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The Big Easy is a delectable gumbo of red-hot jazz, historic streetcars, lacy French-colonial balconies, powdery beignets, and zesty Cajun cuisine. Its unique blend of Southern hospitality, eccentric tradition, and unabashed debauchery give it a distinct character unlike anywhere else in the United States. Despite reports that roughly 60 percent of the residents who fled in the wake of Hurricane Katrina never returned, the city’s tourism infrastructure – especially in the relatively unscathed French Quarter – has largely recovered.
For the taste of Creole cooking, the sound of jazz wafting through the French Quarter, and an indomitable spirit best summed up in the local expression, laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll)!
$96+: Round-trip nationwide flights–up to 60% off Major Airlines
$39-$59 one-way fares to US cities on Southwest Editors' Review
$49+: Winter flights to/from Denver (one-way) Southwest Airlines
$136+: Weekend fares to/from US cities (round-trip) Major Airlines
$50 off: Mid-week stays at bed & breakfasts BedandBreakfast.com
35% off: New Orleans French Quarter hotel w/air Travelocity
$399+: Oceanview December sailing w/Costa Maya Vacation Outlet
Up to 71% off: New Orleans 7-day Norwegian cruise VacationsToGo.com
$299+: 7-day voyage w/Belize & Guatemala–75% off Travelocity
Chimes B&B
Located in a residential area of the Garden District, this lovely B&B is far from the maddening tourist crowds. Close to...
Columns Hotel
You’ll feel like the guest of a Southern aristocrat at this plantation-style architectural treasure listed in the...
Hotel Monteleone
Built in 1886, this French Quarter hotel walks the line between contemporary and Old World elegance. Head here in peak season...
Hôtel Provincial
The homey feel of this small hotel on a quiet drag in the French Quarter is what keeps it packed with return guests. Once a...
House on Bayou Road
Step back in time at this turn-of-the-century plantation house set on two lush acres, only a few blocks from the French...
International House
This is a smart choice for design-conscious travelers. Located on an attractive block in the business district, the sleek...
Le Pavillon Hotel
This grand, palatial hotel from 1907 is housed in a first-generation skyscraper and has an antique collection like no other....
Maison Dupuy
Anchored by a trickling fountain, the French Quarter’s largest and prettiest courtyard can be found at Maison Dupuy,...
Renaissance Arts Hotel
Housed in an old furniture warehouse, this sleek 217-room hotel redefines the standard business hotel with its art-gallery...
Soniat House
Discreetly hidden behind a tall gate, the Soniat House offers all the Southern elegance you could imagine in a New Orleans...
Frenchmen
Music fans will dig this small, quirky hotel set a stone’s throw from some of the city’s best jazz venues. Guests...
Hotel Villa Convento
Rumored to be the “House of the Rising Sun” from the famous ’60s song by The Animals, the Villa Convento has...
Park View Guest House
The Park View Guest House is as close as you can get to a traditional New Orleans residence without crashing at a...
Hotel Maison de Ville
Romantics can’t resist this quintessential New Orleans retreat where Tennessee Williams (once a regular in room #9)...
Loft 523
This refreshingly offbeat boutique hotel offers enormous, 600-square-foot loft rooms, an edgy, up-to-the-minute style, and a...
Ritz-Carlton New Orleans
Housed in a converted Beaux Arts department store building on Canal Street, this reliable mainstay ensures guests’...
Royal Sonesta Hotel
It’s hard to believe this classy, marble-clad hotel occupies an entire block of the most infamous street in the Quarter....
Windsor Court Hotel
The immaculate, English-style Windsor Court is one of New Orleans’ grandest dames. It’s located close enough to...
Chimes B&B
Located in a residential area of the Garden District, this lovely B&B is far from the maddening tourist crowds. Close to...
Columns Hotel
You’ll feel like the guest of a Southern aristocrat at this plantation-style architectural treasure listed in the...
Hotel Monteleone
Built in 1886, this French Quarter hotel walks the line between contemporary and Old World elegance. Head here in peak season...
Hôtel Provincial
The homey feel of this small hotel on a quiet drag in the French Quarter is what keeps it packed with return guests. Once a...
House on Bayou Road
Step back in time at this turn-of-the-century plantation house set on two lush acres, only a few blocks from the French...
International House
This is a smart choice for design-conscious travelers. Located on an attractive block in the business district, the sleek...
Le Pavillon Hotel
This grand, palatial hotel from 1907 is housed in a first-generation skyscraper and has an antique collection like no other....
Maison Dupuy
Anchored by a trickling fountain, the French Quarter’s largest and prettiest courtyard can be found at Maison Dupuy,...
Renaissance Arts Hotel
Housed in an old furniture warehouse, this sleek 217-room hotel redefines the standard business hotel with its art-gallery...
Soniat House
Discreetly hidden behind a tall gate, the Soniat House offers all the Southern elegance you could imagine in a New Orleans...
Frenchmen
Music fans will dig this small, quirky hotel set a stone’s throw from some of the city’s best jazz venues. Guests...
Hotel Villa Convento
Rumored to be the “House of the Rising Sun” from the famous ’60s song by The Animals, the Villa Convento has...
Park View Guest House
The Park View Guest House is as close as you can get to a traditional New Orleans residence without crashing at a...
Hotel Maison de Ville
Romantics can’t resist this quintessential New Orleans retreat where Tennessee Williams (once a regular in room #9)...
Loft 523
This refreshingly offbeat boutique hotel offers enormous, 600-square-foot loft rooms, an edgy, up-to-the-minute style, and a...
Ritz-Carlton New Orleans
Housed in a converted Beaux Arts department store building on Canal Street, this reliable mainstay ensures guests’...
Royal Sonesta Hotel
It’s hard to believe this classy, marble-clad hotel occupies an entire block of the most infamous street in the Quarter....
Windsor Court Hotel
The immaculate, English-style Windsor Court is one of New Orleans’ grandest dames. It’s located close enough to...
International House
This is a smart choice for design-conscious travelers. Located on an attractive block in the business district, the sleek...
Loft 523
This refreshingly offbeat boutique hotel offers enormous, 600-square-foot loft rooms, an edgy, up-to-the-minute style, and a...
A visit to New Orleans is a gastronomic carnival, with zesty flavors suitable to all palates. Sample the Cajun, Creole, and Gulf delicacies such as po’ boy sandwiches, gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish, alligator meat, and revised French fare reinvented in the bayou tradition.
Acme Oyster House
The warm glow of a simple red neon sign off Bourbon Street guides hungry patrons to this elbows-on-the-table, gritty oyster...
Ignatius Eatery
It may be out of the way in Carrollton, but Ignatius is worth the trip from the French Quarter for its Cajun-fusion cuisine...
The Gumbo Shop
Continuously winning “Best Gumbo” awards in New Orleans, The Gumbo Shop is a must if you want to experience the...
Antonie's
Antoine’s redefines French cuisine by adding a tasty twist of Creole tradition in the form of alligator bisque and...
Arnaud's
For a distinctive New Orleans dining experience complete with Dixieland jazz and Creole cuisine, head to Arnaud’s (open...
Commander's Palace
Still one of the best dining experiences in New Orleans (and where Emeril Lagasse got his start), the renovated and...
Emeril's
A brick-and-glass elevator sets the stage for celebrity chef Emeril’s cool and casual eatery in the French Quarter. Come...
Galatoire's
You’ll see the line forming around the block to get into one of New Orleans most venerated eateries. Famously patronized...
Café du Monde
No trip to New Orleans would be complete without a beignet and a café au lait from Café du Monde, a French...
Mother's
This cafeteria-style staple and bona fide dive is a must for New Orleans home-cooking: gumbo, po’ boys, and...
Sucre
Opened in April 2007, Sucre has become the darling of Magazine Street in the Garden District. Locals come for the gourmet...
Acme Oyster House
The warm glow of a simple red neon sign off Bourbon Street guides hungry patrons to this elbows-on-the-table, gritty oyster...
Ignatius Eatery
It may be out of the way in Carrollton, but Ignatius is worth the trip from the French Quarter for its Cajun-fusion cuisine...
The Gumbo Shop
Continuously winning “Best Gumbo” awards in New Orleans, The Gumbo Shop is a must if you want to experience the...
Antonie's
Antoine’s redefines French cuisine by adding a tasty twist of Creole tradition in the form of alligator bisque and...
Arnaud's
For a distinctive New Orleans dining experience complete with Dixieland jazz and Creole cuisine, head to Arnaud’s (open...
Commander's Palace
Still one of the best dining experiences in New Orleans (and where Emeril Lagasse got his start), the renovated and...
Emeril's
A brick-and-glass elevator sets the stage for celebrity chef Emeril’s cool and casual eatery in the French Quarter. Come...
Galatoire's
You’ll see the line forming around the block to get into one of New Orleans most venerated eateries. Famously patronized...
Café du Monde
No trip to New Orleans would be complete without a beignet and a café au lait from Café du Monde, a French...
Mother's
This cafeteria-style staple and bona fide dive is a must for New Orleans home-cooking: gumbo, po’ boys, and...
Sucre
Opened in April 2007, Sucre has become the darling of Magazine Street in the Garden District. Locals come for the gourmet...