Hotels in New Orleans

New Orleans: Jazz, Creole Architecture, and the Mississippi Delta

New Orleans, Louisiana, sits at the mouth of the Mississippi River, roughly 180 km west of the Alabama state line. Founded by French colonists in 1718, the city's French Quarter — the original colonial grid — still holds over 100 blocks of cast-iron balconied townhouses. The Garden District, developed in the 1830s by American merchants, offers Greek Revival mansions along Prytania Street. Mardi Gras, held each February or March, draws over 1.4 million visitors annually, but the city's calendar also includes Jazz Fest each April–May at the Fair Grounds Race Course.

Where to Stay in New Orleans

Hotels cluster in three zones: the French Quarter for nightlife proximity along Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street; the Central Business District (CBD) for convention-linked stays near the Superdome; and the Garden District for quieter, residential-scale properties accessible via the St. Charles Avenue streetcar (Line 12, running since 1835).

Practical Tips

• Getting around: The RTA streetcar network covers the CBD, Garden District, and Riverfront without a rental car.
• Weather: Summer humidity regularly exceeds 90%; pack lightweight, breathable clothing.
• Neighborhoods: The Marigny and Bywater districts, east of the French Quarter, offer live music venues with lower cover charges than Bourbon Street.
• Cuisine anchor: Creole and Cajun cuisines diverge — Creole cooking reflects French-Spanish-African urban roots; Cajun cooking originates in rural Acadiana parishes west of the city.