Review: Dauphine Orleans, New Orleans Boutique Hotel

Choosing accommodations in New Orleans depends on what you’re after. Certainly there are several options of large chains on Canal Street with easy access to public transportation and the French Quarter, but they may lack charm. There are hotels with haunted pasts for the ghost seekers. There are budget options.

And there’s the variety of options smack dab in the center of the French Quarter, from high end chains like the W to the smaller B&B style. But peace and quiet do not often come along with the convenience of staying in the Quarter – with exception to a few, such as The Dauphine Orleans, some of whose buildings date back to the early nineteenth century.

A classic French Quarter New Orleans boutique hotel, the best rooms are in the courtyard located across from the main building. Surprisingly, no matter how loud it may be around the corner, the rooms are quiet even on a Saturday night. Though comfortable and well-appointed, New Orleans is a place to be out exploring, and this is not necessarily a hotel that you’d spend ample time in your room, so if big hotel amenities and room service are what you’re looking for, seek other accommodations.

However, they do host breakfast in their Audubon breakfast room where John James Audubon is said to have painted his “Birds of America” series from 1821-22 while residing at the Audubon Cottages.

The cottages, in fact, are another option if budget isn’t an issue. Once a favorite of Elizabeth Taylor. Each has its own private or semi-private courtyard, a community saltwater pool, and comes with a “French Quarter butler” to attend to any of your needs.

While there, have a drink at their adjacent bar, May Bailey’s Place. As legend has it, in the early 19^th century, it was one of the most popular bordellos in Nola’s red-light district. Given that New Orleans is said to be one of the most haunted cities in America, it’s no surprise that many of the French Quarter accommodations have a storied past. One said to be seen sauntering around the courtyard at the Dauphine is that of a Creole soldier, assumed to have been a patron of the former bordello.