Hotel at a Glance: The Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery

More than a century ago, a vast warehouse stood at 77 Tchoupitoulas Street, where it served the bustling port district of the Crescent City. E.J. Hart & Company operated the building as a chandlery, or wholesale business, that sold everything from ships to tobacco to medicine. Today, this historical spot is home to The Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery, which pays homage to its historical roots in both name and aesthetics. Exposed brick walls encircle wooden furnishings in the shabby-chic space, where modern amenities blend with vintage touches.

• Top Chef runner-up Nina Compton’s first restaurant Compère Lapin (located on-site) draws from New Orleans and Caribbean influences.
• Pooches are more than welcome: Pet-friendly rooms are equipped with water bowls, a pet bed, and treats.
• Newly minted rooms and common areas, following a complete top-to-bottom renovation
• Prime real estate: The hotel is located in the center of the Warehouse Arts District and just three blocks from the French Quarter.
• Specialty pillow menu: Help ensure your sleep comfort by choosing your pillow from a group provided by the hotel.

New Orleans’s French Quarter: Let the Good Times Roll

“Stop thinking of New Orleans as the worst-organized city in the United States,” writes author Dan Baum in Nine Lives, his post-Katrina book. “Start thinking of it as the best-organized city in the Caribbean.” Some folks think there is something distinctly foreign about New Orleans, a place where people’s priorities seem inclined toward enjoying life and relishing the moment at hand. Nothing says it better than the town’s unofficial Cajun creed: “Laissez les bons temp rouler,” or “Let the good times roll.”

Historical buildings with intricate wrought-iron balconies line the narrow streets of New Orleans’s French Quarter. Here, street musicians often fill the air with jazz music, their trombones and tubas swinging back and forth. Just off the Jackson Square park and near the towering St. Louis Cathedral, the legendary Café Du Monde serves beignets under heaping piles of powdered sugar, as well as cups of iced or steaming café au lait.

And then there’s Bourbon Street, where neon lights advertise frozen cocktails and gaudy strip clubs and crowds gather along 13 city blocks. The nearby Frenchmen Street, just north of the Quarter, provides a slightly less touristy taste of New Orleans nightlife. Some of the city’s most popular live jazz and blues bars dominate this historic two-block district, with each venue hosting world-class musicians nearly every night of the week. Jazz fills the air at the Spotted Cat Music Club, where a sign warns that both drinks and drunks are barred from the piano—but like all rules in New Orleans, it’s one that’s bound to get bent from time to time.

Love to travel? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for travel tips, inspiration, and photos from around the world.