Luxury Hotel Questions (near FQ)

Hi guys,

I am traveling to NO for a romantic little getaway immeadiately after Mardi Gras, Wed to Sun. I am looking at the high end hotels that are near the French Quarter. I have narrowed it down to 5 hotels...(The contentious 5 it would seem)

-Omni Royal

-Royal Sonesta

-Windsor Court

-Monteleone

-Ritz Carlton

I understand these are the best, I have looked each up individually and need reasons to start eliminating some from the running. Price is about the same except Ritz is about 45 less a night, but it doesn%26#39;t have the Nawliness that the others do. I%26#39;d like to get a recent and comparitive look from actual humans. Here is my personal situation/questions:

-Young couple (25-29)

-Romantic hotel

-Enjoy doin the town

-Would like a ';standard'; room that is decent sized. Will likely be stayin in late and not just comin to the room to sleep and take off. Which has the nicest ';standard'; rooms?

-Best lobby, bar??

-Quiet location

-Spas, pool, restaurants comparison

Im sure you get the idea. We are lookin for the New Orleans feel, but don%26#39;t want grandma%26#39;s house. Alot I know, but I%26#39;d appreciate the help.

Luxury Hotel Questions (near FQ)

Tough decision.

The Omni has very small rooms in the ';standard'; category, as does Monteleone. The largest rooms are at the Windsor Court and Ritz Carlton. However, these two have far less ';New Orleans charm'; than do the Omni, Monteleone or Royal Sonesta.

If this was my choice, I%26#39;d go with the Ritz Carlton based on location, price, great bar and nice spa. Second choice is the Omni, but I%26#39;d definitely ask for a ';deluxe'; room as opposed to their smaller ';petite'; or ';European'; rooms.

Luxury Hotel Questions (near FQ)

I would also go for the Ritz Carlton. It%26#39;s arguably the best hotel in the city currently, in terms of amenities and service. I%26#39;m a fan of the Monteleone and Omni Royal Orleans, but I would put the Ritz Carlton ahead of these two.

I think you should also look into the new Roosevelt New Orleans (formerly the Fairmont), and it has both in luxury and New Orleans charm! http://www.therooseveltneworleans.com/

The Roosevelt%26#39;s web page states that the soft opening is scheduled for June 2009.

Also check out the Ritz-Carlton%26#39;s Club level...Maison Orleans. We love it there. Very relaxed, elegant, with snacks and drinks all day at no extra cost. Try to see Jeremy Davenport there on the weekend. Great big-band style crooning.

But I understand that the Ritz in New orleans is not that great. Comments? And do the quality levels of these 5 hotels shift throughout the year/years. Several people use phrases like ';best hotel right now';. I need to eliminate some of the hotles...so my understanding is the running right now. Location wise which 2 would you guys pitch?? Can we get rid of contenders. Monteleone is slowly sliding right now! As is Sonesta!

No, the Ritz Carlton, especially the Maison Orleans Club Level, is pretty fabulous!

If you want to eliminate some choices, eliminate WIndsor Court Hotel and Royal Sonesta.

Assume you booked already but I would also put the W on your list of possibles. I have stayed there twice and loved it each time. They have one of the best courtyards to hang out in. Rooms arent huge but the beds are very comfortable and staff is very accomodating. It is usually expensive but if you can get a good deal it is worth it. Its connected to Bacco restaurant which I think has good food and there is a bar too. Have fun!

We got what appears to be a fairly good deal on a full suite at the Windsor Ct. on the club level. I understand that the club level rooms have recently been refurbished. We are a family of 3 who will be in New Orleans for a week, so we%26#39;d like a bit of space. Not to hijack the post, but we have explored the hotels in the OP. Rooms either too small or too expensive or both. Anyone know anything about the club level at the Windor Ct?

Hi! My boyfriend and I stayed at the Omni Royal Orleans in December and we loved it. The room was a decent size, had a comfortable bed, a fantastic staff, and a great atmosphere. They have a great pool and courtyard on the roof that offers amazing views of the city. The location was great; close enough to everywhere we wanted to go, but not noisy. If you sign up for their Select Guest program, which is free, you get a few “perks”. We received a free room upgrade to a balcony room that was wonderful. We enjoyed the free beverage service in the morning while sitting on the balcony; it was incredibly romantic. Have a wonderful trip wherever you end up staying!

My fav is the Monteleon and I%26#39;ve been staying there off and on for a long while. They are home to the famous carousel bar. I%26#39;ve stayed in different standard rooms and all were reasonble sized for NO.

My mom has stayed everywere in the FQ and prefers the Omni by far and is a fan of their pool especially.

FQ hotels have a variety of guests of all ages but on the weekend the crowd is a bit younger and more out to party.

Be sure and get a hurricane at Lafitte%26#39;s Blacksmith Shop-my fav place! Go to Coop%26#39;s for gumbo and crab stuffed peppers and try a sampler plate or poboy (the bacon is crazy good, odd choice I know but good stuff!). Petunia%26#39;s has the best french toast in the world and you can get it during lunch as well.

Happy travels!

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