My parents stayed there in the 1950s when they would visit NO. The Carousel Bar is neat & they have a roof top pool.

They have several special deals going on. Ask for a riverview room.

beth48

We stayed at the Holiday Inn French Quarter several years ago. It is situated on the edge of the French Quarter, but well within walking distance to the tourist attractions. We found it to be far enough from the noisy bars, plus our room overlooked the river. There is a parking garage attached but we were charged $14.00/day to park there. Mostly, we walked! The hotel is nice, has a TGI Friday's, and is relatively inexpensive. Hope you enjoy NO as much as we did! Go to Cafe Du Monde and sit in Jackson Square and enjoy the street entertainment. As far as the weather, with a 5 month old you'll be up early so go out early, stay inside during the afternoon, and go back out in the evening.

Ryn2691

I would suggest the Richelieu or, second choice, the Provincial. Both are good with babies, and have nice pools if it's hot. Personally, I wouldn't do the Cornstalk with a baby, it's too much a B&B type place. (I'm not even sure they accept babies, a lot of the smaller places on that end of the Quarter don't.)

Don't write off the Convention center area if you plan to do family-type things like the Aquarium, or the Zoo cruise. The convention center hotels will put you right on top of the action for the riverfront, and a lot of them have really good weekend rates. These hotels are newer, and there are a number of suites among them, nice if you want to stay up after the baby is asleep.

A note re: cleanliness. Remember that the older, more picturesque hotels in the Quarter can date from the 18th century, so no matter how much they are scrubbed, they will never look spotless. You WILL see roaches in outdoor areas like courtyards; it is not a sign of poor housekeeping. I grew up there, and you can scrub and spray and lay down RoachPruf and Bengal until you darn near asphyxiate yourself, but you cannot eradicate roaches outdoors. BTW, the little lizards that are everywhere are anoles; they are harmless and do not bite, and they help keep down those bugs that the tourists hate so much.

swalter518

I think Beth was referring to the Holiday Inn Chateau La Moyne and I too would recommend it. We've stayed there twice and found the location good. It's not your typical HI-it's built from a former mansion and slave quarters and has more character than your typical HI.

shaz60

I would also recommend the Hotel Provincial. Ask for a room that is not in Building #5. That building faces Decatur St. and is not as quiet or as nice.

MelissaHI

Last October, I had to stay in the New Orleans Marriott, which was kinda sucky. Meanwhile, my friend took a cheaper route and went to the Renaissance Arts Hotel. He got a deal for $89/night that included breakfast. His room was incredible, the bathroom huge (he was neither here nor there about it, but we gals loved it) and the comp room for coffee, cookies, reading, etc was just a fabulous touch. And the service was top notch. If I return to NOLA, I would love to stay there!!! Those of us staying in the Marriott or the Hilton were all really jealous of him.

abram

We liked the Lafitte Guest House, a 14 room hotel at the quiet end of Bourbon St.

arjay

At biddingfortravel.com, the following come up as Priceline hotels (and there are customer reviews for all of them):

4*
Marriott New Orleans
Wyndham Canal Place
Omni Royal Orleans

3 Star
Wyndham Bourbon Orleans
Prince Conti

atticus

Wyndham Boubon Orleans is a crap shoot. Stayed there and got zero service, busted (leaking)water pipe never got repaired, despite repeated requests. They would, about once a day, send a maid to mop the water. Desk staff lied about room availability. Wyndham's "ByRequest" program totally ignored...if they even knew what it was. Room included missing furniture (eg.desk chair). OTOH, the doormen were nice, as was the bartender.