3 days in NOLA

[spankswife]

Thinking of going fri-sun in the fall.

Where to stay - preferably a Hilton?

What to do? Just walk around? Tours?

I know there are already a ton of restaurant recs here but I'm open to more.

No kids!

[meowmaps]

When I went a few years ago I took a Tastebud Food Tour. I thought it was really fun. We sampled a muffaletta, beignet, gumbo, a po-boy, and lastly, a praline. It was really informative and a great way to taste a lot of traditional foods at once.

ETA: It also helped us get our bearings and we returned to at least one place that we were taken to on the tour and had a proper sit-down meal.  

[dorothyinAus]

Definitely stay in the Downtown/CBD area.  I do not recommend being IN the French Quarter, but prefer to stay outside of it.

As a local, I'd have no problems with these options -- I've stayed in them all and they are all nice hotels and within walking distance to the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar line and the French Quarter:
The Roosevelt (A Waldorf-Astoria Collection Hotel)
Hilton St. Charles Avenue
Doubletree Canal Street
Hampton Inn New Orleans Downtown (Carondelet Street)

These are nice properties, and close to the French Quarter and the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar line, but I have no personal experience with them:
Hilton Riverside
Homewood Suites
Hilton Garden Inn (French Quarter/Gravier Street)

Personally, I think anything in the Warehouse District/Convention Center are is too far to walk at night from the French Quarter, so if you stay there, I'd personally plan on cabbing it back.

Depending on your budget & hotel needs, I'd go with the first four I listed.  I would not worry about restaurants in the hotel, there are plenty of (better) places to go for meals.

[osumelissa]

My last trip to NOLA we stayed at the JW Marriott on Canal Street - I would recommend there. It was a nice hotel in a good location.

[thebulldog]

We did a last minute deal at Hotel St. Marie in the French Q.....very basic room but good location.

Go to Central Market! Mmmmm
Also the Carousel bar in the Hotel Monteleon (sp?) We took the street car to the garden district too and walked around.

Sent from my SM-G900P using proboards

[mich1]

I stayed here the last time I was in New Orleans. It was a walkable distance downtown, or a cheap cab ride but utterly charming and the host was awesome.

www.fivecontinentsbnb.com/

The host also directed us to local restaurants that aren't in any travel guides that were incredible. There was one paella place about 4 blocks away. It had only 7 tables in it, only accepted cash and had to be one of the best meals I had there (and we went to some other pretty incredible places).

[spedrunner]

heres my NOLA review


coffeechalk.wordpress.com/2014/06/30/nola-trip/

[v]

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton which probably doesn't help you because it is a Marriott. But the location was very convenient without being in the thick of the French Quarter.

Honestly, I hated the French Quarter. It is pretty, but the Bourbon Street scene is so icky. So I was happier with the stuff we did outside of that area. We did a bike tour with a company called Freewheelin Bike Tours and it was a great way to see the city. We also enjoyed walking around the Garden District.

We had great meals at Cassamento's and Domenica. I will never forgive myself for having planned out trip in a way that made a visit to Willie Mae's impossible. We went to Jacques-Imo's because of the raves we read and I thought it was good but not great.

We went to both Cafe DuMonde and Cafe Beignets for beignet. I won't bother to try to pick a favorite because really, you should try both.

[dorothyinAus]

Jun 28, 2015 10:37:59 GMT -5 v said:

We had great meals at Cassamento's and Domenica. I will never forgive myself for having planned out trip in a way that made a visit to Willie Mae's impossible. We went to Jacques-Imo's because of the raves we read and I thought it was good but not great.

Just a note, depending on when you go, Casamento's might not be open.  It sticks to the traditional oyster season and is not open in months without Rs (May, June, July, August).  I checked the website and it says they are closed for the summer season and will re-open September 15.

[spankswife]

Jun 25, 2015 18:18:08 GMT -5 meowmaps said:

When I went a few years ago I took a Tastebud Food Tour. I thought it was really fun. We sampled a muffaletta, beignet, gumbo, a po-boy, and lastly, a praline. It was really informative and a great way to taste a lot of traditional foods at once.

ETA: It also helped us get our bearings and we returned to at least one place that we were taken to on the tour and had a proper sit-down meal.  

This is right up our alley! Was the food tour a TON of food? Or were you still able to eat dinner that night? 

[meowmaps]

spankswife: As I recall, it was quite a bit of food. We considered it a late lunch/early dinner.

[spankswife]

Jul 2, 2015 14:41:02 GMT -5 meowmaps said:

spankswife: As I recall, it was quite a bit of food. We considered it a late lunch/early dinner.

That's what I figured. We are only there 2 nights, so I don't want to sacrifice a dinner out for a big lunch. Hmmm

[meowmaps]

Jul 2, 2015 15:03:02 GMT -5 spankswife said:

Jul 2, 2015 14:41:02 GMT -5 meowmaps said:

spankswife: As I recall, it was quite a bit of food. We considered it a late lunch/early dinner.

That's what I figured. We are only there 2 nights, so I don't want to sacrifice a dinner out for a big lunch. Hmmm

Part of it is that we hunkered down for the night early.  We were party poopers but if you're going to be out and about you could probably be hungry enough for a later dinner.