Bourbon Orleans Hotel

This gem right off Bourbon Street is close to the action but far enough (and insulated enough) to make you feel like you can get away from the frenetic pace of the city’s most famous avenue at a moment’s notice. Guest rooms are well-appointed and comfy, with plantation-shuttered windows, plush beds and sleek bathrooms. Plus, every guest gets a voucher for a welcome drink in the hotel’s smoke-free bar, the Bourbon O. Be sure to catch live music there on Friday nights, as well as bartender Cheryl Charming, whom a local magazine named Mixologist of the Year in 2014. Back at the hotel, the Roux on Orleans restaurant can satisfy breakfast, lunch and dinner desires, and a heated saltwater pool makes lazing about in a lounge chair all day very, very easy. But if you want to be the ultimage envy of Bourbon Street revelers, make sure to reserve a balcony suite; it features a porch overlooking all the boozy revelry below and lets you party above the action.

With a legacy that is French, Spanish, Canadian and English, New Orleans is the most European of North American cities. Its reputation for incredible food and warm hospitality is well-deserved and extends to the gracious hotels that line the streets of the French Quarter, some over two hundred years old. One of the top ten hotels in the city, according to Trip Advisor, is the delightful and historic Bourbon Orleans. Check out my experience on my recent stay there: [youtube]http://youtu.be/-_8RCYHQIxE[/youtube] Everything about the hotel is elegant and charming, from the front lobby and main dining room (free coffee in the morning, free WiFi throughout the hotel) to the plantation shutters and crisp white sheets in the classically furnished bedrooms. As it’s a place that doesn’t attract a business crowd, the staff ensures each guest is well-looked-after and made to feel like a VIP. The whole property feels like a boutique hotel, not like it takes up a whole square block of Bourbon Street (which it does!) The only minor issue was sound, as the hotel walls are thin — in keeping with the age of the property. Sometimes you could hear doors slamming or the housekeeping staff, and it sounded like they were in the room with you. Luckily, I was sure it was someone on the same floor each time, not the ghost of a former guest of the hotel! In that regard, my peace was undisturbed, and in all regards, I absolutely loved the beautiful Bourbon Orleans.

The Bourbon Orleans Hotel is a luxurious hotel in the heart of French Quarter, on the corner that its name reveals, of Orleans street and Bourbon street. I was lucky enough to stay in the double-story loft suite facing Bourbon street, otherwise known as the Bourbon Balcony Loft Suite, for an unforgettable experience. Expect to find the living room, the working desk and the kitchen corner on the first level and a stairway will take you to the comfortable Queen bedroom and the bathroom on the upper level. The hotel is both an ideal space for work but also for relaxation. Grab a drink at the Bourbon “O” bar and enjoy it by the pool that stays open late or just enjoy Bourbon’s street views from the balcony alone or with friends. The suite has a flat-screen TV on both levels, and conveniently a fridge and an MP3 docking station. And if you want, you can just drop everything, emails and tablets including, and step to the most celebrated street in the country for a New Orleans signature Creole dish and some jazzing afterwards! The Bourbon Orleans Hotel is the perfect location for everything with welcoming and super kind staff and friendly guests.