Just got back Sat from NOLA. Great time! We flew in the previous Saturday and took a cab to the Place d%26#39;Armes Hotel on St. Anne Street in the Quarter. Cab ride only $29 and plenty at the airport right outside baggage claim.
The hotel...room 224...avoid it. We saw other and much nicer rooms. We paid alot for that room and thought it would be nicer. It did face a small courtyard but also a brick wall of another building. You had to climb very narrow, steep dark stairs to get to it. No elevator. Hard to climb with suitcases. Room was small. Bathroom very tiny. Difficult to close the door when you were inside. No mini frig. The staff was very nice to lug one up to the room for medication storage. It was ok clean. Some mold in the shower and the carpets were worn and a little stain. We just told ourselves that we weren%26#39;t there for the room as much as for the sights. It would have been nice to have a better room as it was a special sanniversary(our 25th). Also, nice continental breakfast. The pool and courtyards were very nice.
The location was unbeatable!! Just steps from Jackson Square. We had the jazz brunch at Muriels (right next to the Place) The very best food we have had in a long time. Service was great. The turtle soup, lamp chop, Bloody Mary, bread pudding...is to die for!
Other good places to eat...The Gumbo Shop-best gumbo...Napolean House-best Muffaletto and Pimm%26#39;s Cup drink!! Deanies..very good fig vinagette dressing and fried crawfish tails. Acme-of course the oysters were great! Of course we were at Cafe du Monde couple times a day. Coops was ok. My husband ordered (of all things) a burger well and it came back almost raw. Fried taters very greasy. We probably just didn%26#39;t order the right things. We ate every meal in the quarter and really didn%26#39;t have a bad one.
Tours-The Old River Road tour of Oak Alley and Laura plantation was not to be missed. It was my favorite. Sitting on the grounds of Oak Alley sipping a Mint Julep (yum) was a dream. Laura plantation had an awesome tour. Very interesting and educational. We also saw Evergreen plantation and a couple others just from the road as we traveled. Katrina/City tour with Celebration tours. Very sobering and I wish everyone could see a little of what those people went thru and still are. No words. We actually liked the Natchez lunch tour. It was part of the Old River Combo plantation tour. We did walking Garden District with Gray line tours. Very beautiful. Also went to Lafayette Cem. 1.
We walked and walked the Quarter So fun. Went into the Cabildo and Presbytere. Great exhibits of Katrina, Civil War, Mardi Gras, etc.
It was wonderful to hear the bells of St. Louis Cathedral and the caliope playing on the riverfront. No waiting in line for any meal or attraction when we were there.
All in all...we had a great time!!! Please go if you can. They sure can use our tourist money!! They are happy to have it coming back.
New Orleans Oct 2007 trip report
Thank you so much for posting your report! We head to NOLA on Thursday! Can%26#39;t wait to eat gumbo and oysters every day! :-)
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