The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans

"The original Grande Dame is the 1908 Beaux Arts, Ritz-Carlton, in the French Quarter. It received a $40 million revamp in 2022 and now boasts the state’s largest spa." - Jenny Adams

"The palatial Maison Blanche building was an elegant department store for most of its existence, redeveloped in the 1980s as the New Orleans outpost of the Ritz-Carlton. Today it's a popular stop for visitors of note, from politicians to professional sports teams—one that delivers the brand's signature quality, hospitality, and luxury. The City View King Rooms are as traditionally luxurious as you might expect. Period-inspired décor is sophisticated without feeling dated—embroidered headboards, elaborate curtains, and velvet armchairs. As this is New Orleans, the hotel has its own resident jazz musician; every weekend in the Davenport Lounge, trumpeter Jeremy Davenport plays his way through the classic American songbook." - Paul Oswell

"Occupying what were the Maison Blanche department store and the S.H. Kress & Co. five-and-dime, this stately hotel first opened its doors in 2000 after a $250 million overhaul of the then-shuttered Beaux-Arts buildings. After Katrina, the property underwent a second renovation, which included the expansion of its spa (now a sprawling 25,000 square feet) and the addition of a private entrance for Club level guests. This is a Ritz-Carlton, so you can expect the same (high) level of service and luxury—think ornate furnishings, sumptuous linens, and a $3.5 million art collection—as at other properties within the brand. But the property isn’t just another Ritz. Bellmen wear seersucker, the bistro serves po’ boys, and there’s live jazz in the lounge (which also serves a mean Vesper)."

"This historic Beaux Arts building on the edge of the French Quarter was a department store in its past life. Now it’s home to the Ritz-Carlton, which brought new energy to the city’s hotel scene when it opened in 2000. Although the hotel is part of a big luxury chain, the feeling is unmistakably New Orleans, with opulent guest rooms swagged in silk curtains and intricately patterned textiles that give off a fun, nineteenth-century vibe. And the location on Canal Street means you’re in walking distance of almost everything you’ll want to see over a few days in the city (like the French Quarter, Louis Armstrong Park, and the Central Business District). There’s also a 25,000-square-foot spa for all manner of massages, facials, body scrubs, and mani-pedis. "

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with that hotel. I was on tour with a musical a long time ago, and that was one of the places we stayed. And that hotel—anytime you say “the Ritz,” how bad can it be?"