New Orleans has always been that girl. Filled with mouth-watering cuisine, interactive museums, and one of the country’s most exciting bar scenes, Louisiana’s cultural capital has a little bit of everything. If you’re planning to attend the ESSENCE Festival of Culture in July or just looking to spend a few days exploring the city, New Orleans is the perfect place to let the good times roll. And if you haven’t booked your lodging yet, we’ve got you covered. From charming boutique properties to historic Black-owned hotels, New Orleans offers all kinds of accommodations. If you’re ready to book your trip to “The Big Easy,” check out these five hotels perfect for every type of traveler, for ESSENCE Festival and beyond.
Hotel Monteleone
For literary lovers
Hotel Monteleone is a place with a lot of (literary) history. First opened in 1886, the family-owned hotel is just steps from Bourbon Street and around the corner from Cafe Beignet. Opened as a 64-room hotel, it now offers 523 guest rooms and suites, with a few suites dedicated to literary icons. Over the years, the property has hosted famous American writers like Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and more recently, John Grisham and Anne Rice (who penned Queen of the Damned, later made into a movie starring the late Aaliyah). The rest of the guestrooms feature classic decor with high ceilings and sweeping drapes, and many of the rooms have balconies that overlook the French Quarter or the Mississippi River. Another hotel highlight is The Carousel Bar & Lounge, a merry-go-round-themed cocktail bar that slowly rotates as you enjoy your drinks.
Bienville House
For romance seekers
Looking for a romantic hideaway that’s still close to all the action? Consider checking into Bienville House, an 80-room property in the heart of the French Quarter. Built in 1835, the hotel is named after the French founder of New Orleans, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. The cozy, intimate lobby is filled with hand-painted murals and ornate furniture, and the guestrooms feature wrought iron balconies, Italian linens, and white marble bathrooms. If you need more space to spread out, suites have a separate living room area. For a special night out, check out Irene’s, a candlelit Italian restaurant steps from the hotel. When the temps heat up, there’s also a saltwater pool in the courtyard for cooling off.
Kimpton Hotel Fontenot
For art aficionados
Located in downtown New Orleans, near the French Quarter, the Kimpton Hotel Fontenot is a gorgeously artsy space. The property, which opened in 2021, is conveniently situated next to the trendy Warehouse District, a haven for art galleries and chic bistros. When you’re not out on the town, relax in your minimalist, French-inspired guestrooms furnished with black wrought iron beds and furniture in calming shades of blues, grays, and pinks. One of the hotel’s flagship amenities is the Peacock Room, an eclectic cocktail lounge decked out in blue and purple jewel tones and adorned with stuffed peacocks (yes, really). The hotel also has a few extra perks: bikes for exploring the neighborhood, a complimentary hosted wine hour from 5-6 p.m., and the Plant Pals program, which allows you to request plants placed in your room to brighten your stay.
voco St. James
For sightseers
For sightseers, the voco St. James offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the history of New Orleans. Set just two blocks from the French Quarter, the building opened in 1833 as a meeting place for merchants and tradesmen and was converted to a hotel in 1859. It has undergone several changes over the years, and the latest addition is Cafe Flamant, a stylish lobby cafe and bar. There are 84 guest rooms, each with classic furniture and plush, comfortable beds, but you may not spend much time in your room with so much at your fingertips. The hotel is within walking distance of more than 200 restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, and other nearby attractions include the WWII Museum and Mardi Gras World, where you can see how the famous Mardi Gras costumes and floats are made. You can also spend a few hours on the water on a ride down the Mississippi River on a daytime jazz tour or an evening dinner cruise with Steamboat Natchez. The hotel is also less than a mile from the New Orleans Jazz Museum, which celebrates jazz music’s past and present.
The Pontchartrain Hotel
For foodies
The Pontchartrain Hotel, a luxury apartment building that opened in 1927, was transformed into a hotel during the 1940s. Like other New Orleans lodgings, this one is steeped in history and has seen the likes of President Gerald Ford and actress Elizabeth Taylor. The hotel offers a variety of chic rooms featuring elegant vintage decor, including velvet headboards, chandeliers above the beds, and floral drapes and couches. But the main draw here is the four fantastic food outlets all under one roof. The Silver Whistle Cafe serves mouthwatering grits and breakfast sandwiches, and The Bayou Bar has nightly live music Tuesday through Saturday alongside its award-winning Bayou Bar Burger. Hot Tin is a buzzy rooftop bar with panoramic city views, and one of the crowd favorite dishes at Jack Rose is the duck and andouille gumbo.
The ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ presented by Coca-Cola® will take place July 3-6. For more information and updates on the festival, visit our website and follow us on social media @ESSENCEFest on X, Facebook, and Instagram.