Four Points by Sheraton French Quarter Rating: 3.0 Pearls

French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana

The Lobby

The Four Points French Quarter is lively, with college girls and frat boys strolling through the lobby and a constant thumping backbeat provided by surrounding clubs. Extensive renovations in 2010 give the rooms a fresher feel than those of other nearby mid-range hotels.

The hotel bar area faces Bourbon Street, and is a cool place to watch the parade of silver-painted street performers, jazz quartets and funky locals. Many of the hotel's 186 rooms come with a balcony facing either a French Quarter street or the hotel's plant-studded courtyard (these inner rooms offer a better night's rest). Also in the courtyard is a modest swimming pool, and a tiki bar where guests can order drinks between dips.

Besides location, what makes this hotel unique is its history. One wall is devoted to vintage photos of the original Old French Opera House, and at least once a month the hotel hosts local opera singers at its Puccini Bar for a free concert, adding charm and culture to one of the world's most famous party blocks.

View on a Larger Map

Four Points French Quarter sits in the liveliest heart of the French Quarter, directly on Bourbon Street and within walking distance of streetcars, the Mississippi River and its riverboats, Harrah’s Casino, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, the Insectarium, Jackson Square, Preservation Hall, and dozens of world-class restaurants. Adults will enjoy the strip clubs, free-flowing cocktails and an always-buzzing, electric street crowd.

The French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré, is an historic neighborhood that stretches 12 blocks to the Mississippi River. Originally settled by the Spanish, and then the French, the Quarter features a variety of architecture, including colorful Creole cottages, gorgeous antebellum mansions, intricate ironwork and some buildings that date to the late 1700s.

Today, the Quarter is a mix of private homes, museums, commercial shops, restaurants and hotels, as well as wide open public spaces. Property values in the Quarter have gone up since the 1984 World Fair, driving more tourist-related development but also creating a residential demand among elites and celebrities.

The French Quarter is fairly safe and quiet during the day; at night, you’ll be fine in tourist areas. Local cops are experts at crowd control, and it's rare for a visitor to get into trouble. Taxis are easy to find, except during Mardi Gras and Halloween. Keep in mind that the heavily tourist parts of Bourbon Street are closed to vehicles (except for delivery trucks, taxis and airport shuttles) every night after 6 p.m.

Canal Street is a retail center and the upriver boundary of the French Quarter. Canal is one of the widest streets in the country and a major thoroughfare in the New Orleans, though it’s packed with national retail and souvenir shops that aren’t worth exploring for a visitor with limited time.

• 20-minute taxi or shuttle ride from Louis Armstrong International Airport
• 5-minute walk to Canal Street, where you can pick up streetcars taking you to St. Charles Avenue or the New Orleans Museum of Art
• 10-minute walk to the Mississippi River
• 10-minute walk to Jackson Square and Café du Monde
• 5-minute walk to Preservation Hall
• 15-minute drive to Mardi Gras World

The Bourbon Street Balcony Room

Many of the property's 186 rooms have balconies with French Quarter street or courtyard views. The hotel underwent renovations in late 2010, freshening up the room decor and updating bathrooms. Details like carved wooden bed frames give the rooms more charm than you'd expect from a Sheraton.

• Flat-screen TVs with video-game console and free premium channels like HBO
• Signature Sheraton Four Comfort beds
• Free Wi-Fi in all rooms
• Free newspaper
• Mini-fridge available on request (for a daily fee)
• Bathrooms feature marble sinks, upscale fixtures, and quality bath products
• Coffeemaker
• Nightly turndown service on request
• Only Bourbon Street Balcony Rooms and the Petite Suite with Bourbon Street Balcony guarantee a balcony overlooking Bourbon Street, though other room categories do have some rooms with Bourbon Street views.
• Standard Rooms don't have balconies.
• Courtyard Balcony Rooms have balconies overlooking the interior courtyard, and offer a quieter night's sleep

Salome Meeting Room

• Free opera performances on-site at Puccini Bar at least once a month
• Small, dated fitness room
• Small business center with computer, printer, and ATM machine
• Free newspapers in the lobby and in guest rooms
• Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and in guest rooms
• Gift shop selling pretty, embellished T-shirts and caps, as well as satin burlesque hats
• Evening security guard at front door
• Small convenience store
• View full list of amenities

Cafe de L'Opera

There's no need to rely on the limited offerings from the hotel’s Café de l’Opera (mainly, a breakfast buffet) when you have so much world-class dining nearby: Creole brunch at the Court of Two Sisters or the legendary Antoine’s; globe-trotting fare from local favorite Green Goddess; luxe, lively Friday lunches at Galatoire’s; and diner food at Clover Grill or Stanley.

And consider Verti Marte your 24-hour room service: this local deli delivers everything from po-boys to cigarettes, and is a favorite of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

• Café de l’Opera serves a breakfast buffet daily
• Poolside tiki bar serves cocktails, sodas, and water
• Puccini Bar offers cocktails, wine, and soda in an old-world space with small chandeliers and a grand piano; free opera performances take place here at least once a month
• Limited room service menu