Another Hotel Help Victim

Need your help. I have been reading the reviews to help in selecting a hotel. I have never been to NO and I am meeting the hubby for a nice long weekend getaway at the end of his business trip.

I get to pick the hotel.

We are in our mid 40%26#39;s and want to be within walking distance to Garden District, Jackson Square, Bourbon Street. Walking is not an issue. Proximity to alcohol is desired. Quite sleep time is required. Basically a chill/party-crowd-depending-on-our-mood-finally-the-last-one-graduated-from-college getaway type extended weekend. And a pool w/bar would be super. Balcony too.

I checked out the forum suggestions--The Place, Hotel St. Marie, Prince Conti to name a few--but I was wondering if anyone can suggest boutique hotels or something with a contemporary flair? 523 Loft (something like that--is not an option.) Same price range as those listed above.

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated. Maybe I am looking in the wrong area of NO?

Another Hotel Help Victim

well...there%26#39;s so many areas you want to be near to. all are accessible to one another by street car, but the garden district is a loooooong walk to the FQ.

if you%26#39;d be willing to give up the balcony I%26#39;d suggest the Renaissance Arts on Tchoupitoulas in the warehouse district. Its a short walk to the FQ and not a terrible walk into the garden district either. It%26#39;s got a rooftop pool (no bar up there, but you can bring your own cocktails up there) and some really nice bars/restaurants in the area as well. Take a look at it, housed in an old warehouse and teeming with local art, it doesn%26#39;t have the %26#39;feel%26#39; of a standard chain hotel. really. prices are also quite attractive there as well.

Of course, the W (two locations, New Orleans and french Quarter) gives you more of a contemporary feel.

have a blast!

-kel

Another Hotel Help Victim

There%26#39;s not much contemporary in the French Quarter, since this is the oldest part of the city, so most hotels have an old-world ambience, aside from the W as mentioned above.

I%26#39;d recommend staying within the Warehouse District, as it%26#39;s the more contemporary and ';hipster'; part of town. Plus, it%26#39;s only blocks away from the French Quarter. For that price range, check out the Wyndham Riverfront or International House Hotel - not exactly contemporary but more ';modern'; than some of the other FQ hotels.

My pick will always be Sheraton hotel on Canal St. It%26#39;s a nice hotel, maybe not as nice as other Sheraton%26#39;s I%26#39;ve been to, but still good and location can not be beat.

It%26#39;s across the street from French Quarter, and next to the street car line (St.Charles) that takes you into the Garden District. If you want to be equidistant to both FQ and GD, you%26#39;d have to pick a hotel in the middle of Central Business District, which may not be the best place to walk at night, should you stay out on Bourbon Street past 2:00AM.

P.S. Think carefully about staying in a hotel in French Quarter, depending on location, you may NEVER get any sleep, due to street noise.

Strangebrew..please ignore the last posters PS..even in hotels right on Bourbon Street you can get inner rooms and not have a noise problem and anything off of Bourbon Street there is no noise problem. You might get noise from other guests going to their rooms but thats it. I%26#39;ve stayed in over 20 properties in the French Quarter and highly reccommend staying there.

Sorry but WunderlustKing is incorrect. Unless you stay right on Bourbon street most hotels in the French Quarter are very quiet. Not all hotels are like the Inn on Bourbon, right in the middle of all the action. Staying in the Quarter is like stepping back in time, it%26#39;s an amazing feeling.

Well, I suppose you guys feel that ';think carefully'; and ';don%26#39;t do it'; means the same thing. There%26#39;s a reason it was worded the way it was.

Also, I was there at the end of March when a huge underground transformer exploded around Chartres and Iberville streets and half of FQ was left without power all of Friday night and until late Saturday night. I walked by and asked the electricians working by the hole about why it exploded - they gave me that look and said something about the electrical system being installed prior to Louisiana purchase. Either way, I was glad I wasn%26#39;t one of those people dressed in a bath robe dragging my luggage across Canal Street.

I have stayed at many hotels in the French Quarter, some on Bourbon Street, and have never had a problem with noise interrupting our sleeping. However, on a trip where we stayed on Frenchmen Street, our suite was directly above a music club...now that night I didn%26#39;t get much sleep!

http://hotel-deleauvive.com/index.php

This hotel has both an ';old'; %26amp; a ';contemporary'; side. The main building is full of charm %26amp; quirks. The Casino Annex building was completely rebuilt after a fire - so it%26#39;s rooms are very contemporary. The pool is a refreshing pool (translate: it%26#39;s about 8 x 7 by 3%26#39; deep) but you can bring your beverages (no bar there but liquor store about 1.5 blocks away on Canal).

Easy to walk to the Qtr, easy to catch buses %26amp; streetcars nearby, the Aquarium %26amp; Riverwalk is also a quick walk away. And if you%26#39;re into Casinos, so is Harrah%26#39;s.

Have fun it%26#39;s a great town!

Thanks for all the advice so far! I plan on doing some research on the suggested hotels later this evening. I am sure we will have a blast. I just wanted some great advice. We can enjoy ourselves anywhere. It%26#39;s all about the attitude!! This is so exciting!!!