The disarmingly seductive charm of this rollicking port city’s historic lusty digs has lit the love lamp of more than a few river kings and steel magnolias over the years. Step into the past inside a 19th-century Greek Revival mansion and former home to generations of Creole gentry. Pass a stormy night on a mahogany four-poster bed, sharing secrets while listening to the hypnotic rain dance on the French double windows. Awaken slowly to the morning light caught in the lace curtains and find that croissants and cafe au lait have been left by room service outside the door along with a spray of flaming-red bougainvillea. Push open the double doors and step out onto a private wrought-iron balcony overlooking a tropical, gas lamp-dotted courtyard garden of Japanese magnolias and sweet olive, with a lovely triple-tiered fountain. The thrum of city life seems worlds away from this Elysian of Creole quietude.
Overview
For generations of New Orleanians, the city’s hotels have been where the action is—from high society chow-downs and brimmed-hat afternoon teas to romantic in-town weekends and after-six elbow bending at a favorite watering hole. Any town can have hotels, but the Big Easy is among the Western Hemisphere’s best examples of what it means to be a bona fide hotel city—and to acknowledge it with uncommon grace. Ultra-posh European-style hotels with chandelier-lit marble lobbies and multimillion-dollar artwork collections can boast guest books signed by Hollywood’s hottest flavors of the month and European jet-setters who couldn’t care less. Boutique hotels offer elegant alternatives to megahotels with conventioneer-jammed lobbies, as well as dainty inns long on history but short on amenities. Of course, an accommodating city like New Orleans can be counted on to rescue travel budgets from the brink of disaster by offering a range of mid-priced and family-friendly chain hotels and motels as well. Granted, they may not offer tea and scones or four-star dining, but there are plenty of such accommodations scattered throughout the city (check the Yellow Pages), plus they’ll save you enough money to go out and enjoy afternoon tea on your own.
Guests with special needs will find they have not been forgotten. A growing number of hotels both large and quaint offer, for example, nonsmoking and/or allergen-free rooms (even floors) and are partially or wholly wheelchair accessible. To be on the safe side, it’s strongly recommended that you call ahead to check. Those traveling with pets or very small children should also check ahead. Unless otherwise noted, the hotels in this chapter accept most major credit cards and offer rooms with color TV (most with remote control; many with pay-per-view channels), telephones, private baths, and air-conditioning. Other amenities are listed by individual hotel.
Preferred and convenient locations include Uptown, the Central Business District/Warehouse Arts District, and, of course, the French Quarter. We will focus on accommodations in these areas. Of course, budget chain motels can be found in town as well as in the adjacent Jefferson Parish suburbs of Metairie and Kenner on the east bank of the Mississippi River and in Gretna on the west bank—15 to 20 minutes from New Orleans.
The most expensive times of the year to visit New Orleans include Mardi Gras, the French Quarter Festival, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (see Annual Events and Festivals chapter), conventions, and holidays. Expect to pay more—sometimes much more—during these times. Many if not most properties require a two- to five-night minimum stay during these high-traffic times. Peak season is during spring and fall, but summertime (and early Dec) guests can expect widely varying discounts. Hotels also offer specially discounted travel packages throughout the year. Check these out. Also call ahead to find out the reservation and cancellation policy, as this varies depending on hotel and time of year. Now lay your head on a goosedown pillow and think about exciting Big Easy explorations still to come. Sweet dreams.
Nobody does a better job showcasing New Orleans’ timeless charm than the city’s bed-and-breakfast inns. Stroll along a romantic flagstone walkway in the shade of ancient oaks and sycamores. Unwind in a Jacuzzi while listening to the hypnotic rustle of banana tree leaves on a secluded tropical courtyard. Enjoy a breakfast of buttery croissants, fresh berries, and strong, hot cafe au lait while watching the city come alive from a private balcony trimmed in wrought-iron lace.
Take your pick of mostly 150-year-old Victorian, Italianate, or Greek Revival homes adorned with 19th-century antiques. Many inns have four-poster beds, footed cast-iron tubs, marble mantels, 13-foot ceilings, and original pine floors. Even a value-oriented, European pensione-style accommodation features a 1,000-book library and a lush pool and patio area. New Orleans has always been a city full of interesting people, and these inns are where many of them lived. One was the lavish home of a wealthy West Indies sugar planter forced to take refuge in the city following an inconvenient insurrection in Santo Domingo. Another belonged to a free man of color who lived there 20 years before the Civil War. Yet another is a former orphanage built by nuns, while New Orleans was occupied by Union soldiers. These inns represent more than simply a place to stay; they give visitors the opportunity to touch the past—to sleep in its bed, sit at its table, and walk in its gardens.