Hotels in New Orleans?

[ajwolfe]

So we had vacation all planned out for this summer and just seems like no one is excited about it in our house...So now we've kind of been chatting about going to New Orleans. I've been wanting to forever and the kids are big into the history/ghost tours that I think the area would offer.

Looking for budget friendly hotels that would be within walking distance of stuff. And how many nights do you think we would need to stay to really get to enjoy it but without being bored??

Thanks!!

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

What price point do you consider budget friendly?

If you are foodies NOLA can stay interesting for awhile.

Some things to do
Aquarium
WWII museum
Magazine street (interesting shopes/restaurants)
Audubon park/zoo

 

[ajwolfe]

I would hope to keep it under $250 or so a night.

 

[DisneyMommyx3]

Walking distance is going to be a French Quarter hotel. There are some hotels in the CBD (central business district) near the Superdome and you could take the street car to different destinations. During the summer there are usually tons of festivals. There is plenty to keep you interested here!

 

[CruisingKate]

Drurry Inn in central business district - suites, breakfast, good location, and good prices.

 

[a742246]

So we had vacation all planned out for this summer and just seems like no one is excited about it in our house...So now we've kind of been chatting about going to New Orleans. I've been wanting to forever and the kids are big into the history/ghost tours that I think the area would offer.

Looking for budget friendly hotels that would be within walking distance of stuff. And how many nights do you think we would need to stay to really get to enjoy it but without being bored??

Thanks!!

How old are your kids? How many?
Do they like music?
Would you have a car?

Best things are the swamp tours, both slow boat or air boat. If you have a car, the Garden District would be the better location. NOLA has one of the best museums in the WWII museum. The Aquarium is nice. I would choose a week that has some kind of festival going on. There are plenty of cooking classes available if you cook. The steamboat lunch/dinner is pretty good.

Here is the top entertainment website for Nola www.offbeat.com

 

[Ranger111]

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...ans-pere-marquette-french-quarter-area-hotel/

Well, $250 a night does not really meet my idea of budget-friendly, but....you can probably get a room at the hotel above for the price you are looking for.

Just spent a week and a half- there -- got back last Friday. Spring for the Club level. Worth the extra $$.

Street noise can be a problem at any of the hotels downtown. Ask, beg, plead for a quiet room -- you may get one -- I did. Of course, paying for club level helped with that, as well as having Marriott status.

 

[HopperFan]

Look at Homewood Suites, gives you mini kitchen, bedroom, living room, breakfast, evening social, pool more. It is close to French Quarter but not in it and right by grocery, eats and easy walk anywhere. Have stayed there a week. ZERO noise issues and there during last week of Mardi Gras.
http://homewoodsuites3.hilton.com/e...ites-by-hilton-new-orleans-MSYHWHW/index.html

Look at Embassy Suites Convention. Slightly farther from French Quarter but def walkable and close to lots of eats etc. Suites, kitchenette, great hot breakfasts, manager receptions. We have stayed there a week. ZERO noise issues and there during Sugar Bowl and NYE.
http://embassysuites3.hilton.com/en...tion-center-MSYCCES/accommodations/index.html

DO NOT MISS Mardi Gras World, they build the floats, great tour, they built the decor that used to be in POFQ food court ...
http://www.mardigrasworld.com/

If they like history this is good! National WW2 Museum
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/?referrer=https://www.google.com/

Cemetery tours are good and we enjoyed them.

Great resource. They are local and so hands on.
http://www.neworleansonline.com/

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I would hope to keep it under $250 or so a night.

I think their rates vary, but I know I've stayed at the Sheraton on Canal for around that.

 

[WeLuvTink!]

I agree with CruisingKate. Our family stayed 4 nights at the Drury Inn last spring break (Mar 2016) and it was perfect. Very short walk. Affordable. Great breakfast and a meal/Manager's reception at night.

 

[IamJBo]

New Orleans is a blast!

I've stayed at a few different hotels but these were the ones worth mentioning.

Bienville Hotel - the absolutely best hotel experience I've had here. Unfortunately it's under reno right now so I couldn't tell you much about the current status. I would look it up and try to grab a hotel around there. It was far enough from Bourbon St. so we never had an issue with street noise... minus the fire department across the street but it was never an issue. Plus it's on the same street as Jackson Square.

Country Inn & Suites by Carlson - its a few blocks from everything but the walk was not bad at all. Plus there is a free breakfast buffet and wifi.

I would also recommend Mardi Gras World. We took a couple of plantation tours / swamp tours through Grayline and it was a blast.

If you're wanting to stick around the French Quarter I would recommend 3-3.5 days to take it all in without much of a time crunch.

 

[NinaBella]

We use to go once a year. The hotels near the convention center are still walkable, we've done it with young cheerleaders. Taxi prices are reasonable. I would not stay in outskirts in cheaper hotels, did it once and hotel was horrible and in a sketchy area.

I have stayed at Hampton Inn and Marriot across from convention center. I absolutely prefer the French Quarter Boutique hotels for a family trip, but cheer trips the gym picks hotels near convention centers.

Tip, check out Stray Boots Scavenger Hunt / Walking Tours on your smartphone. Our cheerleaders loved it and many college students and adults were playing too. Great game to see the French Quarter, learn history and fun facts. You can start/stop as you please and its just a phone game, so you don't report to anywhere local for a guide. Once you start it's active for a year to finish.

 

[Tigerlulu]

Ok I regularly stay there since it's not far from me. We are over there all the time.

Nola can be super cheap! Hotel prices rise during festivals. But it's hard to keep up with those.

Pretty much a hotel in the French qtr, central business district or warehouse district/convention center area are all within walking distance. There is a nice residence inn (on st Joseph) in the warehouse district that's my go-to when everything else is booked up. It's a little further out but seriously not bad. Or it's just a few blocks up to the streetcar so that's an option too. Plus uber is good there.

I ALWAYS try Priceline first!
One of those three areas for 3.5 star and up, I've gotten it as low as $45 bucks a night. Just depends on what's going on in town. Often whatever is going on won't affect you much with the exception of Mardi Gras. The French qtr fest will affect you but I find that one to be in a good way. Music stages set up everywhere and food galore! It's hard to have a bad meal in Nola!

Definitely do the zoo, aquarium, ghost tour (we've used https://www.frenchquarterphantoms.com/ghost-and-vampire-tour and liked them), check out the cemeteries, wander the quarter (minus bourbon!) check out Royal though, one block over towards the river, WW2 museum is amazing, you can ride the riverboat, see some plantations that aren't too far away, swamp tours aren't too far from town either.

Just be aware that any hotel down there will charge extra for parking. Sometimes there is a paid lot close by that may or may not save you money. But I always opt for the valet--it just saves a big headache. I also don't drive as long as we are anywhere down there including the garden district. We use the streetcar for everything except for the zoo. Free parking, might as well, although again the street car passes right in front of Audubon park with the zoo to the back of the park. It's a beautiful walk and not far. Totally worth doing!

Wow this was way longer than I meant! Sorry for rambling! It's my fav city and I'm lucky to have grown up in the area.

 

[jsmla]

I went to high school in the NOLA 'burbs and we do quick getaways to the city fairly often. I second Priceline/Hotwire. Any of the **** hotels in the French Quarter, Downtown or Convention Center areas should be fine and summer isn't peak season. We regularly get non-festival weekend nights at a **** in the $125-150 range

We park for free at Harrah's Casino. You get 24 hours of free parking with 30 minutes of play. I do it in the early AM when the casino is empty. This only really works if you're within easy walking distance but you can save quite a bit. We're only there for weekends, it might get old for a longer trip though since you have to play/remark every day.

Re-history/ghost tours-: different companies have different types of tours. Some hire historians and are more educational, some hire "actors" and are more entertainment oriented. Make sure you book the type you're interested in.

August is Coolinary New Orleans month and there are great prices fixe meal deals in some of the city's best/most famous restaurants.

http://www.coolinaryneworleans.com/

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I live in the 'burbs of Baton Rouge and am a Louisiana girl. I third the Priceline/Hotwire suggestion. Basically, find a 4 or 3.5 star hotel that is cheap. They are all good or they wouldn't be in business in NOLA.

One new, outstanding thing that people are just beginning to to know about - The Hop-On,Hop-Off bus. NO now has one, run by two of the preimminent hoteliers of the city. You pay for one day or three. The bus drivers are also very good tour guides. You get on where you like, you get off where you like. The 3 day ticket includes two superb walking tours, so it's perfect for a weekend visit. http://www.citysightseeingneworleans.com/

If you decide to do any cemetery tours, please try to use Save our Cemeteries. The others are good, and I'm sure those guides have to eat, but SOC isn't just a tour company: they do a great deal of restoration work in historic NO cemeteries. (And they have promo codes for $ off their tours.) http://www.saveourcemeteries.org/category/promo-code/

ETA: Since I'm plugging for organizations in the city. Friends of the Cabildo, another preservation group, also has walking tours of the French Quarter, although if you do the bus, you will get a similar tour for free with a 3 day bus ticket. http://www.friendsofthecabildo.org/1850-house-museum/

 

[Tigerlulu]

I live in the 'burbs of Baton Rouge and am a Louisiana girl.

BR Burb girl here too. Holla!

 

[jsmla]

We're also in Baton Rouge, small world

 

[ajwolfe]

I agree with CruisingKate. Our family stayed 4 nights at the Drury Inn last spring break (Mar 2016) and it was perfect. Very short walk. Affordable. Great breakfast and a meal/Manager's reception at night.

We are a Drury loving family. So this would be walkable the French quarter area?

 

[ajwolfe]

Wow! So much awesome info! Thanks!!

Two boys; ages 10 and 13 at time of travel. We are foodies so there will definitely be some fun to be had with that. Off to check out all these suggestions!

 

[adisneyaunt]

Best western Plus St Charles Street. Great area to stay and the Trolley to Downtown (10-12 minutes) within 1/2 block.m, cheap. Neat, clean and included Free parking, free snacks, free Bkfst foods! Lovely little cation!
Great staff that are So helpful giving tips, hints for the area and discounts as well.
We enjoyed being downtown for the typical NOLA things.. but it was Awfully nice to get to a bit quieter, cleaner ( sorry but the stench of the urine etc every night with sticky streets was too much after a bit) and my family was non to happy with the "mom my feet are sticking to the street" grossed out, lol. Yup, parade were Awesome ( and they do wash down the streets nightly)
Me... loved the experience but for the family... once and done. We did much of what others listed..
Enjoy!