Le Pavillon, New Orleans

Le Pavillon is downtown New Orleans' most charming historic hotel and one of the best values among the city's grand old addresses. It opened in 1907 as the New Hotel Denechaud, became the DeSoto Hotel a few years later, and took the name Le Pavillon in the 1970s; its penthouse once housed WDSU, the city's first radio station. Today it is part of Marriott's Tribute Portfolio, but it has kept its singular personality. The lobby is the showpiece: soaring ceilings, crystal chandeliers, marble, historic portraits and a grand staircase with ornate wrought-iron railings, the sort of room that makes arriving feel like an occasion. Rooms are traditionally styled with modern updates, and the hotel is well known for small gestures of hospitality, including its long-standing evening tradition of complimentary peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with milk, which guests of all ages remember fondly. The location on Poydras Street in the Central Business District is practical: the French Quarter and Bourbon Street are just over a mile away, an easy walk or quick ride, while the National WWII Museum, the Warehouse District's restaurants and galleries, the Superdome, the Convention Center and the St. Charles streetcar are all close by. Readers of Conde Nast Traveler have named it a top hotel in New Orleans. Fit: first-timers who want historic grandeur at a sensible price, families (the nightly snacks are a hit), and visitors attending games, concerts or conventions downtown.

Why stay downtown: the Central Business District offers larger rooms and lower rates than most of the French Quarter while keeping you within walking distance of it. Le Pavillon is especially well placed for the WWII Museum and the Warehouse District, for events at the Superdome and Smoothie King Center, and for the St. Charles streetcar to the Garden District. The streets around Poydras are busy by day and quieter at night, so the walk back from the Quarter is usually easier by rideshare late in the evening.

Making the most of it: linger in the lobby, which is one of the most beautiful public rooms in the city and a favorite photo backdrop. Take part in the evening snack tradition, and ask about the hotel's history, from its early-twentieth-century origins to its radio-station penthouse. Request a higher floor for skyline views and less street noise. Families should ask about connecting rooms or suites, and anyone attending a big game or concert nearby should book early, as event nights fill the hotel quickly.

Practicals: 833 Poydras Street in the Central Business District, a few blocks from Canal Street. Valet parking is available at downtown rates. Rates are typically moderate for a historic full-service hotel, rising for Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, Sugar Bowl and major conventions. Fit: first-timers, families, sports fans and value-minded travelers who want a grand historic hotel with personality and an easy walk to the French Quarter and the WWII Museum. For a smooth first day, walk to the WWII Museum in the morning, lunch in the Warehouse District, stroll down to the French Quarter for the afternoon and evening, and ride back to the hotel in time for the evening snacks. Many guests find the downtown base makes the whole trip feel calmer, with the Quarter close at hand but not on the doorstep every night.