Honeymoons
By Robyn Pollman, for Wholly Matrimony
Please note: This page was originally created by Robyn in 2001. Some of these links may no longer work, and will be updated in the near future.
For more information about potential New Orleans wedding, reception, and honeymoon sights and group packages — contact the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau at:
1520 Sugar Bowl Drive,
New Orleans, LA 70112, U.S.A.
or call (800) 748-8695
You’ll receive wedding information and they’ll help you find hotels for any group needing ten or more rooms. Click here for a printable copy of this New Orleans guide.
Make sure to call the New Orleans Visitors Bureau and get copies of their New Orleans Good Time Visitors and Accommodations Guides. The NOVB phone number is (504) 566-5052. They have just about every hotel in New Orleans (listed by city district) in the Accommodations Guide — with a price scale included. (You can see photos of some hotels this way, too.) The Visitors Guide breaks down the sights by points of interest, and by city district. It also includes maps of the city and the French Quarter.
Our New Orleans Lodging Suggestions
For a hotel, you might check out the Le Richelieu Hotel’s honeymoon suite. This is the hotel we were married, and honeymooned, at. It’s located at 1234 Chartres in the French Quarter. The honeymoon suite is absolutely breathtaking — with an oak white canopy bed, mirrored walls, the works…
The hotel is very “French Quarter” and “Southern”. The Le Richelieu has a Honeymoon Package for $524 (2008 rate) that includes: 3 days/2 nights, chilled champagne on arrival, champagne breakfast with unlimited menu selections for one morning, free continental breakfast the other morning, free nightcap cocktails, free on-site parking (very hard to find in the French Quarter!), etc. Additional nights are $225 each plus applicable taxes. The number for the hotel is 1-800-535-9653, to request a free brochure with color photos and current rates.
Another hotel we’ve stayed in and love is the Le Meridien in the Central Business District. It’s right on the edge of the Quarter, and very close to the Riverwalk and St. Charles Street Car stop. The Le Meridien is the epitome of modern French elegance and luxury. They also have wonderful specials — so make sure to ask about them!
More New Orleans Hotel Suggestions
- The Bourbon Orleans Hotel
- The Royal Sonesta New Orleans
- The Chateau Sonesta New Orleans
- The Dauphine Orleans
- The Holiday Inn Chateau Le Moyne
- The Maison Dupuy
- The Bienville House Hotel
New Orleans Room-Finding Services
- Roomfinders.com
- hoteldiscount!com
- Accommodations Express
- French Quarter Reservations Service
- New Orleans Honeymoon Accommodations
- New Orleans Online Hotel Search
New Orleans Sightseeing and Dining
- Pat O’Brien’s at 718 St. Peter: Pat O’Briens invented the “Hurricane” drink here, and it’s the largest bar in the world with two indoor bars and a huge patio area with a flaming fountain. It’s a N’awlins institution and you can’t miss it (even if you don’t drink) — just make sure to stand in line for the piano bar because it is well worth the wait!
- Mother’s Restaurant at 401 Poydras: Famous for their debris and hams and best for breakfast… Be prepared for a long wait to get seated but it’s worth it! Trust us. No, really!
- The St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square: A Minor Basilica established as a Parish in 1720 — it’s one of New Orleans most notable landmarks. The cathedral was visited by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in September 1987.
New Orleans Sightseeing and Dining
- Napoleon House at 500 Chartres Street: One of the best-kept “local secrets” in the Quarter! We both highly recommend their jambalaya and muffuletta sandwiches. Napoleon House was voted one of the Top 100 bars in America by Esquire Magazine — and Tennessee Williams wrote parts of “A Streetcar Named Desire” here. The house was originally built for Napoleon so he could live in exile in New Orleans — but Napoleon died before the plot could be carried out.
- Take a steamboat tour down the Mississippi: The Natchez cruises between the Aquarium of the Americas and the Audubon Zoo.
- Café Du Monde at 800 Decatur Street: This is the original location that’s open seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. Enjoy their world famous beignets, coffee & chicory, or cafe au lait.
- Croissant D’Or at 617 Ursulines: A wonderful French pastry shop (where we got our wedding cake). Yet another local secret, and Quarter-resident favorite!
- The French Market near Ursulines and the Mississippi River: A huge open, outdoor shopping and produce market.
- Camelia Grill at 626 S. Carrollton (take the St. Charles streetcar until just after it turns onto Carrollton at the end of St. Charles): Another classic New Orleans institution that’s open 24 hours. It’s a lunch counter with great breakfasts (waffles, omelets) and even better sandwiches. It’s a must for a true N’awlins dining experience!
- Carriage rides: Another New Orleans must-do — especially for honeymooners! A popular pick-up spot by Royal Carriages is Decatur Street at Jackson Square.
- House of Blues at 225 Decatur: This is owned by Dan Akroyd and Jim Belushi. It’s a tribute to the Blues Brothers, and blues music in general. Great bands perform there almost every evening, and the late-night food is AWESOME!
New Orleans Sightseeing and Dining
- New Orleans Riverwalk near Canal Street and the Mississippi River: A huge outdoor fair with street performers, live musicians giving outdoor concerts, and an incredible indoor shopping mall. The riverboat casinos are all at Riverwalk, too.
- Le Madeline Parisian Bakery and Cafe in the lower Pontalba Building on Jackson Square: When a bakery imports their chefs and ovens directly from France, you know they’re serious about making the best bread and pastries possible.
- The St. Charles Streetcar: from Canal Street it’s $1.00 each way for a round-trip streetcar tour of the famous New Orleans Garden District. The St. Charles streetcar is the oldest U.S. line in continuous operation, and still uses the same cars that were designed and built for it in 1923.
- Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville New Orleans (near the French Market): Excellent menu items, and the margaritas are the best anywhere (go figure)! They have great live music every day/night, too.
- Hard Rock Cafe at 418 N. Peters — and Planet Hollywood at 620 Decatur: Both are good ‘touristy’ places to load up on shot glasses and t-shirts…
- Preservation Hall at 726 St. Peter: Just good jazz!
Related New Orleans Online Guides
- New Orleans Visitor’s Bureau
- Experience New Orleans Online
- Romance: Love Along the Levee
- Dave & Susie’s N.O. Romance Guide
- New Orleans article on romance
- Amazon.com New Orleans book list
- neworleans.com Visitor’s Guide
- New Orleans Online: All about N.O.
- About.com’s New Orleans honeymoon guide
alt.wedding New Orleans Suggestions
karsim@aol.com writes: “My fiancée is going to school at LSU in Baton Rouge, so one of our favorite “get away from it all” trips is a weekend in N’awlins. Robyn’s list from an earlier post is pretty close to perfect, but I would add a couple of things. There’s a restaurant on the corner of Bourbon Street and (I think) Conte, called Desire. They have the best stuffed crab in N.O., and their bread pudding is out of this world.
Also, I wouldn’t miss the new Aquarium of the Americas, which is on the river about 7 blocks south of the French Quarter. The displays are great, with lots of information on the Mississippi River and the Delta, and the last time we were there we got to pet a shark (feels like sandpaper)! From the Aquarium, you can catch a paddlewheeler up the river to the Audubon Zoo, then ride the same boat back or catch a trolly that will run through the Garden District to the Quarter.
Now a warning: be careful with your personal possessions while in N.O. Pickpockets and purse snatchers prey on tourists. I never carry my purse while in the Quarter, and I don’t wear a whole lot of jewelry if I know we’re going to be walking after dark. And there are parts of town that you DO NOT want to be walking or driving in at all if you can help it; Storyville is the neighborhood just north of the Quarter and it’s to be avoided if at all possible. But don’t let that deter you from honeymooning in N.O. It’s one of my favorite cities and as long as you’re careful, you shouldn’t have any problems.” — Karen Simmons, Karen Simmons Photography
Higher Priced Dining in New Orleans:
- Antoine’s, 713 St. Louis St.,
Internationally renowned Creole cuisine - Emeril’s, 800 Tchoupitoulas,
The famous chef from the TV show - Brennan’s, 417 Royal St., Famous for “Breakfast at Brennan’s“
- Galatoire’s, 209 Bourbon St.,
French bistro - Mike’s on the Avenue, 628 St. Charles Ave., Serves food as a “culinary and visual art”
- Commander’s Palace, 1403 Washington Ave., Inside a Garden District Victorian mansion
More “Affordable” Dining / Drinking in New Orleans:
- Tujague’s, 823 Decatur St., Under $20 for a full six-course meal
- Bayona, 430 Dauphine St.,
Mediterranean cuisine - Houlihan’s Old Place, 315 Bourbon St., Casual dining
- Praline Connection, 542 Frenchman St., (at Chartres), Dinner for under $15
- Gumbo Shop, 630 St. Peter St.,
Creole cuisine, dinner under $20 - Tipitina’s, 501 Napoleon Ave.,
Legendary music club, dinner less than $5, drink minimum - Petunias, A Restaurant, 817 St. Louis St., Cajun and Creole, dinner under $20
- O’Flaherty Irish Channel Pub, 514 Toulouse St., “The best Irish pub this side of the Atlantic”
- Bella Luna Restaurant, 914 North Peters St., “One of the country’s most romantic restaurants”
- Cooter Brown’s, 509 S. Carrollton Ave., Popular watering hole and sandwich shop
- Crescent City Brewhouse, 527 Decatur St., The only French Quarter microbrewery
- Progress Grocery, 915 Decatur St., World famous for their muffuletta sandwiches
- Central Grocery, 923 Decatur St., Claims to be home of the “original” muffuletta
- GB’s and Madigan’s Patio Bar and Grill, 8117 Maple St. and Riverbend, Hamburger haven and eclectic crowd late-night hangout
- Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, 95 French Market Pl., Voted number one “specialty pizza restaurant” nine years running by “New Orleans Magazine”
- Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow St., Pub-style bar that’s a favorite “local hangout”
Other nice places to spend time… Two parks: City Park (with the New Orleans Museum of Art), and Audubon Park (sandwiched between Tulane and the Zoo). All are well-worth a taxi ride. — Anonymous Contributor
If you’re in the mood to shop… There is an upscale mall called “Canal Place” which is very near Riverwalk. And Royal Street in the Quarter is great for art and antiques. — Anonymous Contributor
The Maple Leaf at 8316 Oak was originally a chess and music club. It is later famed as the site of respectively, poetry readings and some of pianist James Booker’s most incendiary recitals. The interior appears in the movie Angel Heart. This is place to go if you’re craving funky New Orleans music (brass bands, blues and funk, usually) that sometimes doesn’t cease until after sunrise. — Anonymous Contributor and Offbeat review
Robyn and Todd’s New Orleans Sites
- Print-friendly “New Orleans Honeymoon Guide”
- Information on New Orleans weddings
- New Orleans reception location suggestions
- Recommendations for New Orleans proposals
- Robyn and Todd’s French Quarter wedding
“I Do” Beauty has a cool list of gift ideas for brides, grooms, attendants, and parents. Find great brands like philosophy, Garden Botanika, ice.com & more!-
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