Bourbon Orleans Hotel

The Bourbon Orleans gives you one of the most central addresses in the French Quarter and one of its most layered histories. The hotel stands at 717 Orleans Street, at the corner of Bourbon, directly behind the garden of St. Louis Cathedral and a short walk from Jackson Square, Royal Street and Preservation Hall. Its centerpiece is the Orleans Ballroom, built in the early nineteenth century and once one of the city's most fashionable venues for balls and society gatherings. Later in the century the building became the home of the Sisters of the Holy Family, the order of Black Catholic nuns founded in New Orleans by Henriette Delille, who used it as a convent and school for decades, an important and often overlooked chapter in the city's history. Today it is part of the New Orleans Hotel Collection, and the restored ballroom still hosts weddings and events. Many rooms open onto balconies, including some overlooking Bourbon Street, which make for unforgettable people-watching during festivals, while others face quieter Orleans Street or interior courtyards. There is an outdoor pool for hot afternoons, a restaurant and bar on site, and the hotel's reputation as one of the Quarter's haunted addresses gives it a playful following, though its documented history is the real story. The location puts nearly everything within a few minutes' walk. Fit: first-timers who want to be in the thick of the Quarter, couples drawn to balconies and history, and travelers who enjoy a lively setting.

The Bourbon Street question: this stretch of Bourbon toward Orleans and St. Ann is livelier than the residential lower blocks but calmer than the neon heart near Canal Street. Rooms with Bourbon-facing balconies deliver the classic French Quarter experience, music and crowds included, especially on weekends and during festivals, so light sleepers should request a room on the Orleans Street side or facing the courtyard. Either way, you can retreat to the pool or step a block over to quieter Royal Street.

History worth seeking out: ask staff about the Orleans Ballroom, and if it is not booked for an event, take a look at the grand room where nineteenth-century New Orleans danced. The Sisters of the Holy Family's long stewardship of the building is a significant part of the city's Black Catholic heritage; St. Augustine Church in Treme and the order's later home carry the story forward. The ghost stories that guides tell outside the hotel are part of the fun, but the true history is more interesting.

Practicals: 717 Orleans Street at Bourbon, in the central French Quarter, directly behind St. Louis Cathedral's garden. Parking is limited in the Quarter, so ask about valet options or arrive without a car. Rates rise steeply for Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest and Halloween, and minimum stays may apply. Fit: first-timers, couples and festival-goers who want history, balconies and the center of the action. To get the best of the location, explore early, when the Quarter is washed clean and quiet, then come back for the pool in the afternoon heat. In the evening, step out the door for music on Bourbon if you want the spectacle, or walk a block to Royal Street and Pirate's Alley beside the cathedral for something more atmospheric. Few hotels let you move between the two moods of the Quarter so easily.