Every day is its own parade!

What’s Normal in New Orleans?

Back to Normal!
Everything is as back to normal as it ever gets in New Orleans.

Mardi Gras is over.  What’s normal in New Orleans?  It’s not like where you’re from.

Every day in New Orleans is a good day.  I know.  I live here.  You can live here, too, at least as long as a vacation.

You never know what you’ll see in New Orleans.  Every day is a parade.

HERE’S WHAT’S NORMAL IN NEW ORLEANS:

Dead Beans parade!
Dead Beans Parade, Lundi Gras 2020, in front of La Belle Esplanade.

La Belle Esplanade is a tiny hotel on Esplanade Avenue.  We are close the French Quarter and all the tourist must-sees, but we are far enough away to be in a real neighborhood.

Nobody is bored in New Orleans.  Everyone who stays at La Belle Esplanade discovers what it means to fall in love with this wonderful city we call home.  New Orleans is magical.  I live here.  I see New Orleans work its magic every day.

WHAT’S NORMAL IN NEW ORLEANS?  WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO BE.

Every day is a parade in New Orleans
Dead Beans Parade, Lundi Gras 2020, in front of La Belle Esplanade.

The other day, I was talking to a recent guest towards the end of his seven-day visit with us.  He said, “If I didn’t love New Orleans, I would be like the Grinch.  My heart would be shriveled and small.”

La Belle Esplanade has been hosting visitors to this wonderful city for a little over 7 years.  I have yet to meet someone who didn’t leave New Orleans at the end of their stay without a heart full of good memories.

Making good memories is what New Orleans is all about.  Let two New Orleans goodwill ambassadors help you get off the usual tourist radar and into the authentic New Orleans, the parts of the city and it’s culture that make us love where we live.  You’ll love it, too.

LEARN WHAT’S NORMAL IN NEW ORLEANS.

You never know who you'll see in New Orleans.
Dead Beans Parade, Lundi Gras 2020, in front of La Belle Esplanade.

The best part of our day is breakfast.  We love to share everything we know about New Orleans.  We can talk about more than Bourbon Street or Frenchmen Street or the Garden District.  We go everywhere in New Orleans.  We can talk about Bourbon Street if you want to but there is a whole wide, wonderful city out here waiting to be explored.

Our lives are woven into the fabric of the real, year-round, committed to its culture New Orleans.  Tell us what you are interested in.  We’ll point you in the right direction.

La Belle Esplanade
Your headquarters for authentic New Orleans adventures.

New Orleans is a city blessed with a strong sense of community, culture, and traditions.  In a New Orleans state of mind, there is no place else I’d rather live.  We can talk about it when you stay at La Belle Esplanade.  We have been ranked the #1 B&B hotel in New Orleans on TripAdvisor every month since April 2014( that’s 6 years).  #2 in the United States, and #16 in the whole world, too.

THIS IS REGULAR NEW ORLEANS.

New Orleans has a fiat from heaven
You never know who you’ll bump into in our New Orleans neighborhood.

Nobody ever says their visit to New Orleans is too long.  The longer you are here, the more things you’ll discover to explore.  We live in a kaleidoscope of a city.  Once you Visit New Orleans, you’ll want to come back for more.  I know.  I live here.  We can talk about what makes New Orleans special when you’re here.

To make a reservation, you are the right website.  HERE IS LINK TO OUR CALENDAR.  La Belle Esplanade is a small craft hotel.  We only have five affordable luxury suites.  If you want to check them all out beforehand, HERE IS LINK TO OUR SUITES.

We do serve a complimentary neighborhood-based breakfast accompanied by coffee with chicory (the New Orleans way) and good conversation about all things New Orleans.  We are always open to questions about all things New Orleans.  We live here.  We know a lot about this wonderful city we call home.

Follow this blog.  Follow La Belle Esplanade on Facebook and Instagram.  Keep yourself in a New Orleans state of mind before you get here.  Keep yourself in a New Orleans state of mind after you’ve been here.  Laissez les bon temps rouler!

2019 TripAdvisor Award
Two years in a row: one of the top 0.001% best place to stay.

My husband and I picked New Orleans for our short winter break simply because of low airfare and because we’d never been there before. It probably would have been OK if I hadn’t noticed the listing for La Belle Esplanade, but with Matthew and Melanie’s help, it became a real vacation. We agree that the best memory of our trip is the mornings spent lingering over good coffee and a dizzying variety of breakfast treats while sharing the previous day’s adventures with other guests and getting suggestions for the day ahead.

We enjoyed the sculpture garden at City Park, watched the marathon run past us, saw the fancy houses of the Garden District from the historic cable car, and listened to the talented Antoine at Buffa’s, all based on their advice. We just let them tell us where to go for dinner, and they never steered us wrong.

Oh yeah, and the house is wonderful too. Our suite was big, private, and comfortable. I loved the colors of the Pelican Suite and the extra steep stairs were an adventure. Lloyd especially loved the note under the glass in the hall. The neighborhood is lovely and always felt safe, even at night. You don’t need a car, but parking our rental was easy, and there’s a bus stop on the corner that will take you to the French Quarter if you like that scene. I’m not sure when we’ll make it back to New Orleans, or what new delights we’ll discover, but I do know where we’ll be staying. Thanks to our hosts for the lovely de-stress.”  —Wendy H.  Minnesota, USA.