Forget stuffy suits and boring buffets. New Orleans’ top hotels are jazz for your senses. Expect indulgence, not ironing boards. Your room? A dreamy escape of antique charm and modern magic, where feather beds sink like beignets and the only morning meeting is a breakfast buffet. Our list of the top seven best hotels in New Orleans could help readers find a great place to rest and recuperate during their next visit to NOLA. Whether you visit in February and March for Mardi Gras or just for a fun getaway, you will want to book a stay in one of these hotels.
Tips for Booking a Stay in New Orleans:
NOLA makes for an amazing experience, unlike any other city. Before booking, however, consider when you should expect price hikes and what areas are a hot commodity. Everyone has different travel preferences, so read these tips below to figure out what stay is best for you!
- Mardi Gras Madness: Booking during Mardi Gras means sky-high prices and party pandemonium. Unless you crave confetti showers and balcony mosh pits, consider cozying up before or after the carnival chaos.
- Quarter Quandary: The French Quarter’s charm comes with a siren song of noise and crowds. If peace and quiet are your jam, venture beyond the historic heart. Garden District mansions and downtown elegance offer swanky stays with a calmer beat.
- Ghostly Greetings: NOLA practically whispers ghost stories. Embrace the spooky side! Some historic hotels boast resident spirits (friendly, hopefully!). Just remember, a poltergeist-free room doesn’t guarantee a hangover-free trip.
- Streetcar Serenade: Ditch the rental car! New Orleans’ iconic streetcars are your ride-hailing heroes. Grab a Jazzy Pass, hop on and off these rolling time machines, and explore with the wind in your hair (and a cocktail in hand).
- Beyond Beignets: Breakfast isn’t just about donuts, honey! Fuel up on local sandwich specialties like muffalettas or grilled oysters and other amazing seafood. Your taste buds will thank you, and you’ll have more room for all the jazz and jambalaya later.
Remember, NOLA isn’t the average American city. According to our trusted sources, the spots on our list are the best hotels in New Orleans that are most recommended across the board. Ditch the itinerary, grab your comfortable shoes, and get ready for Southern hospitality where the food is hot, the Jazz is hotter, and the party never ends. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
➡️How Our “Best Of The Best” Lists Are Created
StudyFinds’ “Best of the Best” articles are put together with the idea of taking the work out of common consumer research. Ever find yourself searching for a product or service on Google and reading multiple reviews to find items listed across many of them? Our Best of the Best lists are created with that process in mind, with each item ranked by how frequently it appears on expert reviews or lists. With Best of the Best, you are getting consensus picks — making them truly the best of the best!
The List: Best Hotels in New Orleans, According to Experts
1. The Windsor Court Hotel
The Windsor Court Hotel offers an excellent guest experience. After exploring the French Quarter, stepping into their refined lobby is a delightful bit of air-conditioned reprieve. Timeout raves, “The Windsor Court Hotel brings a delicate slice of English elegance to New Orleans.” They specifically love that the hotel spans 23 stories with a rooftop saltwater pool. No wonder it has won so many awards!
Travel + Leisure praises this hotel’s location in the heart of the action. Some of the perks you can enjoy include English afternoon tea, live jazz in the cocktail lounge, and a beautiful art collection lining the halls.
Oyster exclaims that this hotel offers a taste of NOLA class. It’s no wonder celebrities and royals tend to frequent this spot when visiting the Big Easy. Oyster reviewers rave about their attentive staff, big rooms, and prime location.
2. Hotel Peter & Paul
Hotel Peter & Paul is a boutique operation that has a strong focus on attentive guest care. This hotel offers courtyard-style relaxation in a private garden for their guests. Forbes says, “The guest rooms and common spaces are set in a restored rectory, convent and schoolhouse. Each building’s interior design is slightly different, but everything feels cohesive with religious influences and antique furnishings.”
Condé Nast Traveler describes that Hotel Peter & Paul captures the classic feel of a stay in NOLA. Picture this: mint-green doors opening into a foyer bursting with the aroma of gardenias to reveal a bright yellow check-in counter that matches the bright welcome of staff (Condé Nast Traveler).
Timeout says no two rooms are exactly alike, making your stay a unique experience every time you visit. They also mention that you can’t miss out on visiting the Elysian Bar for cocktails and a bite to eat.
3. Maison de la Luz
The cultural history of NOLA is a blend of many ethnicities, nationalities, and creeds. NOLA is undeniably American, but with deeply French roots and few hotels capture this better than the Maison de la Luz. Condé Nast Traveler describes the lobby as “Golden Age Europe.” They say the front desk is straight out of The Grand Budapest Hotel. “The sitting room, an Egyptian adventure with hieroglyphic artwork, while the breakfast room… feels like a Parisian bistro for lingering over café noir and beignets,” they write in their review.
The Telegraph adds that the Maison feels fancy and French with a “striking level of aesthetic innovation” for the city. There is nothing comparable to this hotel in The Big Easy.
According to The Points Guy, every inch of the hotel was designed thoughtfully. They describe the interior as “an eclectic mix of decor styles.” Many experts were blown away by this hotel’s stunning design.
4. The Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans
The Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans is a Waldorf Astoria property. As can be expected with such a luxurious brand, the guest experience at the Roosevelt is incredible. With a location that is only steps away from all the action, Budget Your Trip loves the amenities: a bar, parking, childcare, laundry services, and pet-friendly rooms.
Timeout says to expect “glistening brass elevators, mosaic floors and dazzling chandeliers.” Famous guests that have walked the halls include Sonny and Cher, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe.
Condé Nast Traveler states that this classy hotel offers an equally classy guest experience. From the Sazerac Bar to the illuminated lobby, taking it all in is a process that never leaves you disappointed.
5. Royal Sonesta
The Royal Sonesta hotel is a classic property that is in the heart of the action in the French Quarter. Simply leave the lobby and you’ve arrived! Blogger at Large calls their jazz lounge one of the top three music venues in New Orleans. You don’t have to stay there to enjoy the bar, but what better than a night cap before heading straight upstairs to bed?
The Telegraph relates that guests have plenty to enjoy during a stay at the Royal Sonesta, from amazing music to the fine-dining on site.
Condé Nast Traveler reviews that the Royal Sonesta is perhaps the best stay for guests that want to experience Bourbon Street. You are submerged right in the middle of everything. Expect Art Deco decor, amazing floral arrangements, and constant activity right outside the front doors.
6. Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans
Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans has a well-earned reputation for finery. The staff and accommodations at the Four Seasons certainly live up to the brand’s storied history of excellence. According to Condé Nast Traveler, the staff is the best-dressed in town and the Chandelier Bar is an experience in itself. And it isn’t named that for no reason. The chandelier in the bar is home to 15,000 crystals.
The Telegraph adds that this downtown hotel is a top-notch stay. Why? “This long-awaited property from the trusted luxury brand raises the high-end hotel game in the Crescent City. Exceptional levels of service, two destination restaurants and detail-oriented accommodations have transformed the World Trade Center into an alluring new option for downtown stays,” they write.
The Points Guy says to expect genuine Southern hospitality when you stay here. Plus, you are minutes from the French Quarter. The whole experience comes with luxe amenities and style, hence the price point. But, maybe it’s worth it.
7. The Ritz-Carlton
Does the Ritz still maintain its reputation for excellence and tuxedo clad nights? Our sources say yes! Timeout says this may be one of the finest Ritz-Carlton locations in the world. The building used to be the Beaux Arts Maison Blanche department store, giving it the signature historic architecture from the outside while hiding high-end amenities within.
Forbes assures that a visit to the Ritz-Carlton is a great way to treat yourself, “The Ritz-Carlton refreshed its guest rooms and updated its spa. Accommodations—done up in soothing shades of blue and gold—have French Quarter views and hardwood floors. The 25,000-square-foot spa is the largest in New Orleans with 20 treatment rooms and a café, and treatments inspired by the city itself like the Voodoo Ritual and the Southern Ceremony.”
Condé Nast Traveler articulates that the Ritz-Carlton can feel like stepping into another world thanks to the ambience. This is achieved through “period-inspired decor” and elaborate furnishings from the curtains to the headboards. You can also find the resident jazz musician, Jeremy Davenport playing in the Davenport Lounge every weekend.
You might also be interested in:
Sources:
- Timeout
- Travel + Leisure
- Oyster
- Forbes
- Condé Nast Traveler
- The Telegraph
- The Points Guy
- Budget Your Trip
- Blogger at Large
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This article may contain affiliate links in which we receive a commission if you make a purchase.
Are you sure it is the Royal SONESTRA? Sounds like orchestra meets hotel. I have stayed at the Royal SonesTA.
Y’all forgot the Melrose Mansion. It is gorgeous, has a great pool. She comes complete with ghosts! A true gem located in The Marigny! Right on Esplanade!
You forgot The Hotel Monteleone which is the gem of the French Quarter.