Hotel: Clarion Hotel Grand Boutique

Looking to stay outside of the French Quarter but still want easy access to downtown New Orleans? This character-filled boutique hotel is located in the heart of the Garden District, one of the most architecturally-significant and historic areas of the city, featuring a wealth of stately 19th-century mansions. It’s just an eight-minute ride from the French Quarter via the St. Charles Streetcar, which you can grab just outside the hotel.

All the guest rooms are junior suites featuring separate seating areas with in-room pay-per-view and Nintendo, refrigerator, and microwave. Some of the rooms also have pull-out sofas. The striking Art Deco décor and ten-foot ceilings give the hotel old-fashioned charm, but it’s been recently renovated, which is evident in updated features like iPod docks and high-end shower heads. The concierge service is particularly helpful and little touches like a lending library add to the hotel’s charm.