What is a good, moderatley priced hotel for Mardi Gras 2008?
Hotel Prices
Sav asked:
I was planning on celebrating my 25th birthday in New Orleans for Mardi Gras since it falls on Fat Tuesday (2/5) in 2008. Does anyone know of a decent hotel along a parade route, preferably St. Charles or somewhere downtown, that is not too expensive but still a decent hotel? Also any other suggestions like when I should book a hotel, flight, or any other info that might help would be apprectiated?
Lloyd
I was planning on celebrating my 25th birthday in New Orleans for Mardi Gras since it falls on Fat Tuesday (2/5) in 2008. Does anyone know of a decent hotel along a parade route, preferably St. Charles or somewhere downtown, that is not too expensive but still a decent hotel? Also any other suggestions like when I should book a hotel, flight, or any other info that might help would be apprectiated?
Lloyd
January 29th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Ah…dontcha love spammers?
Anywho, to answer your question, you’ve got lots of good choices. My favorite is the Royal St. Charles Hotel. It’s located on St. Charles Avenue, and rates aren’t bad for the area.
Book everything as soon as you can — Rates only go up the closer you get to Mardi Gras season, and get harder to come by.
Check out for reviews before you book, and head to and click ‘Check Availability’. Plug in your dates and see what’s available.
Have fun!
January 31st, 2009 at 10:40 am
good for you for booking now cuase a hotel on a parade route will be crazy expensive if u try later. but know that hotels on parade route have strict rules about who can come in and out. i stayed at the marriot on canal, right on the parade route, the year before last and we had to have wrist bands to get in and out, we couldn’t even bring our friends in cause they didn’t have wrist bands. anywho or any of those travel sites will give u good price ideas, but sometimes i find that the exact hotel website has lower prices. um som eon the hotels are, Hilton, Marriot, Royaol Sonnesta, Holiday Inn but is not on the parade route. um goodness i can’ think of many, but all the big chains are all along canal and st.charles for the most part.
January 31st, 2009 at 6:50 pm
The other answers are correct and you need to book your trip asap.
There is little reason to get a hotel that is actually ON a parade route unless it is one of the few that provides a viewing stand for guests. None of those hotels are moderately priced, and they charge extra for using the viewing stand..
However, staying at a hotel in the city center allows you to use it as a base. Staying in a hotel that is actually in the French Quarter is best. Next best would be a hotel in the central business district (CBD), and third best would be one in the warehouse district.
Check sites like Yahoo Travel and Travelocity to narrow your search. Then also check the hotels’ websites. If you plan to drive make sure you will have somewhere to park your car.
The only hotel I know of that probably won’t make you pay in advance is the Holiday Inn Staybridge Suites on Poydras Street. It is in the CBD, 2 blocks from Saint Charles Avenue and 4 blocks from the Canal Street border of the French Quarter (www.priorityclub.com).
Also check out for more info on Carnival. Note that February 5th is the LAST day of carnival in 2008.
Good luck!
February 1st, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Go to travel lodge. They are cheap and not too far from Bourbon st. I live here and getting to bourbon is not hard and you will enjoy not being on bourbon every second of the day say when you need to recover, which you will, from bourbon street. have fun and enjoy. I would never want to be away from all the good times down here in New Orleans!
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Its on the corner of Bourbon and Canal. You get the best of the partying, and you are close to the food and shopping. I like it bc you can never cross during a parade, but it you stay here you watch parade from canal and walk to room for bathroom and dont have to cross to get to Bourbon etc. Its a great location, and we only paid $100-150/night last 5 years we’ve stayed for Mardi Gras.