Oak Alley Plantation’s 18th Annual Arts & Crafts Festival, New Orleans, March 28, 2009.  Don’t miss this Springtime festival with 170 booths of artists and crafters from throughout the United States. Enjoy the delicious local foods including world famous funnel cakes, shrimp Creole, crawfish etouffé, Andouille gumbo, red beans & rice, along with pies, pecan pralines, daiquiris, and of course, Louisiana MINT JULEPS!  While enjoying the fun, stay with us! Steps from Bourbon Street, Jackson Square and the French Market, French Quarter Inns welcomes you to Springtime in the Crescent City! Enjoy the old world charm and European ambiance of the French Quarter at the Hotel St. Pierre & Andrew Jackson Hotel.  We have special bargain rates all the way through March. Rates start at $79, so book early!  

Our historic New Orleans French Quarter hotels, set within the alluring French Quarter, are steps from Bourbon Street, French Market & Jackson Square. Come experience Cajun & Creole cuisine and world-famous New Orleans Jazz music. The inimitable local styles of cuisine, music and non-stop entertainment make for an impressive experience. Visit authentic Louisiana plantation homes, explore the world of Mardi Gras, learn to cook Cajun first hand, try your luck at the Casino or just enjoy people watching on Bourbon Street. Best of all, don’t go home empty handed: Tax-free shopping is offered for international visitors. Located in the Heart of the French Quarter, the Hotel St. Pierre & Andrew Jackson Hotel welcomes you with charming hotel accommodations and the best French Quarter locations! Click here for great 2009 hotel rates!

Looking for a fun festival or great event in New Orleans?  Don’t forget Mardi Gras – February 24, 2009!  But we have much, much more as 2009 is packed with fun in the Big Easy.  Here are a few of our favorites:

New Orleans Ballet Association Ball – March 21, 2009

Tennessee Williams Festival – March 25 – 29, 2009

Crescent City Classic Race – April 11, 2009

French Quarter Festival – April 17 – 19, 2009

Annual Zurich Golf Classic – April 20 – 26, 2009

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival – April 24- May 3, 2009

Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival – May 8 – 9, 2009

New Orleans Food and Wine Experience – May 19- 23, 2009

Greek Festival – May 22 – 24, 2009

Vieux-to-do – June 14 – 15, 2009

Essence Music Festival – July 3 – 5, 2009

Satchmo Summerfest – July 30 – August 2, 2009

White Linen Night – August 1, 2009

Faulkner Festival – November 19 – 23, 2009

Stay at the Hotel St. Pierre & Andrew Jackson Hotel, in the Heart of the French Quarter, and enjoy all of the fun in 2009!

Mardi Gras in New Orleans gets into full swing with the French Quarter’s Krewe du Vieux Parade, February 7th! This wonderful French Quarter tradition starts in the Marigny and winds its way through the French Quarter. Unique among all Mardi Gras parades, Krewe du Vieux carries on the old traditions of Carnival celebrations. With decorated, mule-drawn floats and satirical themes, costumed revelers dance in the streets to the sounds of jazzy street musicians. Come on down and stay with us in the Heart of the French Quarter! The fun goes all the way through Mardi Gras Day, so book early for great February bargains!

Newsweek Magazine’s Budget Travel October 2008 issue reintroduced some of our favorite things about the Big Easy: “25 Reasons We Love New Orleans.” Visit us and enjoy the best in New Orleans and the French Quarter.  Here is a selection of Budget Travel’s top 25:

1. They put the art in party:
Held the third Saturday of every month in Markey Park, the Bywater Art Market showcases local artists and a food truck that sells boudin balls (breaded and fried sausage). You’ll find paintings, photography, jewelry, and boxes made from recycled lumber. Royal St. and Piety St., art-restoration.com/bam, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

2. Take me to the river:
Audubon Park is an urban paradise for golfers, runners, bikers, picnicking families, and napping students. Audubon Zoo is on the grounds, along with one of the city’s best views of the Mississippi. At sunset, crowds gather at the riverbank with soccer balls, six-packs, and peel-and-eat crawfish. auduboninstitute.org.

3. Helping hands:
Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation is helping to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward, with an initial goal of constructing 150 affordable, relatively hurricane-resistant homes (makeitrightnola.org). More than a million people have donated elbow grease, money, and time, and the state of Louisiana has a website—volunteerlouisiana.gov—for people looking to lend a hand.

4. Sounds nice:
To really savor jazz, go where you can sit. In the French Quarter, the best options are Preservation Hall (726 St. Peter St., 504/522-2841, preservationhall.com, $10) and Fritzel’s European Jazz Pub (733 Bourbon St., 504/586-4800, one-drink minimum). Nearby, Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro hosts legends like Ellis Marsalis (626 Frenchmen St., 504/949-0696, snugjazz.com, from $15).

5. Catch-as-catch-candy:
The first Roman Candy Man, Sam Cortese, entered the taffy-pulling trade in 1915 after he lost his legs in an accident. Today, his grandson Ron Kottemann traverses New Orleans in Sam’s old mule-drawn cart, selling vanilla-, chocolate-, and strawberry-flavored Roman Chewing Candy, while Ron’s son Daniel sells his wares from a cart at the zoo. romancandy.gourmetfoodmall.com, 75¢.

6. Iris fidelis:
Louisiana’s state flower is the magnolia, but the fleur-de-lis is the ultimate expression of New Orleanian loyalty. For a classy memento, check out Mignon Faget jewelry (multiple locations, mignonfaget.com) and Scriptura stationery (5423 Magazine St., 504/897-1555, scriptura.com).

7. Storied history:
It’s nearly impossible to make it through a day without hearing about the voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, or the pirate antihero Jean Lafitte, or how much of the French Quarter’s architecture is actually Spanish. Get beyond local lore at The Historic New Orleans Collection, a museum and research center. 533 Royal St., 504/523-4662, www.hnoc.org, free, tour of the permanent collection $5.

8. Gumbo guidelines:
Every Louisianan has a set of rules about the famous stew: A gumbo must contain a roux; or, a roux isn’t necessary if you use okra; or, okra should be used only in seafood gumbos. To taste multiple styles, visit the Gumbo Shop in the French Quarter. 630 St. Peter St., 877/525-1486, gumboshop.com, gumbo from $8.

9. A fresh approach:
New Orleanians enjoy changes of seasons—seafood seasons, that is. That means oysters during fall and winter, crawfish in spring, and shrimp and crabs all summer long. Casamento’s Restaurant, located Uptown, is famous for its raw oysters and fried-oyster loaf (4330 Magazine St., 504/895-9761, casamentosrestaurant.com, oysters $8.75 per dozen). Big Fisherman Seafood specializes in boiled crawfish (3301 Magazine St., 504/897-9907, bigfishermanseafood.com, crawfish $2.50 per pound).

10. You’re invited!
Festival season runs spring through fall, and if there’s a town, a food, a craft, or a cause, Louisiana celebrates it. You might know the biggies: the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest), French Quarter Fest, and Essence Fest. But what about the Creole Tomato Festival? Or, 85 miles southwest of the city, in Morgan City, the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival? neworleansonline.com/calendar.

And while in town, stay in the Heart of the French Quarter.  The Hotel St. Pierre and Andrew Jackson Hotel are steps from world famous Bourbon and Royal Streets, Jackson Square, Convention Center, Riverfront, and Aquarium of the Americas. Enjoy charming hotel accommodations in the Heart of the French Quarter. Book early for the best availability!

Located steps from Bourbon Street, Jackson Square and the French Market, French Quarter Inns welcomes you to Springtime in the Crescent City!   From the St Patrick’s Day Parade, on March 14, to the New Orleans Secret Garden Tour on March 20-21, the French Quarter is filled with wonderful festivals.  Spring Break is the best time to pick up bargain rates, great deals and lots of fun in the Big Easy.  Enjoy the charm and ambiance of the French Quarter at the Hotel St. Pierre & Andrew Jackson Hotel.  We have bargain rate specials all the way through March.  Rates start at $79, so book early for the best availability!

Guests at the Hotel St. Pierre and Andrew Jackson Hotel enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast each morning. At the Hotel St. Pierre, enjoy our New Orleans Jazz Museum Breakfast Room filled with authentic jazz memorabilia! Both of our locations feature authentic French Quarter Creole Courtyards–wonderful for a leisurely breakfast! World Famous Community Coffee Company’s New Orleans Blend Coffee and Chicory is a favorite treat each morning. The history of chicory use in New Orleans is fascinating: Due to a coffee shortage during the Civil War, New Orleanians began extending their coffee supply by adding chicory, the root of the endive plant, roasted and ground. The result is the bittersweet, heavy-bodied brew we enjoy every day in the French Quarter. Enjoy your stay with us at the Hotel St. Pierre & Andrew Jackson Hotel; Book early for fantastic special rates!

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Welcome Tulane University Fans! Visiting one of Tulane’s schools or colleges? Stay with us, in the heart of the French Quarter, the Hotel St. Pierre and Andrew Jackson Hotel are steps from world famous Bourbon and Royal Streets, Jackson Square, the Riverfront, the Aquarium of the Americas. The French Quarter and the Central Business District attractions are steps from the hotels. Our Tulane Friends and Family Discount is always a big hit, so call for details 1-800-225-4040! Rates start at $79, book early for the best availability!

Ghosts and goblins are nothing new to the French Quarter, an area known for historic sites and centuries-old buildings, some dating back to the city’s founding in 1718.  Referred as the Most Haunted City in America, try the famous New Orleans Ghost Tour as this team of experts explores the old French Quarter. Yes! Ghosts and Spirits still haunt the legendary Vieux Carre. In fact, locals report a variety of sightings from Civil War soldiers to their well dressed “ladies-of-the-evening.” In the heart of the French Quarter, the Hotel St. Pierre and Andrew Jackson Hotel are just blocks from many reputedly haunted locales, including the French Opera House, the LaLaurie Mansion, the Beauregard-Keyes House, and St. Louis Cathedral. World famous Bourbon and Royal Streets, Jackson Square, the Riverfront, the Aquarium of the Americas, and so many of the French Quarter and the Central Business District attractions are steps from the hotels. Rates start at $79, so book early for the best availability!

“The Oyster is Back!” Enjoy Louisiana Oysters at the French Quarter’s Third Annual Louisiana Oyster Jubilee, April 4th, 2009. Join Louisiana’s chefs, restaurateurs, oyster aficionados as they celebrate Spring with Louisiana’s savory oysters. Liven up with some delicious Louisiana oysters, listen to live music and watch New Orleans’ restaurants at work as we celebrate Louisiana oysters! Come on down, enjoy a spring break, and stay with us at the Hotel St. Pierre & Andrew Jackson Hotel, in the Heart of the French Quarter.  We still have great spring break hotel deals available!