Section 107

Will be taking a middle-aged guys weekend to visit NOLA April 9-12 (wives are insisting we go because obviously they have a trip in mind, too). Two are vaccinated, one has recovered. In light of the pandemic, seeking recommendations on what's open/good for lodging. Arriving late Friday morning, leaving Mon morning, no car - will uber/taxi/streetcar. Want to stay in walking distance (all in good health) of the casino and the Quarter. We expect and can afford to be comfortable but would rather spend more on food and fun/drinks/entertainment than to splurge on a place to sleep where we really dont expect to spend much time anyway. Is ~$300/night reasonable for an airbnb (3 bedrooms) or a hotel w/ 2-room suite or connecting? Recommendations?

Also, any particular music/performance events/venues we should make an effort to see? I saw one of the jazz fests has been rescheduled to the fall...

travelmad478

Since I live in New Orleans, I won’t be able to be much help on hotel recommendations, but what I can tell you is that your entertainment options are pretty limited. Indoor music is almost nonexistent under current guidelines. Restaurants and bars are open (with occupancy limits), though last call is now 11 PM; restaurant reservations are a good idea since capacity is limited and many restaurants have curtailed the days of the week they are open. Masks are required here, as in the rest of Louisiana. There is some outdoor music to be found, if you do some research, but the “scene” is nothing like it would have been pre-COVID. Almost all spring and summer festivals have been postponed to late summer or fall.

To be honest, locals are not thrilled about tourists coming here from places with much worse COVID hygiene practices and infection rates, getting drunk and careless and exposing our hospitality industry workers to risk. We want our tourism and entertainment industry to return as soon as possible, and that is only going to happen if the virus is stopped everywhere.

FLYMSY

NOLA is not going to be like it was pre-COVID, for the foreseeable future.

https://www.wdsu.com/article/phase-t...leans/35821927

https://www.fox8live.com/2021/03/09/...s-new-orleans/

Blumie

There’s a surprising amount of good live music in New Orleans right now, outdoors and socially distanced. This is a good comprehensive listing: New Orleans Concert Line

Note that while many of the performances listed are virtual, many others are live, in-person shows.

A good option near the Quarter is dba, on Frenchmen Street, which features three live bands on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2pm, 4pm and 6pm on the sidewalk across the street. Among the bands I’ve seen there recently are The Tim Men, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, and Treme Brass Band, all of which are great.

In addition, the Broad Theater, a movie theater in Mid City, has set up a great outdoor venue adjacent to its property called Broadside. I’ve seen several great shows there in the last couple of months (including this weekend when the New Orleans Nightcrawlers celebrated their Grammy win with a show at the Broadside). Note that because of strict capacity controls, these shows often sell out in advance. http://broadsidenola.com/

Section 107

that's really useful, thank you!

Would you have any recommendations on lodging?

FLYMSY

Since you want to be in walking distance of the casino and FQ, you do have a wide variety of hotels to choose from. Try these:
Harrah’s hotel
Windsor Court
Sheraton on Canal Street
Marriott on Canal Street
Hilton Riverside

in the FQ:
Royal Sonesta
Hotel Monteleone
Omni Royal Orleans

There are a lot of other smaller hotels, also. It depends on your groups personal preferences. Check these out to see if they fit what you’re looking for, if not, come back to give more specifics.

edit: I’m not familiar with any Airbnbs in the French Quarter or CBD/Warehouse District (native New Orleanian & no need), however, my guess is that you would be hard pressed to find a decent place for $300/night for 3 bedrooms in these areas.

kale73

I was looking at flights to MSY in late April to visit my sister in Waveland. I ended up booking GPT since the savings on a car rental more than offset the increase in airfare. Plus renting a car at Gulfport is much more convenient than the same at MSY these days.

I loved living in New Orleans (Gentilly) and still have many friends there, but likely won’t visit the city until midsummer.

Blumie

When visiting your sister in Waveland I imagine flying into GPT makes more sense in any event. But if one is that sensitive to airfares, checking BTR also makes sense. More often than not it's going to make sense to fly into MSY, but there will be times (especially during Mardi Gras and JazzFest) when that might not be the case.

kale73

Airfares from ABQ to GPT are usually just a few dollars more than MSY (sometimes less), but in my experience MSY has greater volatility in rental car prices. Before COVID I would sometimes fly into MSY and take the Jefferson Transit bus to the Enterprise facility near the corner of Tulane and Carrollton and save quite a bit over renting at the airport. I'd also sometimes stay with friends near City Park and take the streetcar to the Enterprise facility on Canal near UMC.

The new terminal at MSY is nice, but getting to and from the legacy rental car center is a bit of a pain. I've come to relish smaller airports as O/D since just about everything about them is less hassle. Last time I flew into GPT I was in the rental car 10 minutes after leaving the aircraft. That's frankly impossible at MSY.

Even if I were planning to visit friends in New Orleans, I'd consider flying into GPT. BTR if I want to visit my cousin.

travelmad478

When I was a part-time resident of NOLA a few years ago, before I moved my car down, I’d do something similar with the help of AutoSlash (developed some years ago by a FlyerTalker, and an amazing resource). I would just get a rate from the website for anywhere in the GNO area, take a Lyft from the airport to the rental car location (sometimes in Metairie, sometimes in Harvey, once even in Chalmette) and get my car there. The savings on a two- or three-week rental would always much more than offset the cost of the Lyft ride. I could almost always drop the car back at MSY rather than the original rental location.

Section 107

Thanks for this - I am researching.... availability is more limited than I imagined it would be. Yes, definitely interested in suggestions for some smaller hotels. Mostly looking for a small suite (2 queen beds) with a connecting room (1 or 2 beds).

Thanks!

FLYMSY

Sorry, but I am not really familiar with the smaller hotels, so, hopefully, someone else will be able to provide you with that information. Good luck with your research.

Blumie

I am familiar with many New Orleans hotels, but it may be easier if you ask about specific ones.

One hotel that I've stayed in a couple of times that has been reasonably priced and that I liked is the Old No. 77 Hotel. It's an easy walk to both the casino and the Quarter and has a great restaurant in the lobby. You should also check out other hotels in this area (the Warehouse District).

The Hyatt Regency is not in the most picturesque location (directly next to the Superdome), but it's still a reasonably easy walk or short uber to the casino and the Quarter, has had some decent restaurants open up fairly close by, and because it's somewhat of a mega convention hotel (and, of course, there are no conventions currently in town), you might find some really good prices.

Section 107

Thanks for the replies and advice. Based on availability and reviews (mostly on noise in the Quarter) I have booked the Hyatt - was able to get a suite w/ connecting room having the preferred bed arrangements at just about $300/nt. So it seems we are good.

Will give trip report on the return.

Thanks again.

Blumie

Good choice. There are tons of great restaurants within a 5- to 10-minute uber from the Hyatt, but in terms of walking distance Willa Jean, for breakfast, brunch and lunch, and Copper Vine, for dinner, are good options. There’s also a huge Rouse’s supermarket (though I hate to recommend them for political reasons) and CVS pharmacy around the corner, too.