My husband adn I will visitng New Orleans for Thanksgiving and after alot of looking around I have narrowed it down to two hotels that meet our budget and that are in a ok location. The two we are looking at are the Dauphine or the St. Ann Marie Antoinette. We are looking for a hotel that has New Orleans charm and is fairly quiet so we wont have problems sleeping at night. The Dauphine hotel is running about $80 per couple more. Is it worth $80 more? Any suggestions I would love.

My husband and I stayed at the St. Ann Marie Antoinette (what those two women had in common we never learned) a few years ago and had a nice, quiet room but didn't find the staff very friendly. Since then I've read poor reviews of this hotel and would probably choose another as it sounds like the maintenance has slipped. I would do a search here for New Orleans hotels and also check tripadvisor.com as you have plenty of time to find a place you'll enjoy.

Yes, yes, yes.
Go for the Dauphine - definately worth the extra costs.

For Thanksgiving, I'd pick neither. The Bayou Classic football game ruins the experience for most people staying between Jackson Square and the Superdome. I'd recommend the "lower Quarter" or Esplanade Avenue areas, personally.

Dan, thanks for the advice. Can you suggest a hotel in that area? We are even open for suggestions for a great B&B. We are looking at spending around $100- $125 per night. If we do choose the Dauphine does that area get really crazy with the football fans?

After some searching I found 2 other hotels that might me an option that seem to be in the lower quarter (I think). How is the Chateau Hotel on Cartres St. or Hotel Villa Convento on Ursulines St.? I am also open to any other suggestions.

We stayed at the Chateau on Chartres. We liked it & it is very well located (quiet but accessible). The staff are helpful & friendly. The rooms were clean & tidy but small (at least in the "slaves quarters" -- rear of courtyard). There is also a small swimming pool.

There are lots of B&Bs. Try www.neworleansinns.com to locate one near the Quarter's Esplanade side. The Le Richelieu, Provincial, Chateau and Lafitte Guest House come to mind for hotels I'd consider.

I'll second Le Richelieu - a nice hotel in the quiet part of the Quarter that is a true bargain. If you end up there (or even if you don't) be sure to check out the Marisol restaurant a block away - one of the most underappreciated places in NO.

http://www.lerichelieuhotel.com

http://www.marisolrestaurant.com

We stayed at the Villa Convento and loved it. We did ask for a room with a balcony over Ursulines Street, and it was charming. Staff was very friendly and helpful, and the location was perfect for us--easy walking to anywhere in the Quarter. Good luck!

I stayed a La Maison Marigny B&B last Thanksgiving and loved it. The place is quite nice, and it was far from the Bayou Classic craziness for which I was very grateful.

We also stayed at the Chateau Hotel and were very happy with it. We thought the location was great--close to everything but far enough off of Bourbon to be quiet. We stayed there with our two kids and found the room quite comfortable for the four of us. Of course, we didn't spend a lot of time there! The kids also liked the fact that it has a small pool in the courtyard. And we all liked the continental breakfast brought to the door each morning. I'd definitely stay there again.

Bardo1:

I used to agree that Marisol's is one of the most underappreciated places in NO. Unfortunately, the last two times I've been there we've had terrible service. I really liked the food and could never complain about that, but it seems that they may have a problem with slow wait staff (especially in a city with such professional waiters).

I would not take lightly that the Bayou Classic is during that time...the last time I was in the Quarter during the Classic a policeman had to escort us to our hotel. We live in town and were staying at the Windsor COurt for a wedding...the crowds were unbelievable and quite rough.

The Bayou Classic is a notoriously dangerous event. Many people try to get out of the city during that time. NO's already high crime rate goes up during that time.
Bottom line- reconsider coming to New Orleans during the Classic as it gets really crazy and dangerous.