New Orleans Area (and surrounding) hotels

[budmonster]

So I got a call from my BIL that there is a chance he could have tickets to the Super Bowl , DH is a huge Ravens fan and I would love for him to attend the game.

I stated looking on the map for hotels, yes I know its going to be super hard and expensive to find one in the immediate area. So I am looking in the surrounding areas, up to 45 minutes away, for hotel. However I am not familiar with New Orleans or the surrounding areas at all.

I was looking for some suggestions as to what towns or cities to search. Any suggestions?

 

[Southernmiss]

So I got a call from my BIL that there is a chance he could have tickets to the Super Bowl , DH is a huge Ravens fan and I would love for him to attend the game.

I stated looking on the map for hotels, yes I know its going to be super hard and expensive to find one in the immediate area. So I am looking in the surrounding areas, up to 45 minutes away, for hotel. However I am not familiar with New Orleans or the surrounding areas at all.

I was looking for some suggestions as to what towns or cities to search. Any suggestions?

Look for hotels on the Mississippi Gulf Coast--Gulfport, Biloxi. Even Slidell in Louisiana. Gulfport/Biloxi is about 60 to 90 minutes away and Slidell is about 30 minutes away from New Orleans.

The local (Gulfport/Biloxi) hotels are expecting and hoping for the spillover crowds and will have shuttle buses, etc. to take people to New Orleans. We also have Casinos and Casino hotels and lots of great restaurants and night life.

http://www.gulfcoast.org/ Here is a comprehensive website to our tourism office. You'lll note the giant football and Superbowll weekend icons!

 

[Kellydelly]

The last time we stayed down there we were at the Four Points Sheraton in Metairie. That is pretty close to downtown, like a 15 minute drive.

 

[Lilliputian]

When we go to New Orleans, we need to be in Metairie, which is very close. We stay at the Residence Inn in Metairie on I-10 and Causeway. (I think it's the only one there.) We used to stay at the Courtyard next door when we only had 3 children. Either hotel is nice and has free parking, which you obviously won't get downtown. There is a crazy lady who lives at the Residence Inn, but I think she mostly talks to families with kids, so you'll probably never even notice her.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

DH just spent 3 months in the Residence Inn in Metarie. He said that yep there's a lady who lives in the RI, but he never noticed she was crazy and that some of the regulars know her pretty well. Just curious, what did she do to make you think she was crazy?

 

[NotUrsula]

Most of the hotels in Orleans and Jefferson parish are requiring a 4-nt minimum starting Jan. 31st, and according to the NOCVB, they are going VERY fast, because over 60% of the rooms in those parishes were bought en bloc by travel agents for package buyers.

As a general rule, if you don't book a room by the second day after the teams for a Superdome Super Bowl are announced, you are looking at staying either on the Gulf Coast or in Baton Rouge. Slidell goes very fast because it is generally the closest-in area where you can find hotels that are not imposing a multi-night minimum.

 

[Lilliputian]

DH just spent 3 months in the Residence Inn in Metarie. He said that yep there's a lady who lives in the RI, but he never noticed she was crazy and that some of the regulars know her pretty well. Just curious, what did she do to make you think she was crazy?

I've met more than one lady who lives there. This particular lady doesn't have a lot of respect for personal space and has long, awkward conversations with people with children, including standing behind your car and talking to you after you've buckled all of the aforementioned children in their car seats and really need to get going (and have to drive in reverse to get out of the parking spot). It happens to me every time we go there, and I've seen her doing the same thing with other families with children.

My husband travels there for business frequently without me, and he doesn't know anything about her. He's never with me when I run into her. I think you have to have kids with you to attract her.

 

[Desiree]

Check Baton Rouge hotels also because I think all the ones in and around Nola are already booked.

 

[lucyanna girl]

Maybe try Gonzales, LA. It's about an hours drive but you should be able to find a room there.

Penny

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I've met more than one lady who lives there. This particular lady doesn't have a lot of respect for personal space and has long, awkward conversations with people with children, including standing behind your car and talking to you after you've buckled all of the aforementioned children in their car seats and really need to get going (and have to drive in reverse to get out of the parking spot). It happens to me every time we go there, and I've seen her doing the same thing with other families with children.

My husband travels there for business frequently without me, and he doesn't know anything about her. He's never with me when I run into her. I think you have to have kids with you to attract her.

Ah-hah! Okay, that makes perfect sense. The lady DH and some of his co-workers met seemed really nice. There's only one whom he ever ran across - she eats breakfast and dinner there (on the nights they have it). I don't think he's ever run across the other lady either. I'll get him to ask his co-workers.

Verra strange indeed!

 

[JnTa2]

Look for hotels on the Mississippi Gulf Coast--Gulfport, Biloxi. Even Slidell in Louisiana. Gulfport/Biloxi is about 60 to 90 minutes away and Slidell is about 30 minutes away from New Orleans.

The local (Gulfport/Biloxi) hotels are expecting and hoping for the spillover crowds and will have shuttle buses, etc. to take people to New Orleans. We also have Casinos and Casino hotels and lots of great restaurants and night life.

http://www.gulfcoast.org/ Here is a comprehensive website to our tourism office. You'lll note the giant football and Superbowll weekend icons!

Totally agree! Lots of great places on the Mississippi Gulf Coast!

 

[budmonster]

Thanks to everyone for all of the suggestions. I looked everywhere and hotel availability was few and far between, the ones that did have availability were outrageously priced. We ended up finding a room in an area called Hammond, LA.

I'm super excited, not necessarily for the game (not a big football fan) but for my DH who is all football all the time. This is a dream come true for him.

 

[Hillbeans]

SO jealous! Just got back from a long weekend in NoLa and we had the best time! We stayed at the Renaissance Pere Marquette and it was within walking distance to everything. I hope you have a great visit, definitely take a stroll down Bourbon Street!

 

[bookgirl]

Last year we split our time between the FQ and Kenner, LA. The drive was not bad and all Interstate.

Plus there was a Cafe DuMonde location right down the street from both places.

In fact the benigets were better at the Kenner location.

 

[NotUrsula]

As long as you are going to be in Hammond, I recommend eating at Trey Yuen. It is a good (and VERY large) Chinese restaurant there that specializes in preparations of locally caught seafood -- they do that better than they do the more traditional things. Their crawfish in lobster sauce is yummy. (You will get plenty of excellent traditional and perhaps not-so-traditional Louisiana cuisine while you are in New Orleans, but Louisiana Chinese food is kind of a unique fusion that is worth trying if you get a chance.)

From Hammond you are looking at a drive of about 3 hours to the Dome in game traffic. If the hotel is offering a bus, you might wish to take it. (The drive from Hammond down to the I-10 interchange is normally about 30 minutes, but it will take longer on game day. From there you will turn east on I-10 and cross the Bonnet Carré spillway. Once over the spillway, the traffic will become more dense, and by the time you reach the I-10/I-610 split near the Orleans/Jefferson parish line it will have slowed to a near-standstill, and it will be that way all the way to the exits for the Dome.

BTW, if you do drive in, here is my preference for the Dome (and other major events near Canal St.) when coming from I-10 West: I switch from I-10 to US90 as I come into downtown, and exit US90 at Loyola, turning left under the highway. Off Loyola, I turn right onto Girod, which leads down to the area near the courthouses. The parking lots and garages of the major office buildings in the CBD are normally open for special events, and parking south of Poydras in this area puts you in a good position to get back out of the city westbound. The going rate for a flat-rate advance-reserved parking space for the game in the CBD garages ranges from a low of about $30 to a high of nearly $350; the closer to the Dome you are, the more it costs. I would recommend parking in the warehouse district relatively near the river and grabbing the #16 bus up Poydras to the Dome.

 

[Nola Girl]

I live in Metairie. I did a search for you and I too only found reasonable rates on hotels in Covington and Hammond. Both are about an hour to an hour and one half out of the city with no traffic. I would not hesitate to stay in either area. They are nice safe "country" towns. Hammond is more rustic. Covington has boomed since Katrina as many displaced New Orleanians moved across Lake Ponchatrain to Covington and stayed permanently. The only issue I see will be allowing yourself enough time to get Downtown. Please be sure to come to Metairie Saturday night Feb.2. as one of our largest Carnival krewes will be parading that night and it is truly beautiful. (The krewes that parade in the city normally on that weekend were all rescheduled but Metairie is still following our usual schedule.). Metairie has a little more family friendly theme, as a matter of fact if you google Family Gras 2013 you can see all the goings on- so to speak.
Let me know if I can answer any questions.

 

[budmonster]

As long as you are going to be in Hammond, I recommend eating at Trey Yuen. It is a good (and VERY large) Chinese restaurant there that specializes in preparations of locally caught seafood -- they do that better than they do the more traditional things. Their crawfish in lobster sauce is yummy. (You will get plenty of excellent traditional and perhaps not-so-traditional Louisiana cuisine while you are in New Orleans, but Louisiana Chinese food is kind of a unique fusion that is worth trying if you get a chance.)

From Hammond you are looking at a drive of about 3 hours to the Dome in game traffic. If the hotel is offering a bus, you might wish to take it. (The drive from Hammond down to the I-10 interchange is normally about 30 minutes, but it will take longer on game day. From there you will turn east on I-10 and cross the Bonnet Carré spillway. Once over the spillway, the traffic will become more dense, and by the time you reach the I-10/I-610 split near the Orleans/Jefferson parish line it will have slowed to a near-standstill, and it will be that way all the way to the exits for the Dome.

BTW, if you do drive in, here is my preference for the Dome (and other major events near Canal St.) when coming from I-10 West: I switch from I-10 to US90 as I come into downtown, and exit US90 at Loyola, turning left under the highway. Off Loyola, I turn right onto Girod, which leads down to the area near the courthouses. The parking lots and garages of the major office buildings in the CBD are normally open for special events, and parking south of Poydras in this area puts you in a good position to get back out of the city westbound. The going rate for a flat-rate advance-reserved parking space for the game in the CBD garages ranges from a low of about $30 to a high of nearly $350; the closer to the Dome you are, the more it costs. I would recommend parking in the warehouse district relatively near the river and grabbing the #16 bus up Poydras to the Dome.

Thanks for all of the information, it will be very helpful.

I live in Metairie. I did a search for you and I too only found reasonable rates on hotels in Covington and Hammond. Both are about an hour to an hour and one half out of the city with no traffic. I would not hesitate to stay in either area. They are nice safe "country" towns. Hammond is more rustic. Covington has boomed since Katrina as many displaced New Orleanians moved across Lake Ponchatrain to Covington and stayed permanently. The only issue I see will be allowing yourself enough time to get Downtown. Please be sure to come to Metairie Saturday night Feb.2. as one of our largest Carnival krewes will be parading that night and it is truly beautiful. (The krewes that parade in the city normally on that weekend were all rescheduled but Metairie is still following our usual schedule.). Metairie has a little more family friendly theme, as a matter of fact if you google Family Gras 2013 you can see all the goings on- so to speak.
Let me know if I can answer any questions.

I was originally going to stay in Hammond but got lucky and found a private home for rent in Metairie. This is going to be a lot closer then Hammond.
Thanks for all of the info.

 

[cajunmommy]

Not sure how you're planning on travelling from Metairie to the Dome, but please be aware there will be a significant number of street closures in the area the entire weekend.

Here's a good map:
http://media.nola.com/superbowl_impact/photo/-9bb3b85e9cc568e1.png

Hope y'all have a great time! NOLA definitely knows how to throw a party, and this is going to be a big one!

 

[ENSOCK]

have a blast! Glad you found a home to rent. The hotels are so booked that Baton Rouge is even filling up.