Planning a short trip to New Orleans the end of June. Want to stay in the French Quarter but I am lost as to which place to pick. Would prefer to stay in something other than a "chain hotel". Would like to find hotel that offers a flavor of the area , safe, and not too expensive (under $100)....does anyone have a recommendation. If not that type, are any of the chain groups...Best Western worth considering. Also weighing the cost of a rental car since we will only be there 4 days..... only need the car to get to a wedding and rehersal dinner in Destrehan. Any information would be helpful. Also what would you consider to be the best things to do...not to miss. We are in our 50"s but love a [party!

HI - I think Hertz has an office opposite the convention center, and a couple of the others rental places have offices near the Quarter, so I would only rent a car for the trip to Destrahan. To see the rest of the ciy on your other days, you can take the streetcar and avoid the hassle of driving your rental, plus the expense of parking at at a hotel.
I had my bachelorette party at the Best Western on North Rampart (while living in N.O., we just needed a base of operations!) and it was pretty sketchy and that is not the safest area, in my opinion. Hotel St. Marie or Prince Conti are supposedly nice, but don't know how much $$ they run . . .
http://www.neworleanshotels.com

check out decatur group hotelsfor non chain places to stay

I would highly recommend the Royal Sonesta on Bourbon St. It's a high end hotel but you can get really great discounted rates in the summer. It is totally in the midst of everything but is very nice and classy. Also a great rooftop pool. We stayed there during the summer a couple of years ago and love it - wouldn't even consider staying anywhere else.

We just rented a car one day when we went to Oak Alley - if you stay at this hotel you won't need one to get anywhere else!

My husband and I are going to New Orleans in June. I have reservations at the Prince Conti (800-366-2743) for $69 for Thursday and Sunday and $89 for Friday and Saturday. I could not find any bad postings about this hotel. I just really wanted a clean place to sleep--we did not want all the extra frills.

Check out the Royal St. Charles. One block from the French Quarter and right on the Streetcar line. Free (and nice) continental breakfast. Runs about $75-$80. Staff is great! Close to everything. No pool at this hotel, but why would you hang out by the pool when you have the French Quarter??? Parking is a pain in N.O. so if you must have a rental car, just park it and allow 1/2 hour to get it when you need it. Have fun on your trip.

Hotel Provincial..anyone?

Just adding my vote for renting a car only for the day you will be driving out of town. The other days you wont need it. Parking is expensive anyway, and driving in the Quarter looked difficult - narrow, 1 way streets, pedestrians everywhere, streets blocked to traffic at night, streets blocked by delivery trucks during the day.

I would suggest Royal Sensosta I just got back may 30 it was great right on Burborn St We walked ever where and the hotel even arranged a tour van to pick us up and wedid the Plantation Tours.

Try Hotel Monteleone on Rue Royal--on antique row in the French Quarter. Smaller hotel with a rooftop pool and lots of atmosphere. The rates drop in the summer , so it might work for you.

The Monteleone has 600 rooms. Not really a "smaller" place unless you're comparing it to the Hilton!