New Orleans hotel help please!
 

Good people of this forum, I come before you today begging advice from your good selves.

I am sending my parents to New Orleans for a week or so in May, and was wondering if any of you folks had any hotel recommendations. It could be a chain or an independant, but being central would be a plus.

If any of you could help me, I would really appreciate it.

New Orleans has sooo many good hotels to choose from. If your parents will be in NOLA after Jazzfest ends May 4, the rates below should be pretty close. If they wish to stay at one of the plantation houses in the area a rental car for at least a day or two will be necessary. Staying in a plantation house for a night or two is a great way to break up a week of staying at hotels in the city. Most desirable areas in the city to consider would be: French Quarter, Garden District (street car provides service along St. Charles back to Canal St.) and the Central Business District (the CBD is just 2 blocks off Canal St. which separates the French Quarter from the CBD). Here are a few hotels you might consider and a link to the Times Picayune Nespaper. http://www.nolalive.com/

Windsor Court/edge of the Quarter and the CBD near the river-one of the top hotels in the world, rates are $200 to $400 but by far the best in that price range. I believe they also serve afternoon tea. Great art collection and dining also. Unfortunately, reviews have recently been mixed regarding the service and Grill Room.

Le Pavillon/on Poydras in the CBD but just three or four blocks from the Quarter $125-250. Very nice property.

Le Meridian/on Canal St. very nice property near the Sheraton and very convenient to the Quarter $139-204. Great French dining.

Omni Royal Orleans/near Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral in the Quarter. Very nice older property with great dining $229-299.

The Whitney-Wyndam Hotel/historic property in the CBD built just a few years ago in the old Whitney Bank Building (where I used to bank years ago) has received very good reviews since opening $109 - 219.

Monteleon/on Royal in the Quarter the standard by which French Quarter hotels were measured for decades. Smaller rooms but great location and I think it's still family owned so that explains the friendly staff $109-250.

Hotel Intercontinental/St Charles in the CBD
a block or two from the Quarter. Very nice property but more businessman oriented $139-179.

There are numerous cozy smaller hotels located in the Quarter like the Soniat House, the Maison de Ville, the Prince Conti and the Dauphine Orleans that are also very nice and might be a desirable option to the larger hotels. NOLA also has the standard Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, Doubletree etc on Canal St.

Hope they have a great time but please remind them that unfortunately, tourists remain prime targets for crime in NOLA. Tell them to keep to the main lighted streets of the Quarter and travel in a group if possible especially at night.

A little lagniappe. Answers to a couple of favorite questions by the Quarter huckesters:

A)On the corner of Royal and Conti (depends on where you are standing at the time)
Q)I bet you $10 I can tell you where you got them shoes.

A)Twelve
Q)I bet you $10 I can tell you how many letters are in YOUR LAST NAME.

edited to correct my horrendous spwlling http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif
[This message has been edited by Soonerman (edited 03-28-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Soonerman (edited 03-28-2002).]

My partner swears by the hotel provincial, but I've never been.

You are such a nice son http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif.

lala

I have and found it very enjoyable and nicely located.

http://www.hotelprovincial.com/

I have to give a thumbs down on the Windsor Court. My wife and I stayed there about 18 months ago and had our expectations built up that this was the do all and end all of hotels. While there was nothing wrong with the hotel itself, it was very pricey for what was delivered. I found the rooms to be very tired, the service competent--but not outstanding, and the location quite a hike from the quarter. Crossing Canal was a chore.

The last time, we stayed at the Bourbon Orleans in a two level suite. This hotel (as it name implies) is right on Bourbon Street. We had lower expectations than the WC (due to the price being lower http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif ), and were very happy with the hotel. The room was nice ans clean, the two levels were cool, and the location was terrific.

Next time, I'd stay at either "W" hotel, the Bourbon Orleans, the Sonesta in the Quarter or the Omni in the Quarter.

Have a great time, and don't forget to have a muffellata at the Napoleon house.

The Maison Orleans is pricey but fabulous. It's one of the Ritz's boutique hotels, and is connected to the New Orleans Ritz but also has it's own very private street entrance about 1 block from Bourbon street.

I stayed there last summer while in town for a convention (the Ritz owed me an upgrade), Lenny Kravitz was on the same floor 2 doors down. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

http://www.maisonorleans.com/

A few years ago, wife and I stayed at the Hyatt on Poydras Street. It's not really walking distance from anything other than the Superdome, but they did have a shuttle to the french quarter.

At night, after returning from the french quarter, we went to the revolving rooftop restaurant-lounge which had spectacular views of the city.

Le Meridien always has given me good value. The Canal Street location is reasonably central as well.

In my experience, good service is often hard to come by in New Orleans hotels, particularly in the French Quarter. Two that I can recommend are the W French Quarter and the Chateau Sonesta. There is now a Ritz-Carlton in new Orleans, that I have not heard much about.

I would not recommend the Bourbon Orleans. When we last stayed there, we returned from dinner to find that the hotel had given members of a band playing a wedding party in the hotel keys to our room to use to change clothes. It is rather unpleasant to return to your hotel room to find someone in it who is not a maid. The hotel didn't seem to care much about this.

Second this property, also loved the elegant rooftop pool!