Soulful sleeps in New Orleans

Savour the spirit of NOLA with stays that conjure the city’s historical roots, jazz soul and community spirit

Reviewed by Tami Fairweather

Omni Royal Orleans

The history of this French Quarter grande dame echoes that of the city, including its dark days. The building has served as everything from a centre of commerce for the exchange of land and enslaved peoples to a Civil War-era hospital, though in better times it hosted some of the first Mardi Gras balls. For much of the early 20th century it flirted with ruin, before decades-long efforts to preserve it paid off in 1960 when it reopened as the Royal Orleans – Led Zeppelin even named a song after it. Today, it is the only hotel with balconies overlooking Royal Street, while its Rib Room conjures the party days of old with a jazz brunch on weekends. A ‘Say Goodnight to Hunger’ programme also donates food to local shelters for every stay completed. Rooms from around £170 per night, excluding breakfast; omnihotels.com

Melrose Mansion

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better location for a boutique-chic stay with access to a deep pool than this elegant spot on the edge of the French Quarter. Whether you opt for a room in the main house or one of the studio apartments out back, it is perfectly placed, just a short stroll to the live-music mecca of Frenchmen Street, which might account for its rather colourful 20th-century history. In the first half of the 1900s, after ‘Storyville’ (the city’s red-light district) was shut down, it operated as a discreet brothel; it was later home to the ‘Boom Boom Girls’, the backup dancers for the late, great burlesque performer (and former owner) Chris Owens. Nowadays, manager Caleb offers a more wholesome kind of hospitality, with a glass of wine on check-in and plenty of tips for the perfect stay. Rooms from around £140 per night, excluding breakfast; melrosemansion.com