Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans

Character and identity

Set directly on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, this 483-room hotel acts as a calm counterpoint to the noise outside: Art Deco interiors, contemporary art, and oversized floral arrangements set the tone in the public spaces. Dining anchors the experience. Restaurant R'evolution is among the city's more ambitious fine dining rooms, with a sazerac bar tucked into a 19th-century carriage house, while The Desire Oyster Bar handles Creole classics in a more relaxed register. Le Booze and the Jazz Playhouse keep the late-night programme running, and there's a pool for daytime recovery.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The location is the entire proposition: you are staying on Bourbon Street, with all the energy and friction that entails, inside a building that does a credible job of buffering you from it. Book a Bourbon Street balcony room if you want the full spectacle, or a courtyard-facing room if you want to sleep. Reserve at R'evolution before you arrive.