James Wolfe
For a first visit to New Orleans, stay in the French Quarter if you want the music, the food and the old streets on foot, choose the Garden District if you want a quieter, greener base on the St. Charles streetcar line, pick the Warehouse District if you want modern hotels close to the river and the museums, or choose Uptown if you want a local, residential feel. The right hotel depends less on star ratings than on which part of the city you want to wake up in, because New Orleans is a city of distinct districts, and each one gives you a different trip.
All of the hotels in this guide are real, currently operating properties, checked against their own official sites or the official New Orleans tourism site on the day this guide was written. No hotel in this guide has paid for its place, and no nightly rate is quoted, because rates change with the season, with festivals such as Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, and with how far ahead you book. Check rates for your exact dates on the hotel official site, and compare the total price, including taxes and fees, before you decide.
Quick Facts
Best first-timer base: The French Quarter, for walkable access to Bourbon Street, Royal Street, Jackson Square and the riverfront.
Best quieter base: The Garden District, for oak-lined streets, the St. Charles streetcar, and a calmer evening.
Best modern base: The Warehouse District, for newer hotels, museums and restaurants a short walk from the French Quarter.
Best local base: Uptown, for neighborhood restaurants, Audubon Park and the streetcar.
Getting around: Walk in the French Quarter, use the St. Charles streetcar for the Garden District and Uptown, and use a taxi or rideshare at night if you are unsure of the route.
How to use this guide: Pick a district first, then a hotel in that district that matches your budget and your style. Do not pick a hotel and then try to make its district fit your trip.
How do you choose a district for a first visit?
Start with how you want to spend your days. If you want to step out of your hotel and be in the middle of the music and the food, the French Quarter is the obvious choice, and it is the choice most first timers make for a reason. The French Quarter, also known as the Vieux Carre, was founded in 1718, according to New Orleans and Company, the city official tourism organization, and its grid of streets, courtyards and balconies still feels like a place built for walking and for staying out late. If you want a slower morning, a garden, and a streetcar ride into town, the Garden District is better. If you want a modern hotel with a restaurant and a bar, and you want to walk to the museums, the Warehouse District is better. If you want to feel like a local, Uptown is better.
Think about noise, too. The French Quarter is lively at night, especially near Bourbon Street, and a room facing the street can be loud. A room facing a courtyard is quieter, and a hotel on a side street is quieter still. Ask about the room location when you book, and read recent reviews for noise before you decide. In the Garden District and Uptown, the evenings are calmer, and the trade off is a longer ride or walk into the Quarter. There is no wrong choice, only a choice that matches how you sleep and how you travel.
Which hotels are best in the French Quarter?
Hotel Monteleone
Hotel Monteleone, at 214 Royal Street in the French Quarter, is the classic first timer choice, and it has been operating since 1886, according to its official site. It is a large, historic hotel with a famous Carousel Bar, a rooftop pool, and a location that puts you a short walk from Jackson Square, Royal Street shops and the riverfront. It suits travelers who want a traditional New Orleans hotel with a sense of history, and who want to be in the Quarter without being on Bourbon Street itself. Check rates for your dates on the hotel official site, because this is one of the most popular hotels in the city and prices rise sharply for festivals.
Royal Sonesta New Orleans
The Royal Sonesta New Orleans, at 300 Bourbon Street, sits in the heart of the French Quarter, close to the music and the restaurants that make Bourbon Street famous. It is a large hotel with a courtyard pool, several restaurants and bars, and a lively atmosphere that matches its location. It suits travelers who want to be in the middle of the Quarter and who do not mind noise, and it is less suited to light sleepers or to travelers who want a quiet evening. Ask for a room away from Bourbon Street if you want a better night sleep, and check the hotel official site for current room types and rates.
Place d’Armes Hotel
Place d’Armes Hotel, at 625 St. Ann Street, is a smaller, quieter French Quarter choice, close to Jackson Square and the riverfront. It is built around a courtyard, with rooms that feel more like a small inn than a large hotel, and it suits travelers who want a historic setting without the scale of the larger Quarter hotels. It is a good choice for couples and for first timers who want to walk to the main sights in a few minutes and return to a calm courtyard at night. As with every hotel in this guide, check rates for your dates, because a small hotel can sell out early for popular weekends.
If you like staying in a historic district where the hotel is part of the story, our Kotor travel guide shows how a compact old town works as a base, and our Matera Sassi cave city guide shows a different kind of historic stay, in a city built into stone.
Which hotels are best in the Garden District?
The Pontchartrain Hotel
The Pontchartrain Hotel, on St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District, is one of the best known hotels in the city, and its official site describes it as a Garden District hotel with a long history in the neighborhood. It sits on the streetcar line, with the Hot Tin rooftop bar, the Bayou Bar, and a location that makes it easy to ride into the French Quarter or out to Uptown. It suits travelers who want a classic, elegant hotel with a strong sense of place, and who like the idea of starting the day with a streetcar ride rather than a walk through a crowd. Check rates for your dates on the hotel official site, and check the room type, because the hotel has a mix of rooms and suites.
Henry Howard Hotel
The Henry Howard Hotel, on Prytania Street in the Garden District, is a smaller boutique hotel in a historic mansion, with a courtyard and a quieter feel than the larger hotels on St. Charles Avenue. It suits travelers who want a romantic, residential base, with a short walk to Magazine Street shops and restaurants and a streetcar ride into town. It is less suited to travelers who want a large hotel with many facilities, or who want to walk to the French Quarter, because the ride or walk is longer. As with the other hotels here, check rates for your exact dates, because small hotels in the Garden District can sell out for spring weekends.
Which hotels are best in the Warehouse District?
The Eliza Jane
The Eliza Jane, at 315 Magazine Street, is a boutique hotel in the Warehouse District, a short walk from the French Quarter and close to the museums, galleries and restaurants of the Warehouse District. Its official site presents it as a French Quarter area boutique hotel, but its address on Magazine Street puts it in the Warehouse District, not inside the Quarter itself, and that is actually an advantage: you get a quieter street, a modern hotel, and a short walk to the Quarter when you want it. It suits travelers who want a stylish, modern base with a good bar and restaurant, and who do not need to be on Bourbon Street at all hours.
Maison Métier
Maison Métier, formerly Maison de la Luz, on Carondelet Street in the Warehouse District, is a small luxury guest house with a quiet, residential feel, close to the French Quarter and to the restaurants of the Warehouse District. It suits travelers who want a calm, elegant base with personal service, and who are happy to walk or take a short ride to the main sights. It is less suited to travelers who want a large hotel with a pool and many facilities, or who want to be in the middle of the Quarter nightlife. Check rates and room types on the hotel official site, because this is a small property with a limited number of rooms.
Which hotels are best Uptown?
The Columns Hotel
The Columns Hotel, at 3811 St. Charles Avenue in Uptown, is a historic hotel in a 19th century mansion on the streetcar line, with a well known front porch and a bar that locals use as well as guests. It suits travelers who want a relaxed, neighborhood base with a strong sense of old New Orleans, and who are happy to ride the streetcar into the French Quarter. It is less suited to travelers who want to walk to the Quarter, because the ride is part of the stay here. Check rates for your dates on the hotel official site, and ask about the room location if you are sensitive to noise from the streetcar or the bar.
The Chloe
The Chloe, at 4125 St. Charles Avenue in Uptown, is a boutique hotel in a historic mansion, with a pool, a restaurant, and a calm, garden feel. It suits travelers who want a stylish, quiet base in Uptown, with Audubon Park and the zoo nearby and the streetcar close at hand. It is a good choice for a longer stay, for couples, and for travelers who want to explore the neighborhood restaurants along Magazine Street and St. Charles Avenue. As with the other hotels here, check rates for your exact dates, because Uptown hotels can be good value compared with the French Quarter, but prices still rise for festivals.
How do you book a New Orleans hotel for a first visit?
Book the district first, then the hotel, then the room type. Check the total price, including taxes, resort fees and parking, because a low nightly rate can hide a high total. Check the cancellation policy before you pay, especially for Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and other festival weekends, when policies are stricter. Check the walk to the nearest streetcar stop or bus stop, and check the route you will take at night. If you are arriving late, tell the hotel, and confirm that the front desk is staffed when you arrive.
Do not choose a hotel only because it is cheap, and do not choose a hotel only because it is famous. A cheap hotel far from the Quarter can cost you time and taxi fares, and a famous hotel on a loud street can cost you sleep. Read recent reviews for noise, for cleanliness, and for how the hotel handles problems, and then book directly on the hotel official site if the price is the same, because that makes changes easier. If you need a passport for a trip that continues beyond the United States, our guide to online US passport renewal is a useful check before you book.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hotels in New Orleans
Where is the best place to stay in New Orleans for a first visit?
The French Quarter is the best place for most first timers, because the main sights, restaurants and music are on foot. The Garden District is the best choice if you want a quieter base on the streetcar line, and the Warehouse District is the best choice if you want a modern hotel close to the museums. Uptown is the best choice if you want a local, residential feel.
Is the French Quarter noisy at night?
Yes, parts of the French Quarter are noisy at night, especially near Bourbon Street. Choose a hotel on a side street, ask for a courtyard facing room, and bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper. The Garden District and Uptown are calmer, and the Warehouse District is in between.
Do you need a car in New Orleans?
No, most first timers do not need a car. Walk in the French Quarter, use the St. Charles streetcar for the Garden District and Uptown, and use a taxi or rideshare at night. Parking in the French Quarter is expensive and hard to find, and a car is useful only for day trips outside the city.
New Orleans rewards travelers who choose their district with care. Stay in the Quarter for the music and the old streets, in the Garden District for the gardens and the streetcar, in the Warehouse District for a modern base near the museums, or Uptown for a local feel. Pick one district, pick a hotel in it that matches how you travel, and let the city come to you.
