I just got home last night from a 6-night stay at Place D'Armes. I picked this hotel mainly because of the reviews here on tripadvisor and I would definitely stay here again. The location is perfect, you are in the middle of the French Quarter, steps away from Jackson Square, Cafe Du Monde and the French Market or head in the opposite direction and you're at Royal or Bourbon Streets.
I was in room 301, which overlooks St. Ann St. and has a big, private balcony. When I was awakened at 4:30 am on the first morning, by the garbage trucks on St. Ann, I seriously considered trying to change rooms (garbage pickup is most mornings at this time). But I'm glad I stayed because I got to watch two Mardi Gras parades walk down St. Ann St., right by my balcony as well as people watch and enjoy music from the quarter while sitting outside. The courtyard rooms might be quieter but I don't think they would be nearly as entertaining.
A few notes/observations:
Hotel - beautiful, old, interesting inside and out.
Room - loved it - good size, everything worked and was clean enough, bed was comfortable, balcony was great!
Staff - all were good, some were great.
Breakfast - well, it's free. ;-}
Transportation from airport - hotel - airport.
I took the shuttle from the airport to the hotel. It was $15 one way and the van carried 10 people. There are 2 lines - one for the French Quarter and one for the CBD - make sure you wait in the right line. It's easy to spot the booth where you buy your ticket - very close to where you pick up your luggage.
I took a taxi from the hotel to the airport. It was $28 + $1 (plus tip). I was lucky to get a great driver who told me his personal experiences with Mardi Gras, Katrina, etc.
Tours I did -
French Quarter/History tour - Free from the National Park Services. Meet at the Jean Lafitte Visitor Centre at 419 Decatur St. They give out 25 passes, starting at 9:00 for the 9:30 tour so try to get there by 9 at the latest. The tour is interesting and covers a lot of history of the Mississippi Delta, New Orleans and the French Quarter - it was good but we didn't explore as much of the FQ as I had hoped to.
Cemetery/Voodoo tour by Historic New Orleans Tours. $15 There were only 3 of us on this tour (I think the tour goes no matter how many people show up). The small group was great because Greg, our tour guide, was able to give us a more personalized tour and answer all of our questions - whether they related to the tour or not.
Streetcars - I bought a 1-day transit pass for $5 and used it to ride all three streetcar lines from end to end. You get to see some very different parts of town this way and the streetcars are wonderful.
Other info -
Visitor information Office - St. Ann St., Jackson Square
Post Office - N. Peters St. - close to Iberville St.
Riverwalk - mall on the riverfront - lots of touristy shops. Food court is on the third floor and it's a good place to grab something to eat or drink and watch what's happening on the Mississippi - you can go outside. There is also a Cafe Du Monde here so you can try those famous beignets - warning - you are going to get that icing sugar all over you!
Canal Place - higher end shopping mall.
Harrah's - too loud, too hot, too smoky.
Quick takeaway food places -
Central Grocery - 923 Decatur St. I went here the first day to get one of their muffulettas. I ordered HALF of one and ate half there and took the other half home for dinner. Delicious!
Verti Marte - 1201 Royal St. Tiny store with a lot of great takeaway choices for snacks or meals.
Rouse's Market - 701 Royal St. Small grocery store with all the basics.
Two restaurants I tried and liked were Cafe Maspero - 601 Decatur St. and Cafe Pontalba 546 St. Peter St./Jackson Square. Both had good food and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
My favourite street was Royal Street. It is filled with art and antique shops, cafes, musicians and street performers.
Favourite places to just stop and sit for a while - Jackson Square, there is always something to listen to or look at here. I also liked to go down to the river and sit on one of the benches. The Moon Walk along the riverfront is a nice way to get to different places like Riverwalk, the Aquarium, Imax theatre, etc. instead of walking through town.
This was my first trip to New Orleans and it is going to take me a few weeks to digest and process everything I saw, heard and experienced. I went on my own and wouldn't hesitate to tell anyone that they should experience this city at least once. I didn't do a lot of the "typical" things like nights on Bourbon Street or dining at the more famous restaurants or take a lot of tours. My plan was to see New Orleans and absorb the atmosphere of this city in a way that worked for me. It's such a unique city, full of contrasts, I'm glad I finally got to experience NOLA for myself.