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Before you decide where to stay in New Orleans, put some thought into what you want to do during your visit. Are you interested in history and architecture? Do you want to be where the party is? Are you in town primarily to eat—and to eat well? Do antebellum mansions pique your interest? Do you need to be close to the business district and convention center? New Orleans is a fairly compact town, but if you stay Uptown, you'll need to travel a bit to reach the Quarter. Although most hotels favored by visitors are in the French Quarter, Central Business District (CBD), or Warehouse District, there are also great options farther afield.
The French Quarter is a destination unto itself. With fascinating architecture, vibrant nightlife, chic shopping, and incredible restaurants, you could spend several days without leaving its confines.
Hotels in the CBD, many of them chains, cater to business travelers as well as tourists; most are larger than those in the French Quarter, and have more amenities. Many of the Warehouse District's hotels actually occupy facilities once used to store cotton or other goods. In most cases, thoughtful renovations have kept the original purpose as a design motif, making for an interesting architectural style.
Just across Esplanade Avenue on the north and east of the Quarter is the Faubourg Marigny. Originally a Creole plantation and one of the first "suburbs" of New Orleans, it remains a residential area today, with a bustling nightlife and restaurant scene centered along Frenchmen Street.
To the west, upriver of the city's center, the Garden District and Uptown neighborhoods offer streets lined by the spreading boughs of live oaks, excellent stores, interesting architecture, and more outstanding dining and music venues. You'll find several newer, boutique hotels in the Garden District around St. Charles Avenue.
Charming, homey guest rooms all open onto the courtyard and have private entrances in this well-appointed B&B. A continental breakfast is served in the airy dining room (for an additional $15); afterward, relax in the landscaped courtyard or enjoy a walk in the atmospheric residential neighborhood.
This escape from the New Orleans hoopla more than lives up to its lofty name with well-appointed rooms that evoke old Louisiana through period antiques and distinctive private baths. The home was designed in 1893 by renowned New Orleans architect Thomas Sully. The Greenwood Suite includes a hot tub, a Mardi Gras--theme stained-glass window, and a private balcony that extends across the front of the house, overlooking historic St. Charles Avenue. An oak-shaded common balcony on the second floor overlooks a traditional New Orleans garden. The continental breakfast is served in either the dining room or on the balcony.
Located just four blocks from the French Quarter, this elegant luxury hotel has plenty of upscale amenities—think plush carpeting, marble vanities, and well-appointed dressing areas set in spacious guest rooms. But it's not just the rooms that make a stay here such a treat. The Grill Room's dishes are renowned, and Le Salon serves a decadent afternoon tea. The Polo Club Lounge has one of the best martini menus to be found anywhere, as well as a selection of imaginative appetizers and live jazz music. The heated outdoor pool, full-service spa, and glass-enclosed gym make it difficult to leave such a refined cocoon. When you do opt to explore, the hotel is within easy walking distance of the riverfront and fabulous shopping options.
This large, hip hotel is always buzzing with action. Expect friendly staff, stylish amenities, and several top-notch dining options. The hotel has one of the best rooftop pool bars in the city. Performance spaces and shops on-site feature local culture and talent.
This spot is all about location, location, location—directly across the street from Caesars New Orleans Casino, near the convention center and riverfront attractions, close to the Warehouse District, the CBD, and the French Quarter. Public areas are richly decorated with marble floors, chandeliers, and plush furnishings. Guest rooms are larger than the local norm and have colorful accents, plush headboards, pillow-top mattresses, and Gilchrist & Soames bath products. Ruth's Chris Steak House, a chain founded in New Orleans, is off the lobby.
This white-column 1883 Victorian hotel drips with local charm and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places—guests especially enjoy the lovely, wide veranda. A dark, intimate lounge serves up delicious cocktails, the restaurant (sit outdoors if possible) is excellent, and there is a live jazz trio every Monday in the ballroom.
This beautiful property was once home to French impressionist Edgar Degas, and today the 1852 mansion retains its original floor plan and colors while the spacious second-floor rooms have chandeliers suspended from 14-foot ceilings. In 2019, the property was named a French monument by the French ambassador to the United States. The owners are happy to give you a tour of the house, which has become a favorite local spot for weddings and private parties. Parlors on the first floor display reproductions of the artist's works. You can have an authentic Creole breakfast in the lush, private rear courtyard. Three rooms have whirlpool baths and balconies.
Outfitted with two local chef-driven restaurants, the sparkling Chandelier Bar in the lobby, a swank spa, and a rooftop pool, this landmark 34-story tower overlooking the Mississippi River oozes contemporary glam and five-star hospitality. Spacious and white-washed modern rooms spare no luxury, from high count linens and upscale room amenities. Curated experiences are offered for the VIP of mind.
This 19th-century mansion, named for the prominent Louisiana architect who designed it, is now a beautifully restored and updated boutique hotel. Rooms have high ceilings, four-poster beds, and modern amenities. Front rooms have private balconies overlooking the live oaks and bougainvillea trees of a charming residential street. It's one block to the streetcar on St. Charles Avenue, and a quick walk to shops and restaurants on Magazine Street.
An enviable French Quarter location combines with loads of charm, including a picture-perfect courtyard with a fountain and guest rooms featuring black-marble floors. The sophisticated Patrick's Bar Vin downstairs is your spot for an evening cocktail. The amenities are impressive, and include iPhone docking stations, imported linens, free Wi-Fi, and complimentary in-room bottled artesian water. Bathrooms have roomy showers, but no tubs. Some rooms have balconies, others have courtyard views, and all come with one of the best free breakfasts in the Quarter.
One of the grand old hotels of New Orleans, the Hotel Monteleone dates to 1886 and oozes sophistication, romance, and history. The rooms are luxurious with Italian bed linens and Keurig coffeemakers, and the ornate, baroque-style facade, liveried doormen, shimmering lobby chandeliers, and nightly live jazz warm many a traditionalist's heart. But time doesn't stand still here: the revolving Carousel Bar and Lounge, a see-and-be-seen spot since 1949, is still lively; the well-equipped fitness center has a great view of the Mississippi River; and the Criollo restaurant serves modern takes on Creole classics. Rooms and luxury suites in the hotel's Iberville Tower were fully renovated in 2024.
A longtime neighborhood resident teamed with a boutique hotel group to renovate this former church and rectory, creating a one-of-a-kind hotel, supremely rooted in place. The unique architectural touches, careful color schemes (a different one on every floor), and sparse-but-dramatic oversize European antiques are just some of the magic that make this hotel so aesthetically pleasing. Food and drink, brought to you by the team behind Bacchanal, is served in chic parlors and in the intimate bar. Handicapped accessible rooms are available in the Schoolhouse building, which has an elevator.
A former Catholic orphanage is now perhaps the city's most stylish hotel: this sprawling, red-bricked estate, with a maze of wide verandas and inner courtyards flanked by palm trees and tropical plants, creates a luxurious oasis you won't want to leave. Here you'll find a generous pool and outdoor bar, as well as two restaurants (casual French-Vietnamese bakery, and high-end Coastal Italian dining room), with lovely design details throughout. All this, plus a guest-only lounge and revolving calendar of cultural events, curate a New Orleans experience you won't soon forget.
A sophisticated sibling of the Ace Hotel next door, this five-star boutique guesthouse is intimate and unique, with a playful and regal decor inspired by magical realism and the city’s Caribbean, European, and Latin American influences. Exclusivity is key here: the entire property belongs to guests only, including the chic parlor and breakfast room, where you’ll enjoy a generous European-style continental breakfast and daily wine and cheese. There's even a speakeasy-like lounge with a hidden door, granting private access to Bar Marilou, a sexy Parisian library bar. Prices reflect a luxury hotel, but so does the experience.
One of the city's most regal hotels sits on Canal Street, with luxurious rooms and suites occupying what was once the Maison Blanche department store. Rooms are furnished with local art and antiques, feature oversize marble bathrooms and plush linens, and are within walking distance of most attractions and minutes from the Convention Center. Rooms on the club floor come with a concierge, a private lounge with fireplaces and snacks, and terrific city views. The spa regularly tops lists as one of the best in the country. Plan to spend at least one evening soaking up the sounds of Grammy-nominated musician Jeremy Davenport in the Davenport Lounge.
From its glittering lobby to each beautiful, traditionally furnished guest room, this iconic New Orleans hotel offers a grand experience. A downtown anchor for more than a century, the hotel was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, but its glam lives on. The legendary Sazerac Bar is a top spot for cocktails, and the Fountain Lounge is popular for fried chicken Mondays and live music most evenings. There's a 12,000-square-foot Waldorf Astoria Spa, a fitness center, as well as a rooftop pool.
Adding a touch of class to its Bourbon Street environs, this French Quarter favorite is soothing from the moment you step into the marbled lobby, where lush plants enhance a cool, serene atmosphere. Guest rooms are restful, and furnished with flat-screen televisions, pillow-top mattresses, and complimentary Wi-Fi; many have French doors that open to balconies or patios. The RClub level features upgraded rooms and suites, plus private elevators, a club lounge and special amenities. The Desire Oyster Bar, on the lobby level, faces Bourbon Street and serves local seafood delicacies; LeBooze Lounge offers a front-row seat to Bourbon Street; and The Jazz Playhouse delivers top-shelf live music nightly. Restaurant R'evolution by chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto is special-occasion dining at its best, serving creative Louisiana cuisine.
Best suited for those seeking a less touristy New Orleans experience, this elegant B&B near the intersection of Canal Street and North Carrollton Avenue offers rooms furnished with antiques and equipped with heavy cypress doors, hardwood floors, and plush drapery at oversize windows. Some rooms include Jacuzzi tubs. Take the nearby Canal Street streetcar for a quick ride downtown, or hop in a cab and take Carrollton to its intersection with the river for a streetcar ride down St. Charles Avenue.
Few details have been overlooked in this sumptuous 1861 mansion, where distinctively decorated guest rooms have a range of beds, including iron-frame, Shaker, and four-poster. A full breakfast includes such treats as bananas-Foster waffles, eggs Benedict, and sweet-potato French toast. Fresh-baked goods and snacks are replenished throughout the day. The common parlor has a selection of great books, and the back garden is intimate and quiet. Rooms have flat-screen TVs, and some have whirlpool tubs.
A former office complex from the 1890s offers rooms with exposed-brick walls and basic furnishings just a block from the French Quarter. Nothing here is terribly luxurious, but friendly service and the no-two-rooms-alike surroundings are a welcome break from the chain-hotel circuit.
At this conveniently located hotel, some of the antiques-filled rooms open to gorgeous sundecks, while others have balconies overlooking the courtyard's saltwater pool. The pool and the proximity to the aquarium and other family-friendly attractions make this a good choice for travelers with kids in tow, while the lively tiki bar downstairs will please the adults.
In season, the Blake occupies prime real estate on one of the Big Easy's best Carnival corners: the intersection of St. Charles Avenue and Poydras Street near Lafayette Square. The rooms are sizable, with ample windows that allow lots of light and wide views of the CBD. There is a 24-hour gym and on-site bar and restaurant.
This spot proves it's possible to find quiet, homey accommodation on Bourbon Street. These pleasantly furnished, and recently renovated rooms in the former slave quarters of an 1833 town house face a brick patio filled with tropical plants. One large two-room suite is in the main house, and all rooms have private entrances, kitchenettes, and ceiling fans.
This hotel's location is about as central as it gets, though the beautiful courtyard and pool provide welcome sanctuary from the loud, 24-hour Bourbon Street action just outside the door. Be sure to request one of the well-appointed, traditionally styled guest rooms that overlook the greenery and not the street. There are ergonomic office chairs and free in-room Wi-Fi, and some rooms have balconies. The lobby exudes turn-of-the-20th-century New Orleans glamour, and the Bourbon O bar is a classy place to people-watch over cocktails.
No two rooms are the same in this building, which inherited some inevitable quirkiness of a French Quarter townhouse (uneven floors, window units instead of central air) but exudes sophistication and elegance. For being so close to Bourbon Street, the whole property is surprisingly quiet, especially in the courtyard and back building, where Tennessee Williams once wrote much of A Streetcar Named Desire. Designer Sara Costello does justice to the building’s history (this was the home of Creole pharmacist Antoine Peychaud, and is named for his wife), incorporating paintings and photographs found on the property, antique furniture, and modern amenities. Rooms range from an apartment-size penthouse color-soaked in green, with daybeds and a breakfast nook, to a cozy galley room with brick walls. The on-site cocktail bar doesn’t get any better, and coffee and pastries are served in the Tennessee Williams wing.
Just one block off Bourbon Street, this branch of the Holiday Inn chain is pleasantly distinctive, with spacious rooms occupying a historic 19th-century New Orleans landmark, designed in part by famous architect James Gallier. Eight Creole Suites are located off a tropical courtyard, and rooms with courtyard views provide especially peaceful escapes from the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter.
A wraparound balcony overlooking St. Charles Avenue, a stunning six-story atrium, and some nods to period charm distinguish this family-friendly CBD hotel from other options in the neighborhood. The Café serves breakfast and a limited dinner menu. The hotel is within walking distance of many good restaurants and other attractions, including the kid-friendly Aquarium of the Americas and Insectarium, the French Quarter, the World War II Museum, and Caesars Casino.
A great location—within easy walking distance of the action but removed enough to make this a secluded respite—comes with lots of charm. Stylish rooms are split between a main building and an 1834 residence where exposed brick and cypress beams add even more atmosphere. The hotel bar, May Baily's Place, was once a bordello, and famous naturalist and painter John James Audubon painted his "Birds of America" series from 1821 to 1822 in the hotel's Audubon Room, where a complimentary breakfast is now served. Some rooms have Jacuzzi tubs and marble baths. The Dauphine also manages the Audubon Cottages a block away.
New Orleanians rejoice at the return of this Civil Rights and music-history landmark: a thoughtful team restored Central City's iconic Dew Drop Inn to its former glory (plus modern amenities). In its heyday, The Dew Drop's lounge was "the South's swankiest spot," a symbol of inclusivity and safety for Black travelers, and a bright icon of Black entrepreneurship in the Jim Crow South. Legends like Ray Charles, Little Richard, Irma Thomas, and Fats Domino, hung out here, helping coin the first sounds of rock n' roll in the '50s and '60s. This new iteration honors its history with a small museum and nods to former musical guests throughout. Rooms are simple but stylish, and service is as friendly as it gets. A new back patio and pool is a welcome addition. Music lovers should book one of the Inn's two VIP suites---part hotel suite, part green room---with open windows looking out over the music venue stage.
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