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New Orleans · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels Downtown in New Orleans

Rosa Iglesias

Rosa Iglesias The American south

Updated 1 August 2026 · 22 New Orleans hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in New Orleans, out of the 22 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.7 down to 4.3.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $69.

Madame Isabelle's House In New Orleans

Highest rated of the five

Madame Isabelle's House In New Orleans

★★★★★4.7 from 607 reviews

Madame Isabelle's House In New Orleans comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.7 from 607 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 3 star property, found under Downtown and around $69 a night on the dates we checked.

22 hotels in New Orleans qualified for this list and five made it. Auberge NOLA Hostel is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

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All five, ranked

  1. Madame Isabelle's House In New Orleans1

    Madame Isabelle's House In New Orleans

    ★★★★★4.7 from 607 reviews

    • Spa
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

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  2. Auberge NOLA Hostel2

    Auberge NOLA Hostel

    ★★★★★4.7 from 532 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Airport shuttle

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  3. HI New Orleans Hostel3

    HI New Orleans Hostel

    ★★★★★4.6 from 688 reviews

    • Spa
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

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  4. W.G. Creole House 18504

    W.G. Creole House 1850

    ★★★★★4.6 from 119 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

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  5. The Saint Hotel, New Orleans, French Quarter, Autograph Collection5

    The Saint Hotel, New Orleans, French Quarter, Autograph Collection

    ★★★★★4.3 from 1,829 reviews

    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

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How this list was put together

22 New Orleans hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Rosa Iglesias

Rosa Iglesias The American south

Teaches in term time and plays weddings in summer, which pays for the travel. Goes where the music is, usually festivals in small unrecommended towns. Owns three unnecessary accordions.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.