French Quarter hotels split into two categories: those facing the street with balconies overlooking drunk tourists, and those hidden behind gates where courtyards block noise. Four properties operate as secret gardens where the street disappears once you step through the entrance.
Audubon Cottages, 509 Dauphine Street, French Quarter.
A dark green door sits between St. Louis and Toulouse streets with only a small plaque marking the entrance. Seven one- and two-bedroom suites are spread across standalone cottages opening onto private or semi-private courtyards. Naturalist John James Audubon lived here in the 1820s while painting bird illustrations. The courtyards have running fountains, exposed brick, and a heated saltwater pool set in original brick that’s supposedly the oldest pool in New Orleans.
Each cottage has antiques, fireplaces, kitchenettes, and different layouts. Elizabeth Taylor stayed in Cottage 3. A ghost haunts Cottage 4. Check-in happens at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel one block away. A 24-hour butler stays available by phone. No restaurant on-site. Breakfast arrives in the courtyard each morning. Rates from $199 weekdays, $349-$999 weekends. Phone available through booking. $150 damage deposit. Ghosts included.
Soniat House, 1133 Chartres Street, French Quarter.
Three 1830s townhouses with courtyards filled with sweet olive and jasmine. Thirty rooms individually furnished with French antiques and Frette linens. The resident cat Claire roams the property. Lush tropical courtyards have stone fountains and wrought-iron balconies. Continental breakfast with warm buttermilk biscuits, jam, orange juice, and coffee served in your room or courtyard. Honor bar in the salon.
The property sits on the quiet residential end of the French Quarter blocks from Bourbon Street noise. Room 53 is most requested with a large bedroom, sitting room, bathroom, and courtyard access. Small Luxury Hotels of the World property. Rates from $240-$700+ depending on room and season. No on-site parking, partner with nearby lots. Phone: (504) 522-0570.
Hôtel Maison de Ville, 727 Toulouse Street, French Quarter.
Built in the 1700s as a Creole townhouse. Sixteen rooms in the main house plus seven cottages behind the property in a separate courtyard. The cottages are accessed through a carriageway leading to a brick courtyard with banana trees and a fountain. Tennessee Williams wrote “A Streetcar Named Desire” while staying in the cottages. The main house rooms are smaller with antique furnishings. The cottages have more space with separate living areas.
Continental breakfast and afternoon port service included. The property is quiet, tucked away on Toulouse Street away from main tourist traffic. Bistro Daisy restaurant attached. Rates from $200. Valet parking available at sister property. Phone: (504) 561-5858.
Cornstalk Hotel, 915 Royal Street, French Quarter.
Named for the cast-iron cornstalk fence surrounding the property, one of the most photographed gates in New Orleans. Built in 1816 as a private residence. Fourteen rooms in a Victorian mansion with high ceilings, period furniture, and a courtyard with a fountain. The fence features cornstalks with morning glories woven through the ironwork, painted in natural colors.
Rooms vary in size, some with four-poster beds and fireplaces. Continental breakfast included. The hotel is smaller and more intimate than chain properties. The location on Royal Street puts you near antique shops and art galleries but away from Bourbon Street chaos. Rates from $180. Limited on-site parking. Phone: (504) 523-1515.
