A peek inside a few New Orleans luxury hotels

Last week I had the pleasure of touring three of my favorite high-end properties in downtown New Orleans: The Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, and Loews New Orleans Hotel. Not only are the luxury facilities a comfort for my clients, but the sales staff and other employees offer fantastic service to travel partners and esteemed guests. Each hotel is unique, but all three offer fantastic dining options, excellent meeting space, a full-service spa, and easy access to the major sites and activities in the city. If you're looking for top-tier accommodations in the heart of the city close to a lot of great things to do, music venues, and festivals, then select from one of these great properties!

Lobby

The Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel, a Waldorf-Astoria property, is situated just off Canal Street -- within walking distance of so many great restaurants, bars, and attractions. We enjoyed a delicious meal on site at the brand new Fountain Lounge. Other great venues there include the Sazarac Bar and John Besh's Domenica -- two favorite local establishments. Learn more about the hotel, and check out the photos below.

Rooms

  

Bathroom

Living area

  

Double-bedded rooms

  

Bath

Rooftop Pool

  

Meeting Space

  

Rooftop

   

What sets the Loews New Orleans apart is the fantastic views and large rooms and suites. Additionally, its Cafe Adelaide has some of the best food in the city (check it out for brunch!) and the Swizzle Stick Bar serves amazing craft cocktails! This hotel is a perfect choice if you need a pet-friendly hotel, or if you are looking for immediate proximity to Harrah's Casino. Learn more about Loews on their website, and view our photos below.

Lobby

Spa Facilities

Meeting Space

Rooms

River Views

The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans truly offers the utmost in exceptional luxury. The quality of the accommodations, the size and offerings of its spa, and the amazing Club Lounge are unmatched.  An additional service that is incredibly convenient is its mobile app where you can check in online, order room service, view your bill, and more. With so much unique and usable space, this property is a top choice for your 5-star accommodations in New Orleans. Be sure to check out their website, and view our photos below.

Courtyard

Cocktail bar and stage

Delightful Rooms

 

Fantastic Club Lounge

Ritz Club Lounge with unlimited wine all day

Snacks, tea, beverages in Club Lounge

Cajun Encounters Swamp Tour

What a fun weekend! We had a genealogy group visiting New Orleans, and they stayed very busy! The Astor Crowne Plaza (on the corner of Bourbon and Canal Streets) served as host hotel while the group participated in a private city tour, explored the World War II Museum, visited Oak Alley Plantation, walked the Ghosts and Spirits Tour in the French Quarter, wandered through the working warehouse of Mardi Gras World, had brunch on board the Steamboat Natchez Riverboat cruise, and got up close and personal with the gators at Honey Island Swamp!

New Orleans has so many wonderful activities and excursions, but I realized I hadn't yet gone on Cajun Encounters' Swamp Tour. On Saturday, my husband and I were picked up right on time at the Hampton Inn on St. Charles Avenue (not far from home) by one of their 25-passenger shuttle buses. It was a comfortable, air-conditioned ride downtown to meet up with the bigger, 33-passenger bus that would take us the 45 minute ride through the city, across Lake Ponchartrain, past Slidell -- to the Honey Island Swamp. The driver announced informative anecdotes along the way to keep us entertained and aware of our surroundings.

Upon arrival, we checked in and were escorted to our flat-bottom boat by Captain Anthony. Anthony's thick Cajun accent lent a special authenticity to our experience. We heard stories of the wetlands and saw an abundance of wildlife including alligators, blue herons, turtles, and wild pigs. We learned about the cypress trees, Tupelo honey, and the way of life on these slow-moving waters. The boat could easily navigate fast or slow, through wider canals, and smaller waterways -- allowing us to get up close and personal with the creatures of the bayou.

Just before our tour, I learned that one of my clients had lost a priceless item in a coin purse on the bus. After a phone call and some digging around, the staff were able to locate the item; and they happily delivered it to the host hotel. The quality of the experience from the booking process to the swamp tour to the follow up service -- I could not be more impressed with the team and operation of Cajun Encounters. Thank you!