St. James Hotel

This charming boutique hotel is located in a 19th-century building, offering views overlooking the city. From the hotel, you’ll be within walking distance of several attractions, including Cafe du Monde, Jackson Square, and the Garden District.

• European-inspired breakfast: The hotel delivers hot croissants and coffee to your room every morning.
• Dine at the onsite steak-and-seafood restaurant.
• Stylish accommodations feature flat-screen TVs, microwaves, and mini-fridges.
• What’s nearby: The French Quarter is less than a mile away. Take a relaxing stroll down the street to try some authentic Cajun cuisine or see an old-school blues band.
• Stay connected with free WiFi throughout the property.

New Orleans’s French Quarter: Let the Good Times Roll

“Stop thinking of New Orleans as the worst-organized city in the United States,” writes author Dan Baum in Nine Lives, his post-Katrina book. “Start thinking of it as the best-organized city in the Caribbean.” Some folks think there is something distinctly foreign about New Orleans, a place where people’s priorities seem inclined toward enjoying life and relishing the moment at hand. Nothing says it better than the town’s unofficial Cajun creed: “Laissez les bons temps rouler,” or “Let the good times roll.”

Historical buildings with intricate wrought-iron balconies line the narrow streets of New Orleans’s French Quarter. Here, street musicians often fill the air with jazz music, their trombones and tubas swinging back and forth. Just off the Jackson Square park and near the towering St. Louis Cathedral, the legendary Café Du Monde serves beignets under heaping piles of powdered sugar. The nearby Frenchmen Street, just north of the Quarter, provides a slightly less touristy taste of New Orleans nightlife. Some of the city’s most popular live jazz and blues bars dominate this historic two-block district, with each venue hosting world-class musicians nearly every night of the week. And then there’s Bourbon Street, where neon lights advertise frozen cocktails and crowds gather along 13 city blocks.