Hotel Advice

Hello!

My friend and I are headed to New Orleans for a girls weekend. We%26#39;d like to walk to and from the French Quarter and so would like to stay somewhere fun, nice, and easy to walk to in the wee hours of the morning. Any suggestions?

Hotel Advice

Hmmmm...looking for a ';fun'; hotel...not sure what that means lol...

Hotel Monteleone is easy to walk to at any time of he day, it%26#39;s ';nice';, and I guess their revolving carousel in their bar would be %26#39;fun';, I guess...

Hotel Advice

DallasLayla,

What kind of place would you like? Standard chain hotel...guest house...small, charming hotel? Everything will be fun.

You should stay right in the French Quarter if you want to walk in the wee hours of the a.m.

Let%26#39;s see....Hotel Monteleone was already mentioned. Then there%26#39;s Omni Royal. Place d%26#39; Armes is nice.

Do you want a balcony or courtyard? Those spaces can really enhance your visit if you want direct access to the greatest people-watching place in the world.

Check out ';W'; Hotel French Quarter website.

We stayed at Hotel Monteleone last year and it%26#39;s the only one we%26#39;d ever consider going back! LOVED it!

another vote for the monteleone, love the bar, rooms are nice, location is perfect.

We just returned from the Place d%26#39;Armes. Can%26#39;t beat the location. Just steps from Jackson Square. Location was great!!

We stayed in room 224. Make sure you don%26#39;t get that room. Very small, up steep and dark stairs and facing a brick wall. Mattress hard. (You don%26#39;t spend much time in the room anyway) The courtyard IS beautiful and they do offer a continental breakfast.

Have fun! We ador NOLA and can%26#39;t wait to return.

We choose to stay at the Place D Arms for our upcoming trip. What room cat. was that room 224. We reserved a courtyard room and I hope it is not to small.

We reserved Queen/King courtyard room on the website. I would call and tell them not room 224. Make sure it%26#39;s 2 beds and you shouldn%26#39;t have a problem with size.

Thanks for the suggestion. i called the hotel directly to make my reservations and I reserved a room with 2 beds.

eyeshadow brush

New Orleans & Miss River Must-See's, esp GHOST tours!

I am planning a trip for students I teach to Savannah and New Orleans this April. I am wondering about any walking tours, historic tours and must-see attractions that I should take the kids to see.

(1) All of the students have mild learning differences, but also get fatigued and over-stimulated quickly. However, most of them have choices to make about activities to go on while on the trip;

(2) I am responsible for the Paranormal aspects of the trip (ghost tours, etc. Any Ghost tours, especially ones with incorporate local history, culture and heritage would be great, along with ones to avoid (I like to know more than the internet can tell me);

(3) We are planning side trips to the plantations along the Mississippi River as well during our time in Louisiana. Any tips on what to see are also helpful.

Thanks a bunch! I have come to rely heavily on tips from the members on TripAdvisor in planning my trips for my students. It helps them to lead fuller lives and learn more about themselves and those around them by having these travel opportunities be enjoyable experiences.

Dave

New Orleans %26amp; Miss River Must-See's, esp GHOST tours!

I%26#39;m not a fan of ghost tours, so I%26#39;ll defer to others on the ghost tour recommendations.

Your choice of plantations will probably depend on your choice of transportation. If you%26#39;re going with an organized tour, I believe most of the organized tours that leave from New Orleans go to Laura and Oak Alley plantations. Neither of these are my favorites. I prefer Nottaway and Houmas House, but they%26#39;re farther upriver and you%26#39;d need your own transportation. However, if most of your students have never been to a plantation, Laura and Oak Aley should do just fine. The grounds at Oak Alley are particularly impressive. I suggest that you don%26#39;t even consider eating at the restaurant there. It%26#39;s very ordinary and there are better choices available to you.

April is one of the two busiest months of the year in New Orleans. Lodging is often scarce and expensive. If you haven%26#39;t already secured lodging, you should begin that process immediately. The weather in April is usually wonderful. It%26#39;s a great time to be visiting New Orleans.

Enjoy.

New Orleans %26amp; Miss River Must-See's, esp GHOST tours!

Ghost tour, conducted by ISPR, Mortuary on Canal St.. Check out website, www.ispr.net for more info. You might want to check online, there are several ghost tours here, don%26#39;t know exactly what you like, some are good, some are mostly shtick. The old cemeteries are very interesting. For sheer horror, you might want to take a tour which includes passing by the LaLaurie mansion on Royal St., I feel it only fair to warn you, the story of Madame Delphine LaLauire is very intense and viewed as obscene and quite upsetting to many, you may want to google before deciding on this.

The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville is haunted, (yes, I do have first hand experience there) but I find the day time tour far ';creepier'; (for lack of a better word) than the night time tour, there%26#39;s something about the gazebo and roaming the far reaches of the property in the day light. From a historic perspective, the best plantation tour (IMHO) is Laura, the slave cabins are still standing, For aesthetics, Oak Alley is stunning.

As for Savannah, I liked the book (Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil) tour even more than the ghosts tours.

ENJOY!

Thanks for your input so far - it%26#39;s GREAT! This is just what I need!

I did get lodging already (a Hampton Inn in the Central Business District) as of last April - I like to book these things way in advance whenever possible. Plus, I will look into some of the tours suggested so far (some of the kids are from the area, but for most, this will be their first trip).

Keep the ideas coming!

Dave

If you%26#39;re interested in authenticity, you might consider Evergreen Plantation. Tours are currently by appointment only, but I%26#39;m sure they%26#39;d be happy to accommodate your group. They aren%26#39;t open for unscheduled tours because Evergreen is still a working plantation. Evergreen%26#39;s double row of 22 slave cabins is unmatched by any plantation in the US.

Here%26#39;s a link to their web site:

http://www.evergreenplantation.org/

Just as loveNola indicated the ISPR would be a great tour as its choices would be like being with the Ghost Hunters on TV. I was on it before Katrina and also had experiences at the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville; I%26#39;d rec. seeing Laura Plantation and since its so close..Oak Alley.

Where to stay - 2 nights?

Hello,

We will be making our first trip to New Orleans in December. We%26#39;ll be cruising to the W Caribbean from there, but we will have 2 nights in the city first. Where should we stay where we will be able to walk to Bourbon Street but, preferrably, not have to pay an arm and a leg for parking? Safety is a concern, too. By the way, it will be 2 adults, a 23 yr old, 20 year old, and a 17 year old. Also, in our limited time there, what should we not miss - cemetery tour, French Quarter, ??? Would really appreciate your suggestions! THANKS!

Mommio2

Where to stay - 2 nights?

Are you looking for one large suite or two rooms? Budget for the room? How much is too much for parking?

Based on what I%26#39;m guessing, I%26#39;d suggest Le Richelieu Hotel. Free parking, large rooms, good location.

Where to stay - 2 nights?

Thanks for your tip! Either would be fine. $10 - 15 for parking would be OK. Once in Chicago we got hosed for $60 a day - never again!

Stay in the French Quarter,everything is very close(walking distance). Rates at nice hotels will run from $49 to $100 if nothing special is going on. Parking will average about $20 a night but can be found for as little as $6 if you don%26#39;t mind a walk. I would suggest trying sidestep.com %26amp; bookit.com for your best rates.

$20+/day for parking is pretty standard and some places charge $30+. I%26#39;ve never seen it higher than low 30s in New Orleans. I, too, have paid $50 a night in Chicago and it%26#39;s very aggravating!

As Cajunwave suggested, the LeRichelieu is a very nice hotel with free parking, and it is in a very nice location. It is in the quiet part of the French Quarter, but an easy five minute walk to everything. My husband and I have stayed there several times and always enjoyed it. However, they have a limit of 3 people per room (according to their website) so I don%26#39;t think they will allow you to put five in a room. But, you might consider getting two rooms and putting the 23 year old and 20 year old in a separate room. Their room rates are usually very reasonable and since you don%26#39;t have to pay for parking, you save on that too. Frommer%26#39;s usually lists LeRicheleu as the best bargain in the French Quarter. They usually have special %26#39;Creole Christmas%26#39; rates in December - if you decide to reserve with them, call the hotel directly and ask if you can get these special rates for your dates. You have to call and ask for them, you can%26#39;t get them on-line. They may also be referred to as Papa Noel rates.

Don%26#39;t miss - cemetery tour, buggy ride for a quick tour of the Quarter, Cafe DuMonde, Preservation Hall, Napoleon House for Muffalettas, riverfront streetcar ride, shopping at French Market. December is a beautiful time of year to visit New Orleans, and there are a lot of free and/or inexpensive things to do. Check the website fqfi.org, and click on Christmas New Orleans Style for a listing of events. Have fun in New Orleans and on your cruise!

Take a look at Country Inn And Suites.I went in june and loved it. I left a review in June if you want to read it. They also have suites which you need for your family. Parking was 23 a night, but we got the room for 62 a night so even then it was a bargain.

save our cemetaries, Inc. has a nice tour of St Louis #1 leaving from the Basin St. station.

kids and New Orleans

Our family just returned from a 4 day visit in New Orleans before we boarded a cruise ship docked there. Because kids and New Orleans do not seem to go together as a rule, I wanted to share the things we did while there and how the kids enjoyed themselves. Ages of 7 children were 5 years to 24 years.

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the Dr. Wagner Honey Island swamp tour with a guide named Melvin who did an outstanding job of informing and entertaining the kids with his knowledge. I think we came across about 6 alligators and lots of birds.

In the French Quarted we arranged to go to the New Orleans School of Cooking on Sunday. For our group of 10, we got a narrative of the history of the people and culture of New Orleans by Anne-who had been a kindergarden teacher (and knew how to keep the 5 year old interested) while Barbara was preparing to show us how to cook gumbo, (chicken and andouie sausage), jambalaya (again, chicken and sausage), bread pudding with whisky sauce (you can withhold this for the kids), and pralines. When all the food was finished, we got to eat it. For about $23.00 adults, 10.00 kids-(look for coupons at your hotel), you get the meal, (complete with biscuits and cane syrup and your choice of beer or root beer) the history, the cooking lesson and cooking tips, and 2 1/2 hours of pure entertainment. Outside of this cooking school is their general store where you can buy their recommended spices or your favored brand of spices for the gumbo. This was fun for all, informaive, and delicous food!

We did a haunted history tour and I know this gets controversial, but it doesn%26#39;t have to. If you want to get scared-this is not what you%26#39;re looking for. If you want an informational tour of several buildings and their history which makes New Orleans so colorful, this might interest you. Not my favorite thing we did in NO, but my 19 year old and my 24 year old enjoyed this a lot. The 11 year old was disturbed by one of the stories told about one of the buildings but got over it after the first night. (she is a little sensitive so keep that in mind before you decide to take your child to this.) You will walk a lot on this tour. This tour is at 6pm and 8 pm. and lasts 2 hours.

IMAX-we all enhjoyed the film about Hurrican Katrina and the effects. This town and its people are survivors and know how to come back from a disaster like no other. We prefaced this film by a trip on the ferry (free) which is near the IMAX theatre.

We took 2 plantation tours-Oak Alley, an American plantation and Laura, a Creole plantation. They were as different as could be, but both were equally informative about life on a plantation and Southern living. The youngest children were a tiny bit bored-it might have been the heat that day-but the rest of the family enjoyed these tours.

Great food:

Muffalattas at Central Grocery-I drool just thinking about them.

Beignets at Cafe Du Monde.

I put these in order of most enjoyed by the children to least enjoyed, but bear in mind we enjoyed all we did in NO., and the plantations were still a good choice despite the ended my list.

kids and New Orleans

Thanks for posting this. You included some things in your trip that I wouldn%26#39;t have thought of with kids, especially the cooking school.

For most people with kids, we recommend the Audubon Zoo, the Aquarium of the Americas, and Mardi Gras World.

kids and New Orleans

strose-thank you for your response, not only because you have good suggestions, but it reminds me of a few things I should have added.

We wanted to soak up the culture of the people of NO (the historical side of things and the environment of this part of the country, but not the party atmosphere so to speak...) Since we are from the midwest, we don%26#39;t have swamps and can%26#39;t experience the wildlife that exists there. We do not eat the spicy food in our area that is the heritage of the people of NO. We just wanted our kids to experience the cajun and creole people and their culture. With that in mind-the cooking school was a good choice. I meant to preface that recommendation with this thought. Know your kids-if they can%26#39;t sit for any extended amount of time-don%26#39;t take them to the cooking school. If they can%26#39;t walk great distances, don%26#39;t do the haunted history tours. If wildlife and ecology don%26#39;t have an appeal to your kids-the swamp tour would be lost on them. If your kids aren%26#39;t aware of plantations and the oppulant lifestyles that come at the expense of slavery, the plantation tours would also be a bust.

Your suggestions for the aquarium and Mardi Gras museum are good for all kids, but better for those kids who can%26#39;t do the above.

Garden of Memories cemetery

Hi

We will be visiting NO next year and whilst in town I would like to pay my respects to Gram Parsons who is buried in the garden of memories cemetery (it%26#39;s the one on airport boulevard).

I have read in one of the forums on NO that a couple of cemeterys are not safe to visit. Can anyone tell me if this particular cemetery is okay to visit.

Look forward to seeing you all next year.

Thanks for your time.

Garden of Memories cemetery

Garden of Memories is in Metairie and is perfectly safe to visit.

Garden of Memories cemetery

Thank you, that puts my mind at ease.

I%26#39;ll second it about the Garden of Memories being fine to visit-I have relatives there.

Hi

Thanks again for your input.

We are planning on staying in Metairie for a couple of days while we visit NO. I know we should have more time there but we are on a long road trip, and we are trying to fit in as many places as we can next year because it will probably be our last trip to the states.

So once again, thanks for your help.

See y%26#39;all soon!

2nd time to New Orleans. Please advise guys

Hi everyone.

I was in New Orleans probably 12-14 yrs ago with a group of friends. We flew to Atlanta %26amp; we hired 2 big caddies %26amp; drove down through Georgia, Alabama %26amp; Louisiana %26amp; have such special memories. 14 yrs on I am engaged %26amp; living in Greece but am craving a visit to Noo Orrrlins %26amp; too show my fiancee!!

Can anyone advise what the weather is like in February, I used to live in Florida %26amp; it was quite mild there that time of year. Is it worth visiting %26#39;NO%26#39; that time of year, is there still plenty happening %26amp; I was thinking of staying in the Maison Marigny B%26amp;B.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

2nd time to New Orleans. Please advise guys

Early February can be quite cold, while later February is more temperate. The average temperature%26#39;s around 54 degrees.

Note that Mardi Gras is February 5, 2008, which may affect your travel plans.

2nd time to New Orleans. Please advise guys

You may wish to check the recently launched tourism site for New Orleans, www.24nola.com. It rounds up recommendations on available activities by theme and also by time of day.

NOLA in February can be beautiful. However, it can also be wet. It is usually mild and you don%26#39;t have to even think about humidity. Evening can be chilly down along the river, so a light jacket is a good idea. There%26#39;s plenty to due year round and if you are planning to go in early February 2008, Mardi Gras day is the 5th. That means plenty of parades the weekend before!!!!!

Trip report 10-4 to 10-8

Just back from NO and did pretty much everything we hoped for.

Landed Thursday, dropped off the bags at St. Marie on Tolouse St. (great folks) and went to Coops for dinner. Fried chicken and Jambalaya, I could have done that every night but we had reservations at other places. Then to Cafe Du Monde for coffee and beignets and grabbed a cab to Rock and Bowl to watch the folks dance the night away. What fun they were all having......

Friday a.m to Clover Grill for breakfast, very good, and hit a couple of shops then back to the hotel to catch our van to Honey Island Swamp Tour. If anyone is taking a swamp tour, this is the only way to go and if you have not planned on a swamp tour, you have to take this one. What a great afternoon. The driver picked us up at the hotel at 12:30 and included a side tour through some neighborhoods that got hit pretty badly by Katrina. Reached the boat by 1:50 and left on the tour at 2:00. Great ride, great guide and loads of picture taking. Van dropped us off at ACME at 5:15 and we grabbed some oysters and beer. Back to the hotel to dress and at 8:00 the hotel called a cab for us to go to Commanders Palace. WOW. This was the best, 3 hours for dinner, no rushing, just a great dining experience. Excellent food. Back to the hotel to change and headed down Bourbon when we ran into Big Al at the Funky Pirate, great end to a great day, he was wonderful.

Saturday was all walking the French Quarter, Jackson Square and lunch at Napoleon House. Had to get the muffelato and Pims cup. Fully enjoyed both. I also got a t-shirt. More walking and back to the hotel to dress for our 8:00 reservation at Dickie Brennans. Another wonderful meal but felt a little more rushed. I would go back but you cannot compare it to Commanders Palace. Both very good.

Sunday morning back to Clover Grill for breakfast and comments before catching a taxi to the airport. Thanks for a wonderful time......

Trip report 10-4 to 10-8

RXC..nice report and it sounds like you did quite well and hit all my personal favorites and Tim does a great job managing over at the St. Marie.

Trip report 10-4 to 10-8

Thanks for the report--I am headed out tomorrow and will be at St. Marie until Sunday. Getting very excited about this trip and looking very forward to the city and all that it offers!

eyeshadow brush