Best places to stay in New Orleans

Planning a trip to the Big Easy and wondering where to stay? New Orleans offers a wide range of experiences, no matter where you stay. You can plan your stay in any of the neighborhoods given below, and you will cherish the many surprises that New Orleans gives you.

This is the reason why you will find the best places to stay in New Orleans. The city always seems to intrigue you at every point. For, every neighborhood has some unique thing to offer to its visitors. There are culinary experiences and cultural beauty here. But you can also enjoy natural outings and thrilling adventures.

The Mississippi is the one thing that defines the true colors of New Orleans. So if you are wondering where to stay in New Orleans, then this blog is for you.

  • French Quarter – for those who love history, heritage structures, architecture, and nightlife
  • Central Business District – for first-time visitors, location, accommodation options
  • Bourbon Street – best place for nightlife, music, and fine dining
  • Garden District – best for families, shopping, parks
  • Faubourg Treme – best for history, architecture, and heritage, creole restaurants
  • Warehouse/Arts District – best for restaurants, dining, sightseeing, and nature walks
  • Marigny/Bywater – best for nightlife, entertainment, and music scene
  • Mid-City/Lakeview – best for easy accessibility, art, food, and culture
  • Uptown: best for Victorian homes, colleges, students, and historic hotels

French Quarter

The French Quarter is what gives culture and heritage to New Orleans. Most visitors to New Orleans will enjoy the lively vibes of the French Quarter. The party scene is vibrant and also appeals to families. You will find boutique shops, bars, and restaurants, besides several other things to do. The views of the Mississippi River as its winds down the city are stunning. Bourbon Street is the main attraction in French Quarter and you will find street performers doing their acts, bars and restaurants serving delicious food and drinks, and historic buildings.

You can have a lot of dining options in the French Quarter. Some restaurants serve amazing creole food. Cafes like Café du Monde serve amazing beignets. You will find art galleries, live music venues, bars, and a lot of tour options to see iconic heritage buildings. The various sightseeing places here are St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, and Pirates Alley. This is the reason why you will find the best places to stay in New Orleans for young adults in the French Quarter. 

Places to stay in the French Quarter

  • Luxury: Hotel Monteleone, Four Seasons New Orleans
  • Mid-range: W Hotel New Orleans, Omni Royal Orleans Hotel
  • Budget: Super 8 by Wyndham, City House New Orleans

Central Business District

The Central Business District in New Orleans is one of the best areas to stay in New Orleans today. If you want to enjoy the nightlife along with live entertainment and a bit of shopping, you can check out Central Business District. It is a place for business and corporate offices, with some residential neighborhoods to boast of. There is also some architecture here and this is as old as the 19th century. You can go out shopping here at popular retail stores such as the ones in South Market.

The Central Business District is also one of the places where you will find the best hotels to stay in New Orleans. You will find rooftop bars, swanky hotels, upscale restaurants, parks, and other attractions in CBD. You can catch live sports at Mercedes-Benz Superdome or perhaps watch a concert or performance at Orpheum Theater. Kids will have fun too, and there are places like the Audobon Aquarium of the Americas here. It has over 3600 aquatic creatures.

Places to stay in Central Business District

  • Luxury: Windsor Court Hotel, Intercontinental Hotel, NOPSI Hotel
  • Mid-range: The Eliza Jane, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Canal Street Inn
  • Budget: HI New Orleans Hostel, Wyndhamm Garden Baronne

Bourbon Street

One of the good places to stay in New Orleans today for nightlife is Bourbon Street. The street is within the French Quarter and is full of vibrant nightlife. Bourbon Street is also the perfect place where you will find unique places to stay in New Orleans Louisiana. Bourbon Street is named after the French aristocratic family and not because of the drink of the same name.

Bourbon Street is known for its century-old bars, and these will remind you of bygone days when poets, artists, and performers used to sit and hang about in these. There is vintage architecture in buildings like Old Absinthe House, which dates back to 1806. There is plenty of food to have here in restaurants like Desire Oyster Bar and Galatoire’s. Bourbon Street is like a celebration of the vintage old world. This is also the reason why Bourbon Street is one of the best places to stay in New Orleans for young adults.

These are the best places in New Orleans to throw a party, be it college reunions, weekend celebrations, girls’ parties, birthday celebrations, or bachelorette and bachelor parties. The best attractions here are the festivals like the Mardi Gras, Carnival season, and Southern Decadence Festival. Hotel bookings will be full at this time of the year as it is one of the top places to stay in French Quarter in New Orleans LA.

Places to stay on Bourbon Street

  • Luxury: The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
  • Mid-range: Bourbon Orleans Hotel
  • Budget: Inn on Ursulines, a French Quarter Guest Houses Property

Garden District

Garden District is one of the best places to stay in New Orleans for families. Here you will find old Victorian homes, lush green trees, and residential areas. This is one of those places which kindle the nostalgic memories of plantation days in the US southern states. These plantations once spread over acres and acres, but today, they have been reduced and some have been converted into residential areas.

You will still find lush green gardens among these residential areas. There are the best restaurants, luxury hotels, upscale restaurants, and boutique shops here. There are sprawling marketplaces like the Garden District Marketplace with restaurants, shops, and big stores. You can relish African-influenced cuisine, something that you get only here.

You can visit the best sightseeing places like Lafayette Cemetery No.1, and walk among the tombs and mausoleums. If you searching for places to stay in Garden District, then you will find B&Bs, cheap hotels, guest houses, boutique hotels, and more accommodation options including best resorts to stay in New Orleans.

Places to stay in Garden District

  • Luxury: Pontchartrain Hotel St. Charles Avenue
  • Mid-range: Hotel Indigo
  • Budget: Auberge NOLA Hostel

Faubourg Treme

Faubourg Treme, or rather just Treme, is one of the cheap places to stay in New Orleans. This is also one of the nice places to stay in New Orleans for sightseeing. This neighborhood in New Orleans is considered to be the birthplace of Jazz music, and the southern Civil Rights Movement.

There is a bit of history, culture, architecture and vintage New Orleans tucked into this one neighborhood of Faubourg Treme. If museums interest you, there is The Backstreet Cultural Museum, where you can see exhibits of Creole artisans, photographs, and heritage artifacts. The St. Augustine Catholic Church was set up in 1841 and is the oldest African-American church in the entire US. Visit Congo Square where you can enjoy music and arrange picnics, or dance to tunes. This is also one of the cheapest places to stay in New Orleans.

You will find plenty of cheap B&Bs, guest homes, and hotels to stay in. There are old-style taverns and bars where you can enjoy live jazz music. You can learn a little bit more about this unique neighborhood by vesting St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Here there are graves and people come to pay their respect to the Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau.               

Places to stay in Faubourg Treme

  • Luxury: Best Western Plus French Quarter Courtyard Hotel
  • Mid-range: The Esplanade Guesthouse Mansion
  • Budget: New Orleans Guest House

Marigny/Bywater

Perhaps the best place to revisit history in New Orleans is the quaint neighborhood of Marigny/Bywater. This is also one of the quieter places in New Orleans where you will find art, culture, vintage architecture, and a lively restaurant scene, all rolled into one. But there is energy also, in the jazz clubs, and you can check them out if you want to enjoy live bands playing jazz.

The jazz clubs here are abuzz with local musicians and well-known performers and jazz bands. You can find some very interesting places here like Euclid Records, where you can browse through vinyl records and go nostalgic into the olden days of music. You can visit the Frenchmen Art Market where you can see artisans and craftspeople display an array of home-spun crafts and art pieces. This gives you a great opportunity to buy some for your home.

You can visit the newly opened Crescent Park if you love to spend time outdoors and have some adventure. Stroll along the paths, or take a bike and ride along the Bywater riverfront. You will not find very expensive hotels here and that is why this is also one of the top places to stay in New Orleans for free. What you will find though, are cheap B&Bs, boutique hotels, and guest homes.

Places to stay in Marigny/Bywater

  • Luxury: Frenchmen Orleans at 519, Ascend Hotel Collection
  • Mid-range: Hotel Peter and Paul
  • Budget: Blue60 Guest House

Mid-City/Lakeview

You will find Mid-City/Lakeview to be one of the best places to stay in New Orleans for families. This neighborhood of New Orleans is perfect for those who love the easy life. Mid-City/Lakeview is perfect for those who want to avoid the noisy parts of New Orleans like the CBD or the French Quarter.

There is some quiet luxury in this place which attracts families with kids. But even romantic couples will find this to their liking and no wonder it is one of the safe places to stay in New Orleans for couples. There are green spaces and outdoor fun here for children. City Park is one such green space where you will find the famous Canal Street and Canal Streetcars running through this area. The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) is famous for its collection of local and international artists. You can attend charitable and other art events organized by the museum.

You can certainly visit the New Orleans Botanical Garden, and stroll among the innumerable species of flowers and shrubs. There is plenty of amusement and entertainment here as well. The Carousel Gardens Amusement park and Big Lake are perfect for evening relaxation and boating. The Mid-city area is perfect for its bars and nightlife. You will find delicious seafood delicacies to eat at restaurants that serve great creole food. You will find several expensive hotels here and B&Bs also, in addition to mid-range and budget options.

Places to stay in Mid-City/Lakeview

  • Luxury: Lucky Inn New Orleans
  • Mid-range: India House Hostel
  • Budget: The Ben Louie

Uptown

The uptown area is one of the best areas to stay in New Orleans today. This area has plenty of things to boast of, including Victorian architecture, street food, river views, recreation parks, zoos, art galleries, student culture, and historic hotels. You can browse for sculptures and paintings at art centers.

There are lush green avenues lined with trees and greenery, and St. Charles Avenue is one such avenue. You will find sprawling villas and mansions here and big oak trees surround them. You will find a vibrant and youthful student culture here as there are famous colleges here such as Loyola University and Tulane University. The Uptown area has the best hotels to stay in New Orleans and is one of the cheap places to stay in New Orleans.

There are Audobon Zoo and Audobon Riverpark View where you can spend time among lush greenery and wild animals. There are several expensive hotels here and you will also find B&Bs for your stay in New Orleans.

Places to stay in Uptown

  • Luxury: Park View Historic Hotel
  • Mid-range: Alder Hotel Uptown New Orleans
  • Budget: St Charles Inn, Superior Hotel

Warehouse/Arts District

This was once an industrial area in New Orleans, but today, this is one of the best areas to stay in New Orleans today. Warehouse District was renovated and transformed into a thriving neighborhood in New Orleans. You will find French creole houses, boutique hotels, museums, art galleries, famous restaurants, and shopping malls among the famous attractions. You will find BBQ restaurants along the Mississippi river and trendy shops.

The big attraction here is the Aquarium of the Americas, which is great for kids and adults. Riverwalk outlet mall is a big shopping mall where you can buy branded goods. You can visit the exhibits at the World War II Museum, and spend some time admiring the art collection at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

Places to stay in Warehouse/Arts District

  • Luxury: Maison de la Luz
  • Mid-range: The Mercantile
  • Budget: The Quisby

Final Words on places to stay in New Orleans

The neighborhoods mentioned above are the best places where you will find the best hotels to stay in New Orleans. You will also find unique places to stay in New Orleans Louisiana. There are plenty of things to do in all these neighborhoods. Spend the day sightseeing, have outdoor fun and spend time at museums or musical venues in the evening.

There are restaurants, bars, and eating joints that serve multiple cuisines and specialize in creole food dishes. New Orleans has some of the best places to stay in New Orleans. Stay here and feel the history flow like the flow of the Mississippi River, when you visit New Orleans.

The travel tips mentioned above also cover where to stay in New Orleans to walk everywhere around the year. If you are searching for safest places to stay in New Orleans Bourbon Street or cool places stay in New Orleans Mardi Gras, the above travel guide covers everything. If you are looking for the Best Places To Visit in Louisiana then don’t forget to check our other travel guides.

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