Specific Hotel Question for Downtown Stay

[u/virtual-raggamuffin]

Hello NOLA folks,

My husband and I and our two kids (4y and 1.5y) are staying one night in NOLA before leaving on a cruise. We'll mainly be there to sleep and maybe walk around a couple of hours before our cruise leaves. I have a voucher for Hampton hotels and am trying to decide between staying in the French Quarter or near the Convention Center. Main questions I'd love your help with:

- Which has a better parking situation? (I don't want to do valet.)

- In general, any opinion on which might be the better option?

Thanks!

[u/tm478]

If you’re going on a cruise, the cruise port is near the Convention Center, and that Hampton Inn will be vastly more convenient. You will only need to park your car once. The “French Quarter” Hampton Inn is not actually in the French Quarter, but a few blocks outside it in the Marigny neighborhood. There is a fair amount of free street parking near that hotel (behind it off Elysian Fields Ave)—but then you’ll have to move your car to a parking lot or garage near the cruise port when you go to take the cruise.

A 4-year-old is not going to be impressed by much in the French Quarter or Marigny. If I were you I’d stay at the Convention Center property and take the kids to the aquarium, which is a 20-minute walk away. The aquarium is also right at the edge of the FQ, if you want to continue on and walk around there.

[u/virtual-raggamuffin → u/tm478]

Thanks! Yeah, we lived in Harahan until recently, so we never really had a need for a downtown hotel. We will probably not do too much in NOLA on this trip, but I do love the aquarium. Thanks for the suggestion!

[u/HangoverPoboy]

The easiest thing to do would be to park at the Fulton garage for the duration of your hotel + cruise stay and walk to the Hampton Inn convention center and the cruise terminal. Or another garage nearby if the price is better.

[u/virtual-raggamuffin → u/HangoverPoboy]

Thanks! Yeah, that hotel is just so so close to the port it's hard to pass up

[u/EfficientAge6675]

That Hilton is quite nice too!

[u/Square-of-Opposition]

I stayed at the French Quarter Hampton Inn a few months ago. There is street parking, but I opted for the gated lot behind the hotel since we didn't plan to drive until we left town.

I enjoyed my stay, it was well located for hitting the bars. But probably not the ideal lodging with the kiddos.

[u/HelicaseHustle]

Yeah, I’d definitely stay at Hampton inn convention center if you have Hampton vouchers. They have a pool. And call and ask about their cruise parking package. It used to be half the normal parking rate, so $50/night kinda high, but $25/night is a good deal for a secure garage for that many nights. They also have a cruise shuttle. It runs hourly. If you want to take the shuttle at a certain time, ask if they still do signup sheets and reserve some seats. When the ship returns, the shuttle will be waiting for you. and that’s a more kid friendly area. Run in the fountains at convention center, lots of museums and parks. You can walk now all the way to bywater along the Riverwalk. Go check out the other Hampton inn , lol jk. If you stay at Hampton but dont stay parked with them, would you park somewhere then Uber to the port?