what's a good hotel to stay at in or VERY near the french quarter? it's for two people for three or four days. we plan on doing the whole tourist thing. hit the bars and shops. we don't want to have to drive far either but a short cab ride to the bars is ok. thanks.

There's literally dozens of hotels "VERY" near the FQ.
The first one that comes to mind for me is The International House. I consider it to be one of the finest hotels in the city and it's close....VERY close to the FQ.
Rates range from low $100s on up......
A Swank boutique hotel. Stylish and hip.
Enjoy!
-Gene

MY HUSBAND AND I STAYED AT THE ROYAL SONESTA ON BOURBON ST YOU DON'T WANT AN OUTSIDE ROOM IT IS VERY LOUD! AND THERE ARE HIDDEN CHARGES THEY DON'T TELL YOU ABOUT UNTIL AFTER YOU GET THERE LIKE 50 DOLLARS TO TURN ON THE PHONE, 20 DOLLARS A DAY PLUS TAX FO YOUR CAR!!YOU DON'T WANT TO EAT THERE UNLESS YOU HAVE THE MONEY LIKE WE HAD TWO EGGS AND TOAST AND IT WAS 28 DOLLARS! SO BEWARE. NEVER GO AND EAT DRUNK BECAUSE THEY WILL TAKE YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE BELIEVE ME! STAY SOBER UNTIL YOU EAT! OTHER THAN THOSE PROBLEMS WE HAD A BLAST BRING LOTS OF CASH!!!!

thanks for all the advice everyone. i sure wouldn't have thought about extra charges like turning on the phone! i am going to make sure there is nothing like that when i book our room. that must have been a shocker babspol40. and thanks for the tip on no outside room. i was thinking about asking for one but if they are way too loud then hell with that!!

the int'l house sounds good gene i really would have thought that kind of hotel would be even more expensive. do you know if they have hidden costs too?

RE: The post by bobspol140...."Hidden Charges"
They must've decided to pay for their room without using a credit card upon check in. It's customary for hotels to take a "Deposit" for phone charges if you're going to pay with cash instead of a credit card. So, it's not a 'hidden charge' in my opinion, it's more of a 'deposit' in case you want to call your friends in Hong Kong while you're at your hotel on vacation. Although, phone usage in a hotel is ALWAYS expensive any way you look at it. If you have national free long-distance on your cell phone, check your cell phone plan to see if it'll cover calls when you're OUTSIDE your calling area. It'll save you money to use your cell instead of the hotel phone. Many hotels charge a 25%-50% "surcharge" on long distance calls. Be careful when calling home from your hotel. Better yet, have your friends call you at the hotel, rather than you calling them from the hotel.

The International House is not inexpensive. But, it's just about one of the coolest places you can rest your head in town.
By no means is a trip to New Orleans going to be 'cheap', but during the summer months is much less expensive than other times of the year. Also, eating in a hotel is almost always a bit more pricey than someplease off property. Keep that in mind.

Guess you can tell I used to work in the hotel business, eh?

We stayed at the Chateau Sonesta and another place on Conti. What's to say? It's the Quarter and its going to be loud at times. The hotels were nice, and it was good getting a place in the Quarter. No driving.