New Orleans

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT 69
prices. The staff is nice, so it’s worth considering if you can get the
low-end price.
444 Common St., New Orleans, LA 70130. & 888/211-3447 or 504/522-4444. Fax
504/539-9010. www.thepelhamhotel.com. 60 units. $79–$399 double. AE, DC, DISC,
MC, V. Valet parking $25. Amenities: Concierge; laundry service; newspaper.
In room: A/C, TV, Wi-Fi, dataport, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe for additional fee.
Renaissance Arts Hotel The Renaissance brand is the Marriott’s
attempt at a hip, W-style hotel, a place for younger business
travelers to feel a bit better about themselves. Don’t expect painters
in the lobby, splattering like Pollock or staging suspicious performance-art
gags. What “arts” here means is that the designers made a
concerted effort to incorporate art, specifically local art, into the
decor. But the theme gets stronger once you enter the hallways, and
comes into stronger focus in the rooms, which are hung with the
works of several Louisiana artists. The rooms are well sized (look for
a connecting room to get extra square footage) and include down pillows
and covers. The hotel has a dull rooftop pool with a view of
industrial New Orleans, and a health club with adequate elbowroom.
700 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130. & 504/613-2330. Fax 504/613-
2331. www.marriott.com. 217 units. $189 double. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking
$28. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; pool; health club; concierge; business center; gift
shop; room service; babysitting; laundry; dry cleaning; newspaper delivery. In room:
A/C, TV, high-speed Internet access, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe.
St. James Hotel A fine preservation job has given what could
have been an eyesore derelict (if historic) building a new useful function.
Actually, this is two different buildings, one of which used to
be—get this!—the St. James Infirmary, sung about so memorably
by many a mournful jazz musician. This gives the place a touch
more style than the fresh white-bed generic look popping up all over
town. Look for parrots, palm trees, and even monkey-shaped pull
chains on the lamps. Because the restorers had to make do with a
nonuniform space, rooms vary in size and style, and a few lack windows.
You want high ceilings? Ask for a room in the back building.
Rooms have either painted texture or, on the top floor, exposed
brick and wood. All rooms have feather beds, soft towels, and marble
bathrooms. Two suites and a room share a small, private brick
courtyard with a fountain—a nice setup for a small group. There is
a teeny-weeny pool.
330 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130. & 888/211-3447 or 504/304-4000.
www.saintjameshotel.com. 86 units. $150–$250 double. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet
parking $25. Amenities: Pool; concierge; laundry; dry cleaning. In room: A/C, TV,
Wi-Fi, CD player, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe.