New Orleans

7 Quintessential French Quarter Hotels That You Can Afford

At these seven French Quarter hotels, you can stay in the most quintessentially New Orleans corner of town without burning a hole in your wallet.

Normally a stay in the most iconic city neighborhoods means pulling out the credit card and maxing out your budget, all through gritted teeth and promises to eat cheap. Why should getting the hotel of your dreams impact the rest of your vacation?

In New Orleans, it doesn’t have to. A prime location with beautiful views and a historic atmosphere is available on a tight budget for those who know where to look. Thankfully, we do.

The French Quarter is the oldest part of the city. You can find traces of Spanish all rule over the city in the ornately wrought iron balconies, flat roofs and colorful walls that replaced the French architecture following the fire of 1788.

Give into a stay in the most quintessentially New Orleans part of the Big Easy at any of our picks for French Quarter hotels that you can afford.

Unmistakably French Quarter

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A few details about the Chateau Hotel can quickly confirm its New Orleans location: tall windows, shutters, iron-railed porches and high ceilings make it one of the unmistakably 18th century French Quarter hotels. Greeted by glass chandeliers and French-style furnishings, you’ll find a cozy ambiance at the Chateau Hotel. Inside the rooms, the wood paneling, old beams and rich damask fabrics invite you to sit down and relax with a glass of bourbon.

No need to feel guilty about lingering––the old mansion is as much a reason to visit the Big Easy as the bustle of Bourbon Street and historic Jackson Square. To enjoy all this for a perfectly affordable price as well as a free breakfast and an outdoor pool makes it all the easier to splurge on a glass of the mid-range wine at dinner.

Chateau Hotel

Top rated
New Orleans
9.0 Excellent (644 reviews)

Trapped In Time

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When a property upgrade has gone well in the French Quarter, the building appears as if trapped in time. Located on a lush green side street lit by gas lamps at night, the facade of the Inn On Ursulines has barely changed since the notorious Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau was the owner. Stepping inside onto the antique heart of pine floors, you’ll cross the brick Creole courtyard flanked by balconies and with a hot tub.

The historic details shine alongside modern minimal updates like the marble bathrooms, Aveda bath products, and majestic floor length curtains. All this for a nice price of under 100$ a night.

Inn on Ursulines

New Orleans
8.2 Very good (2010 reviews)

A Haunted Historic Landmark

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Granted the honorable title of National Historic Landmark, the Hotel Provincial is more than just a historical treasure with antique furniture and exposed brick walls. Like in many French Quarter hotels, there’s a ghost story with some claiming to have felt a presence at the hotel. Paranormalists might claim the Hotel Provincial is haunted, but everyone is sure to agree that the hotel is a charmer. Serving your continental breakfast is the local Dupepe family who has owned the hotel since 1961 and has brought comforting upgrades like HBO and Sealy Plush mattresses. 

These tastefully decorated rooms, impressive courtyards, and romantic wrought iron balconies should come at a price way under your Big Easy budget.

Hotel Provincial

Top rated
New Orleans
9.4 Excellent (2489 reviews)

A Perfect and Affordable Romantic Getaway

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The Hotel Royal looks rather like a postcard picture of the French Quarter. As you approach, wood shutters hide away tall windows, joined by iron balconies. You enter via a courtyard overhung with vines. While the exterior suggests classic New Orleans, the sparse interior allows the historic architecture to take center stage. Bathrooms are made of marble and feature glass walk-in showers or jacuzzi tubs and inviting beds are dressed in 350-thread count linens.

In the morning, a continental breakfast is offered free of charge. Treat yourself a bit by booking a room with a balcony and jacuzzi tub for the perfect (cheap) romantic getaway.

Hotel Royal

Top rated
New Orleans
8.5 Excellent (473 reviews)

Reviving Old World Appreciation

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Glowing with its unique Victorian charm, the cozy atmosphere at the Cornstalk Hotel revives an appreciation for the Old World. The unique name comes from the intricate cast-iron fence that encircles the property, once built by a romantic husband for his Iowan wife who missed her state’s endless cornfields. The interior is ornately decorated with light jumping from the chandeliers to antique mirrors. The cherubs and medallions nod to the kind of craftsmanship only a plantation home could possess.

Beautiful combinations of deep oranges and reds, golds and creams and mint greens line the walls joined by fireplaces, canopy beds, and stained glass windows. Join Liz Taylor, Elvis Presley and the Clintons who have all stayed at the Cornstalk by signing the guestbook in this surprisingly cheap French Quarter hotels pick.

The Cornstalk Hotel

Top rated
New Orleans
8.7 Excellent (81 reviews)

A Warm Welcome

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Step right into the heart of New Orleans society at the Bourbon Orleans. As you glide down the double staircase like a debutant, you’ll half expect to hear the applause of your family, friends, and admiring onlookers. Okay, you might be waiting a while, but like any good friend, the hotel will have a drink waiting for you at Bourbon “O” as a warm welcome. Like the sound of a freebie? Join hotel staff every Thursday from 7 – 7:30 for chilling stories on a Haunted Hotel Tour.

The darling little courtyard surrounds a saltwater pool where you can dip an ankle or swim a lap, depending on the heat. Wide plantation shutters gently let in light into the elegant rooms without the blistering heat of the sun while traditional details like florals and chandeliers elevate the experience of this lovely hotel.

Bourbon Orleans Hotel

Top rated
New Orleans
9.0 Excellent (5678 reviews)

The Best of Early 19th-century Spanish Architecture

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Wrapped up in a red package with balconies that hug its curvy corners, the Inn on St.Peter throws you back to the best Spanish architecture of 1805. The hotel is set around multiple leafy courtyards reached through brick alleys that feel like a secret. At some point, you’ll wander the wrong way and reach the magnanimous, century-old oak tree shading a couple reading side-by-side. Indoors, antique heart of pine wood floors have been lovingly restored. The mood here is certainly one of intimacy and luxury, despite its friendly price point of under $120 a night.

Light sleeper? You’re walking distance to Bourbon Street but far away enough that the noise won’t disturb you while tucked away at the Inn on St. Peter.

Inn on St Peter

New Orleans
8.4 Very good (2100 reviews)

Feature photo by João Francisco on Unsplash