New Orleans is a place full of good times, great music and historic culture. The festivals and food bring visitors from all over the globe to enjoy the big easy. Many of the Hotels in New Orleans play a crucial part in experiencing the culture of the city.

Nola is a place where locals still believe in southern hospitality and enjoying life. The people in Nola have a saying “live and let live”. With so many festivals, sporting events and the world renown cuisine NOLA  is the top destination of Louisiana.

Because NOLA has so much to offer like luxury hotels and Properties with historically rich architecture, millions of people travel to Nola every year. From kenner to Nola and Uptown to the CBD you can find amazing places to stay. Here is a few of my personal favorite New Orleans hotels to stay at while in NOLA.

Click the link for a guide of what NOLA has to offer.

The most Luxury hotel recommendation:

Photo by Le Pavillon Hotel

Le Pavillon Hotel
The moment you pull up to the Le Pavillon hotel only one word stands out to you, “Opulence”. Located in the middle of the bustling central business district of downtown New Orleans this hotel is a crown jewel of NOLA.

Everything about the Le Pavillon is luxury. The service is amazing and very attentive. Every square inch of this hotel was designed to impress you with the mindset of excellence and exuberant abundance.

Every where you look the vibe of the hotel is steeped in custom finishes. My wife and I stayed here a couple times and the experience impressed us every time. It was amazing how the staff was consumed with attention to detail.

The roof top pool is a highlight if you want to grab a drink and enjoy the skyline of NOLA. I will never forget the jetted hot tube we had in our room. One cool surprise we enjoyed was the snacks in the evening that are served.

If you are traveling to NOLA and you want an extinguished experience the accommodations of Le Pavillon will not disappoint.

Tip to Experience NOLA like a local:
Many of these hotels offer valet parking. Valet parking could cost $30-$50 per day and you will have to wait for your car to be brought to you, this becomes an issue if your ever in town and it is a busy time. (which is most of the time.) With Saints games..”WHO DAT”, Pelican games, Concerts, and conferences that are in town all the time, waiting on valet could take a while.

So, here is what I do. I use parking lots around the CBD that offer much cheaper rates and have parking lots close to what I am wanting to do. There are a few caveats with this option. On one hand you can save money.

You need to be aware that you don’t want to park in a paid parking lot and then move because you need to leave and go somewhere if your planning on wanting that spot again.If you choose to save money on parking, be prepared to leave your car in the paid parking lot and walk, Uber or get a driver/cab based on your budget. This way you can save some money on parking.

Make sure you count the cost for what you need in your trip. You do not want to end up paying more for extra transportation than you would have spent on just paying for valet. So, there is some balance of convenience and watching your budget.

Here is my recommendation for parking in the CBD: Premium Parking

 

A very reasonably priced Hotel with quality accommodations:  

Photos by Hilton Homewood Suites

Hilton Homewood Suites
This hotel is one of my favorites on Poydras in the CBD. Every time we have stayed here, we have enjoyed it. The suites have a full fridge with a mini kitchen and the rooms are very spacious.

There is an indoor pool and jacuzzi so going for a swim is convenient and available at your leisure. This hotel is walking distance from all the main attractions.

If you are in town for a concert, Saints Game, or Pelicans game you can get to those events within a few minutes. This hotel will not disappoint you. The staff is very professional and considerate.

This is one of my personal favorites:

 

Hilton New Orleans Riverside
This next hotel is one of my personal favorites. The Hilton riverside side sits in the heart of New Orleans. It is located at (2 Poydras St.) this is like the main artery of the New Orleans CBD.

The Hilton hotel sits at the intersection of Canal St, Poydras St. and convention center Blvd. This hotel is a historic site for New Orleans in terms of culture and music.The late Pete Fountain once had his own club in this hotel, and he would play jazz and perform with other legends in the business.

This hotel has everything you need and want all in one place. They say in real estate that everything is about location. When you consider the Hilton riverside the location could not be any better.

This hotel is built inside of The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk. That means you can go directly from your hotel and walk right into one of the coolest shopping areas in Downtown New Orleans.

Another big plus for the location of this hotel is that it is adjacent to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. So, if you are traveling into Nola for a conference this is the place to stay.

This hotel is the best of the best:

Photos by the Westin Hotel

The Westin New Orleans
This last hotel is one of a kind and many would say it is in a class all on its own. The Westin Hotel is incredibly unique because it offers something that no other hotel that I know of offers in New Orleans.

The lobby riverfront view. The Westin hotel has their lobby located on the 11th floor and you have a wide view of the river and the French quarters. Its amazing. The lobby is spacious and there is a Piano bar where you can get a drink sit back and relax.

The quality of the hotel is as I like to say: “crème del a crème”. In Nola that means the absolute best. This hotel in a class by itself. I love staying here. The rooms are very well taken care of. Its quality and attention to detail everywhere you look. Every time we have stayed here it was an amazing experience.

In addition to Westin being a place you should try to book first anytime your in Nola it also offers a very wide variety of shopping. The Westin hotel is built inside the Canal Place Shopping center. The Canal Place is home to shops like (Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors). The Canal place also has it own Starbucks and Nola favorite Morton’s Steakhouse.

So, in conclusion when considering these hotels that we have listed, we have enjoyed each of them. Every hotel on this list will not disappoint you in providing an amazing experience.

There is nothing like planning to hang out with some cool friends knowing the destination is New Orleans.

Some of my favorite memories of hanging out in my city is going experience Coolinary. During the month of august there is a real treat for anyone in the city, the chance to experience all the fine dining the city has to offer at a discount.

In august for the past 3 to 4 years we have gone to New Orleans and made amazing memories. Coolinary is when the top exclusive restaurants in NOLA take a portion of their menu and offer a 3-5 course meal for an average of $40.

This is a huge deal because for many of the restaurants one entree is at least that or more. Last year we planned an amazing weekend in NOLA. We stayed at the Westin hotel right off Canal St. By staying downtown we were always walking distance to all the great restaurants downtown. Here is some of my favorite moments from that weekend.

Our First Stop:

So, we got into town around 10am on the first day. We were hungry so we met our friends at the Ruby Slipper on Magazine St. This was a cool place to start the day we hung out had a good brunch and enjoyed catching up with all our friends. Breakfast was pretty good. I got the southern breakfast minus the green tomato lol. All in all it was a good start and we had a great time chilling. This was the beginning of a great trip. It was cool to just chill out. It was a no stress no worries chill atmosphere. Click Here to check out the Ruby Slipper.

Time to check in:

Next stop was to go to the hotel and check in. The Westin is one of my favorite hotels in NOLA. There are three reasons I love it. The first is the view. The lobby is not on the first floor like all your regular hotels. The Westin did it different. The Lobby is on the 11th floor overlooking NOLA. It’s crazy. So, I’m a sucker for scenery. So, that is #1. Next up the Hotel itself is inside the canal place, this is a mall downtown and there is a Morton’s steakhouse and lots of shopping, Starbucks all inside the mall.

The Lobby is not just a place with a view but there is a big sprawling lobby with lots of seating and a bar where you can get a drink, and hang. There is also live music being played on the grand piano. True NOLA style. Click here to check out the Westin Hotel.

Next Stop Lunch:

So, this was not an ordinary Lunch, it was more of a Jazz Brunch. We ate at Commanders Palace! This was my first time going and having this experience. So, growing up I heard a lot about this place. It was always compared to Emerils. So, our experience was a little different than normal. My wife had a friend who knew people who worked at commanders. We were given the VIP treatment.

The view was awesome we sat upstairs in the corner and the meal was crazy! I had the peached glazed boudin stuffed quail with the creole gumbo. That gumbo was some of the best I ever had. It was Crazy! Then I finished my meal with the bread pudding soufflé….wasn’t sure I could walk after that lol. The service was the coolest experience. From the amuse bouche to the desert, every course was delivered to the table for everyone at the same time. It was completely awesome. We also had a live band taking our request for the table to play music while we ate.

It was a meal I won’t forget. 1 out of 10 for commanders palace…it was a 1500!! I was completely impressed and for me this is the best restaurant in town. I need proof that something better exist. If you are in town, this has to be on the list. Click here for more info on Commanders Palace.

Needed Time for dinner: 

After stuffing our face all day we were all half dead after lunch. We all went back to the hotel sat in the lobby and got a drink. We were trying to prepare ourselves for dinner. We had the Bourbon house on the schedule. So, we decided to go walk off some of the food in the river walk. This is another cool bonus to staying at the Westin.

The river walk is like 3 minutes from the hotel. So we walked and shopped for a lil bit. We ate beignets even though we had just ate. It’s crazy how when you are stuffed until food becomes available lol. After walking through the river walk we then went back to the hotel so we could freshen up change and get ready for dinner.

Before we went to dinner we made one stop right around the corner from where we would eat dinner. We took a moment to chill in the Davenport Lounge. It’s located inside the Ritz Carrollton hotel. We were a little under dressed for the occasion but we still chilled for a moment. Next time we will go and listen to some jazz.

Winding down the evening: 

Our next stop was dinner. We had reservations to eat at the Bourbon house. This was a real chill laid back environment. There was a long list of bourbon to try and they didn’t disappoint. We had Charbroiled oysters crab claws and rib eyes. It was a great evening. This is where we were introduced to the Angel’s envy bourbon. We were eating good food and sipping with friends. It’s was a cool night in NOLA. Every time we see the friends we went to NOLA with, we all say we got to do it again. To make reservations at bourbon house Click Here.

 

Most people love the food in New Orleans. People from all over the world come to New Orleans to try the delicacies of the big easy. But how did New Orleans cuisine develop into what it is today? What influenced the progress that has been made?

The history of New Orleans Cuisine:

So, New Orleans was founded by the Le Moyne brothers in 1718. They were from the New France – Canada. They had the French mindset. Unlike the English who live in England, the French mindset is where ever you are its “France”. When you think about the French they are a very creative people. There is a strong connection between their food and their art. The Le Moyne brothers were not afraid to eat what the natives ate. That mindset of cooking and eating was brought from the New France of that time. The French believes in eating good meals and drinking well with others.

It’s all about bringing people together for the French. The French people love to have long meals. That is where the 5-course meal came from. Within the French culture it’s customary to take the meal slow, to make it a progression. Usually in French culture the meal starts with an “amuse bouche”. This is typically a small little parcel that can be eaten in one bite.

The “amuse bouche” is made to excite your palette and set the tone for the whole meal. Once this is done the rest of the courses would follow. So, now you can understand how for the French, food is life and there is an art to how it’s prepared and consumed. Now, if you fast forward history and look at the year of 1763, this is the year that the Spanish took over New Orleans. When Spain took over they brought a big influence to the food of New Orleans. Spain introduced the spice trade and rice. So, when you see New Orleans food have everything on a bed of rice that is the Spanish influence. So, now we have a picture. If you think about all the French culture of how food is prepared and served then the overall art of it mixed with the flavor and spice of the Spanish, now you have the “New Orleans cuisine”. From the early 1800s families and different chefs have been cooking and creating the creole master pieces we have grown to love.

When you think about coming to New Orleans and really enjoying the best it has to offer in food, those meals can get really expensive. Really most people who are local to New Orleans can’t afford to enjoy the delicacies it offers.

The Value of a discount:

Growing up in New Orleans we never really had much money. We ate at home or we would go drive over to my grandmother’s house and eat some of the best food in our lives. She was an amazing cook!

We really didn’t grow up eating at all the top restaurants of New Orleans. We would hear stories about how New Orleans had world renowned food and restaurants but the only cuisine we ate was from our family for the most part. I’m not saying we never ate out. There was a lot of local places we would go to like Chinese kitchen and 5 happiness.

But as far as the restaurants that New Orleans was known for, we didn’t know anything about it if we wasn’t told. With this thought in mind there is a really cool way to learn about all the great food options in New Orleans now. It’s called “Coolinary”. In the month of august there is a long list of restaurants that offer a three course meal for an average of $40.

This is a big deal because in many of the nice restaurants one entree would cost that much. Experiencing Coolinary in New Orleans has really helped me get proof, when it comes to 5 star meals, there is no other place like New Orleans!