My husband and I will be in New Orleans for a week in July. I'm trying to decide between the Dauphine Orleans, Le Richelieu, Royal Sonesta, and Monteleone hotels. Our "concerns" are a nice pool, decent-sized rooms, and quiet at nite. Any suggestions on which hotel would fit best?

My current favorite New Orleans hotel is the Royal Sonesta, but be sure and ask for a room overlooking the courtyard/pool rather than Bourbon Street. As for your specific concerns: the pool area is very nice, the inside rooms are quiet, but the rooms aren't exceptionally large.

Tami, the pool at the Dauphine Orleans is nice, but pretty small. The rooms (even the balcony rooms on Dauphine) are pretty quiet and average size.

The Montelone is a high rise.

A week is a long time. If you really can't decide, you could try 2 different hotels.

Royal Sonesta, Bourbon Street...they have a wonderful 5 day/4 night special with an upgrade...go to their website...there are a lot of things that go with this special...my husband and I went last year around may and took advantage of it and were not disappointed...we had a two floor room with a living room downstairs and an area outside our suite (shared with three other suites); then there were vouchers for Brennans, one of the sonesta's restaurants, the natchez boat or a swamp tour, etc. Plus the location on Bourbon Street can't be beat...there is a pool, restaurants, jazz lounge, etc...
I've stayed at the Monteleone and while it was nice it could not compare to the Sonesta....the Monteleone has a pool and a revolving bar with a carosoul (sic) theme... and smallish rooms....oh, the room at the Sonesta was by far the quiet one...it was in an inner court on one of the upper floors...definitely the way we'd go again....

We just got back from six wonderful nights at Le Richelieu. The drawback is DeCateur street on the backside can be a bit skanky when walking back through the parking area from the French Market. The positive side is the rooms are great size, they have a nice pool, and it is quiet at night, the staff is helpful and most people have been there since the hotel opened 30 years ago.