Best Boutique Hotels in Central Business District, New Orleans

Set in nine former warehouse buildings on busy Magazine Street in the Central Business District, The Eliza Jane is an industrial-chic, journalism-themed, upper-middle-range hotel. It offers 196 stylish rooms with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, Keurig machines, and C.O. Bigelow toiletries. Suites feature comfortable and colorful living areas. The sprawling Press Room lobby bar serves coffee and cocktails, and offers plenty of indoor and outdoor lounge seating. Other amenities include the vintage-inspired Library lounge and a modern fitness center with Precor cardio machines and a Peloton bike. A French restaurant, Couvant, opened in the summer of 2018. There’s no pool or on-site self-parking. For a fun hotel closer to Bourbon Street, consider The Saint Hotel, Autograph Collection, but note that the saints and sinners theme is not necessarily child-friendly.

The boutique Q&C Hotel is a modern upper-middle-range property located within walking distance of the French Quarter that features smart, steampunk-style decor with exposed pipes, brick walls, and a hip vibe that attracts young, trendy tourists. Its 196 rooms are small, but comfortable and modern, outfitted with chic decor and modern conveniences like Keurig coffeemakers and free Wi-Fi. The inviting lobby includes a popular bar that offers a variety of refreshments and food, plus a great daily happy hour. There are several stylish meeting rooms throughout the hotel as well as a small, but well-equipped, fitness center. Travelers looking for something similar might want to compare rates with the Hotel Modern New Orleans, also a hip and trendy property with a bistro and a cocktail lounge.

Located on busy Magazine Street in the Central Business District, St. James Hotel, an Ascend Hotel Collection Member, is an upper-middle-range boutique property in a historic 19th-century building. The 84 rooms are decorated in a warm, Caribbean-inspired color palate and feature hardwood floors, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, microwaves, mini-fridges, and coffeemakers. Free continental breakfast is delivered to the rooms, and the attached, upscale Chophouse New Orleans serves dinner. Other amenities include a small outdoor dipping pool, a lovely courtyard sitting area, a beautiful lobby lounge, and free off-site gym passes. Valet parking and airport transfers are available for a fee. As an alternative option, Maison Dupuy in the French Quarter features an on-site gym and a larger pool, but the building lacks the history of the St. James Hotel.

Opened in 2016, the four-pearl Ace Hotel New Orleans is a trendy property in downtown bordering the Warehouse District, about a 15-minute walk to the French Quarter. The eclectic hotel is in a 1920s Art Deco building, and it displays a delightful mix of old and new in its stylish lobby. Eating, drinking, and music are a big deal here, with a concert venue and multiple restaurants/bars including a wildly popular rooftop bar and outdoor pool. It also has a large fitness center. Rooms are spacious and well equipped, but their dark and moody decor isn’t for everyone. Those willing to trade style for affordability may prefer the mid-range Wyndham New Orleans French Quarter, which is only a two-minute walk from the French Quarter.

Loft 523 is the platinum standard of New Orleans’ boutique hotels, ushering in sleek, industrial decor (no fussy florals here) in spacious lofted rooms with large, luxurious baths. Because of its size (only 18 rooms), Loft 523 lacks some amenities -- guests will have to go around the corner to sister hotel International House for a restaurant or fitness room -- but room service is available through a popular nearby restaurant, and the property can often be a better overall bargain than a full-service luxury hotel. Partiers will appreciate that hip nightclub Le Phare is attached to the hotel, though room noise levels are louder during club hours.