Hotel St. Marie

Address:
827 Toulouse Street

New Orleans
70112

Hotel Location: near center

Known for its picturesque second-floor balconies, this hotel is only a half-block from the restaurants and clubs of Bourbon Street and a five-block stroll to the riverfront.

This five-story hotel has an outdoor pool, a shady tropical courtyard, wireless Internet access throughout, and Hillery's on Toulouse, a fine-dining restaurant specializing in Creole and Cajun cuisine.

Most of the 103 rooms have balconies overlooking the courtyard or Toulouse Street; all feature regional antique-style furniture and artwork and offer dial-up Internet access.

What to expect: Guests are greeted by angels—on the raised ceiling, beneath the central glass table, and on the wall tapestries. The Hotel Saint Marie feels like old New Orleans, with a brick-and-stucco exterior, gas lamps, and shaded courtyard. The area is renowned for its second-floor balconies where people view the goings-on and toss beads to passersby in the street, not only during Mardi Gras but, increasingly, year 'round. Guests are primarily vacationers.

Amenity highlights: Besides a French country-themed bistro, the hotel has a full restaurant with Creole and Cajun cuisine. The ground-floor pool is on one side of a courtyard, lush with potted plants. Upper floors view the area’s cinematically beautiful collection of metal roofs, chimneys, smoke stacks, and attic windows. Wireless Internet access is available in both public areas and guestrooms for a surcharge.

The St. Marie has five floors of rooms and two restaurants, one for fine dining and one for casual street-side eating. The casual dining spot also has a small bar, with its own entrance from the street. There's also a stone-floored courtyard with a pool. Wireless Internet access is available in both public areas and guestrooms for a surcharge.

This New Orleans hotel has 103 guestrooms, all of which include cable TV and air conditioning. Most rooms have balconies.
A telecommunications option is available which includes unlimited Internet access and phone usage (surcharge).

Dining: Bistro Moise - With textured saffron walls and plenty of flowers, this street-corner bistro open to the street through large windows serves American-style breakfast and lunch. It also offers a handful of regional favorites, including garlic cheese grits, gumbo, and shrimp remoulade.

Hillery's On Toulouse - The walls are painted with fruits and architectural tromp l'oeil–artfully suggesting the latticework of a vineyard or courtyard wall. The restaurant specializes in Cajun and Creole cuisine—from grilled oysters to catfish and bread pudding—and is removed from the main street; it looks instead on the hotel's interior courtyard. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.