Crawfish Boil 2020: Hotels

          Just a reminder, the crawfish boil is being held at Maison Lafitte in Mandeville, Louisiana on Saturday March 7, 2020. Mandeville is on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. So we'll divide the recommendations depending on if you want to stay near the boil or in New Orleans. For anyone unfamiliar with the Greater New Orleans area, getting across the lake is a breeze thanks to the Causeway that cuts right across the lake.  

          On the South Shore, New Orleans boasts a bevy of great places to stay. We recommend that visitors make their accommodations in the city as much of the trip to Covington is on the Causeway. And if you’re going to stay in New Orleans, you may as well stay in the French Quarter (especially if you’ve never been to New Orleans before). Staying in the Quarter is a unique experience and puts you right into the action. Most of the city's tourist attractions are easily accessible and there’s always something going on nearby.

          If you're looking for an AirBnB, there are plenty available inside and outside the Quarter. Prices will be lower than they would be in the previous weeks because the Boil is coming after Mardi Gras. Prices are generally similar to what you spend  a nice hotel room. 

The interior of the Roosevelt 

          Currently, our favorite hotel in the city is the Roosevelt. It's part of the Hilton-Waldorf Astoria luxury hotel chain and about 10 years ago it underwent a complete renovation that modernized the interior but kept its New Orleans charm. The renovation restored the hotel's iconic Sazerac Bar to its original 1940s decor. The Sazerac excels at cocktails in a historic New Orleans space where Huey "Kingfish" Long used to drink and meet with constituents. If you want a comfortable hotel that also exudes old school New Orleans, the Roosevelt is the place to stay. 

W New Orleans - French Quarter hotel. The hotel is in a quieter part of the Quarter down on Chartres Street, but still only a couple of blocks from Bourbon.

The JW Marriott is on Canal Street, and is very close to the Quarter. Here you can be within easy walking distance of the Quarter without being surrounded by it.

Interior of the Southern Hotel 

          Now, we'll cover some accommodations in the Mandeville/Covington area. Covington has the standard range of visitors' hotels, but we thought it would be better to recommend some places for guests who prefer a quiet location close to the boil. 

          There's also the Southern Hotel in Covington.  It's located in the heart of downtown Covington and houses one of our favorite local restaurants, Ox Lot 9.  The restaurant also has a great bar that makes fantastic cocktails. The rooms are spacious and there's a spa located within the hotel. 

          Covington also has a Courtyard by Marriott and Annadele's B&B. Annadele's is a lovely plantation home near Old Covington. The grounds and rooms are charming and the restaurant is generally pretty good, especially for breakfast.

          We'll be back next week with restaurant recommendations. Because if you're coming to New Orleans, there's no excuse not to eat well.