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New Orleans is one of my happy places. For the past decade, I've been to the Crescent City once a year—and often twice, depending on how bad my beignet, bourbon, and boudin cravings are.
But it's not just the extraordinary eating and drinking that lures me to Louisiana, there's also superb shopping (particularly along Royal Street in the French Quarter and Magazine Street in the Garden District), amazing cultural attractions (The National World War II Museum in the Warehouse District and the Audubon Zoo in uptown New Orleans), and of course all that jazz.
Over the years, we've stayed in many New Orleans hotels (in several different neighborhoods) and each of them offers something different and special for every type of traveler. Here are seven hotels that make the Big Easy even easier.
The grande dame of New Orleans’ hotels, the 570-room Hotel Monteleone is centrally located on Royal Street in the French Quarter. Built in 1886, the Beaux Arts hotel has a literary history rich enough to fill a library. William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, and Truman Capote all stayed here—and each author has a suite named in his honor. But the best part of the Monteleone is the legendary Carousel Bar, which, as its name implies, features a 25-seat merry-go-round bar in the middle of the lounge. And if you feel like your head is spinning, it’s not because you had too many Sazeracs—the bar actually rotates.
Just around the corner from the Monteleone is the W New Orleans, French Quarter. What the hotel lacks in size—there are just 98 guests rooms, most of which are petite—it more than makes up for in location and Southern charm. The W is in the heart of the French Quarter, just down the street from K-Paul’s restaurant and Napoleon House, one of the best bars in the city. And if you’re too tired to go out for dinner after a day of walking the Quarter, the hotel's restaurant, SoBou (for South of Bourbon Street), serves terrific, modern Creole cooking.
For many who visit New Orleans, the city is defined by boisterous Bourbon Street. And much as I love a Friday lunch at Galatoire’s, the non-stop Mardi Gras mentality of the pedestrians can be a bit much. Fortunately, the Royal Sonesta Hotel is a welcome respite from the flowing neon drinks and bead-throwing passersby. The hotel doesn’t look that large from the street, but it has 483 guest rooms. I recommend forgoing a view of Bourbon to face the much quieter courtyard, which has an outdoor pool. As for dining, the Royal Sonesta has the Desire Oyster Bar and one of my favorite restaurants in the city—the elegant Restaurant R’evolution.
Just on the edge of the French Quarter (on Canal Street), is one of the city’s most luxurious hotels—the Ritz-Carlton. Set in a 1908 Beaux Arts building with 527 rooms, the property offers everything you’d expect from a Ritz-Carlton, including superb service and the largest spa in New Orleans. (It’s 25,000 square feet with 22 treatment rooms and a menu of more than 100 treatments, including a Voodoo Massage.)
A short walk from the Ritz-Carlton, just on the other side of Canal Street, is the historic Roosevelt—a Waldorf Astoria Hotel. This is old-world elegance at its best—it opened in 1893—particularly at Christmastime when the entire lobby is twinkling with lights. The Roosevelt has a rooftop pool and a spa, as well as terrific restaurants, most notably Domenica with its Neapolitan fare. But the real reason I love the Roosevelt is the Sazerac Bar, where Gov. Huey P. Long famously held court. Despite the bar’s name, the Sazerac isn’t the best cocktail they make: Order Long’s favorite drink, a Ramos Gin Fizz.
When I want to be away from the French Quarter, we stay at Harrah's New Orleans, which is just across the street from the city’s only casino. The 26-story modern tower has 450 spacious rooms, many of which have panoramic views of the Mississippi River. The hotel also has a Manning’s Sports Bar (as in it’s co-owned by Archie, father of Peyton and Eli). Once you leave the property, the Warehouse District is right outside—and it’s a short walk to some of the city’s best restaurants such as Cochon, August, Herbsaint, and Compère Lapin.
One of the many pleasures of visiting New Orleans is riding the St. Charles Streetcar to the Garden District. That’s where you'll find the Pontchartrain Hotel, which opened in 1927 and has hosted guests as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Gerald Ford and The Doors. Three years ago, the Pontchartrain underwent a massive renovation that restored it to its early 20th-century glory and glamour. Today, the hotel features 106 rooms—many of which are named after Greek muses—and the plush Jack Rose restaurant. End the evening with a nightcap at the rooftop bar, Hot Tin. Tell them Tennessee Williams sent you.
