The Courtyard at the W French Quarter in New Orleans
New Orleans may be most associated with the early-spring celebration of Mardi Gras, but the winter holidays are a great time to visit, too: The weather is mild, the crowds scarce, and it's a lot easier than usual to land a table at one of the Crescent City's vaunted restaurants.
Fortunately for the NOLA bound, it's less expensive to visit this December, thanks to the Papa Noël Rates at the city's two W Hotel properties.
Where: W New Orleans, a glass tower in the Central Business District, a few minutes' walk from the Bourbon Street, and W French Quarter, a clutch of converted buildings in the historic district.
How Much: Rates start at $103 at the W New Orleans and at $125 at the W French Quarter, that's 30% and 15% off respectively the usual starting rate of $148 (all prices include taxes and fees). The W French Quarter deal includes free parking.
Dates: Book by December 31 for stays December 8-31 (December 19 is blacked out due to a convention—hey, New Orleans is a big convention town).
How to Book: Click on the shortened link http://ow.ly/sLx9 to book at the W New Orleans or on the shortened link http://ow.ly/sLAE to book at the W French Quarter. Or call 1-877-822-0000 and mention "Papa Noël Rates."
Extras: About those restaurants mentioned above: December, particularly Christmas week, really is a great time to try the places you might have a harder time getting into other times of the year. My husband and I spent the holiday in the city a few years ago (we stayed in the W New Orleans, as a matter of fact), and we spent our days eating our way through the city, with the highlights being dinners at Galatoire's and the Commander's Palace, two institutions long on foodies' radars.
I checked in with fellow editor Mollie Chen, my in-house source for all things culinary, for some picks this year. Her recommendations, tweeted from her two-week biking and eating trek across the South: Cochon, Patois, Domilise's for po-boys, and the bars French 75 and Napoleon House for drinks. (Speaking of drinks, before you go, you'll want to pore over Condé Nast Traveler's "New Orleans Bar Tour" from our November 2009 issue.)
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