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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.
This centrally located 41-story skyscraper boasts fabulous views of the Quarter, downtown, and the Mississippi River. It's an easy walk from the Shops at Canal Place mall, the Riverwalk outlet mall, and the Convention Center. Rooms are comfortable, and service is friendly (if uneven), though the hotel lacks a sense of place. It's consistently busy with convention visitors, and the crowds in the lobby sometimes rival those on Bourbon Street.
This Victorian guesthouse, steps from the streetcar and Audubon Park, adds to the delightful selection of smaller Uptown lodgings. The historic property has graced St. Charles Avenue since 1884 when it welcomed visitors to the World's Fair, and every room is decorated with period antiques and decorative accessories. Breakfast is served in the dining room overlooking Audubon Park, and the cozy library is stocked with books for guests to enjoy. The home has one of the largest collections of historic Carnival memorabilia on public display in the city. The streetcar---which you will be charmed to see roll by from the porch---will get you to the Garden District, the Warehouse District, the CBD, and the edge of the French Quarter.
At this 1930s hotel restored to its former glory, chicness abounds throughout in shades of green, floral, and plush. The building makes up for its lack of amenities and updates with quirky historic charm and three excellent on-site venues: Jack Rose, the hip ground floor restaurant; the historic Bayou Bar, with nightly live jazz; and Hot Tin, a rooftop hotspot with stunning views.
Art lovers looking to stay close to downtown should check out this circa-1910 warehouse-turned-hotel, where huge windows now make for great views from comfortable, spacious, well-designed rooms furnished with a minimalist bent. The lobby features contemporary art by the likes of Dale Chihuly. There is a good restaurant on-site, along with a coffee and beignet shop.
In the 1909 beaux-arts Audubon Building, up-to-the-minute decor really pops in a lobby glittering with chandeliers, atmospheric Carnival photos, and acres of sheer tulle curtains. Compact, white-and-cobalt guest rooms are crisply outfitted with high-end bedding and cushy amenities.
Sheraton Club rooms come with many special amenities, but even the regular guest rooms here are spacious and well appointed, with contemporary touches and lots of extras. Aimed to please corporate groups and conventions, expect top-quality service and a superfast elevator system. In the lobby, a fountain sets a tropical tone, and the Starbucks is a popular meeting spot. A nice balance of Creole- and Cajun-style dishes is served in the airy second-floor Roux Bistro. One of the great downtown eateries, the Palace Café, is right across Canal Street.
The perks here include one of the best locations in the Quarter, balconies that overlook either the courtyard or Chartres Street, and the staff's "whatever, whenever" policy: 24-hour concierges will find those barbecue ribs you're craving at 3 am, arrange a deep-tissue massage, or even track down a last-minute gown for a Mardi Gras ball. The rooms were fully renovated in 2024---some of them have plantation shutters, and two of the four carriage-house suites share a cheery sundeck. Posh amenities include Bliss bath products in all rooms. On weekends, Creole-Cajun restaurant 3rd Block Depot hosts a "Legs and Eggs" Burlesque Brunch with local legend Bella Blue.
Views from this large convention hotel are enviable: two-story arched lobby windows overlook the French Quarter, and guest rooms tower over the great bend in the Mississippi River. Starting at the 11th floor of the Canal Place shopping mall, this Westin boasts a lobby filled with European antiques and a grand piano, all set against a rose Carrara-marble background, while the airy rooms are comfortably business-standard in look and feel.
