The Best Hotels to Book Near the Port of New Orleans

There’s no point in hitting up New Orleans’ clubs if you’re not going to look good doing it. Fortunately, Hotel Saint Vincent contains its very own lifestyle and fashion boutique, ByGeorge New Orleans. The shop sells vintage watches, fine jewelry and silk kimonos, and features exclusive items from luxury brands such as the Elder Statesman. It’s fitting for a hotel this stylish: originally built in 1861, this former orphanage was reimagined in 2021 into a 75-room boutique right in the Lower Garden District.

Anyone with an interest in history should book a room at the Higgins, the official hotel of the National WWII Museum. It’s located right next door to the museum, and features a rooftop bar dedicated to the women engineers of WWII, with a view of the Bollinger Canopy of Peace – the unique structure that adorns the museum’s campus. The hotel’s staff can help book your tickets for the museum, where you’ll find an array of immersive exhibitions, including virtual field trips and an extensive collection of artefacts. Inside the hotel itself, the art deco interiors and community coffee bar keeps guests content whenever they’re not on the rood (which isn’t very often).

You’ll find a different kind of history at the Pontchartrain. Inside the hotel lies the Bayou Bar, where a couple of lads once got together, had a few drinks and decided to create the New Orleans Saints NFL team. Frank Sinatra was also a fan (of the bar, not The Saints), and would frequent the Bayou whenever he was in town. After you’ve finished sampling the extensive whisky menu, try out one of the other three in-house eateries and drinkeries (there’s a rooftop bar, too), or relax in one of The Ponchartrain’s luxurious rooms, which combine modern amenities with old-fashioned Deep South style across 14 historic storeys.

If you’re looking for something a little more laid-back, Henry Howard Hotel might be right up your street. The bright-white, colonnaded facade is your first taste of the classiness within: the 18-room boutique has retained many of its original features, which date back to 1867. The remodelled, former townhouse hides in one of the peaceful streets of the Garden District, and features a chilled-out parlour where guests sip on cocktails or coffee. If you like, you can get your drinks “to geaux”, and take them up to the hotel’s balcony patio, where you can watch the city’s parades go by. Downstairs, prints of the local area are available to buy, as well as maps for self-guided walking tours of the Garden District.

This stylish hotel was formerly a Catholic church and school – as the name recalls – and was completely restored into a super-boutique, seven-bedroom guesthouse following a four-year redevelopment project. While the hotel has made great efforts to preserve the building’s history (you’ll see medieval, religious paintings on the walls and antique European furnishings) it has made a few small changes. For one thing, the convent which was the home of the Marianite nuns is now an ice cream parlour, serving scrumptious sundaes in all flavors. The whole place is so beautiful, we’re sure the Pope would approve.

If you want to stay close to the action but still get a good night’s sleep, St. Charles Inn is the place for you. It’s tucked away behind a dove-grey facade in the quieter Garden District, but is just a three-minute walk from the streetcar station, which can zip you to the French District bars, or family-friendly attractions such as the SuperDome or Audubon Zoo, in no time. The hotel itself is pet-friendly, so you’ll never be too far from a dog to cuddle, and offers a generous continental breakfast spread each morning to be taken on the leafy street terrace.

This stunning mansion-turned-inn is located right in the center of the city, in the heart of Canal Street. Inside, it’s all huge tiled fireplaces, chandeliers, polished wood furnishings and stained-glass windows. The beautiful and classic design aesthetic extends to its 11 guest rooms, many of which are named after flowers: Camelia, Jasmine, Magnolia. Its central location means easy access to the city’s best restaurants, so make sure to stop by Mandina’s for catfish meuniere or some classic NOLA-style fried shrimp. And if you’re a big group, you can hire out the entire place for a New Orleans stay to remember.

For an authentic taste of the N’awlins lifestyle, book a stay at Hotel Provincial. This hotel has made great efforts to maintain its classical architecture, to the point that it’s even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its location in the city’s French Quarter means that you’re close to the best nightlife around. But you’d be forgiven for spending all day in the hotel pool and all evening in the Ice Bar or Italianate garden – complete with stone fountain – sampling classic cocktails such as the New Orleans Hurricane or Bloody Mary.