Mardi Gras, photo by Mills Baker

Are you hoping to book hotels near Mardi Gras parades? The parades for Mardi Gras begin in February, so it’s time to start planning for your trip to New Orleans now. What are the best hotels to book for Mardi Gras?  You can try to make reservations at the Hyatt French Quarter.

Although you would probably want to be out in the streets for the parades, you could watch some of the action on the street from the hotel’s balcony facing Bourbon Street. Many people look for hotels that are actually on the St. Charles Avenue parade route. There’s plenty to see during Mardi Gras, and while hotels in the Central Business District are smack in the middle of the action, many people elect to stay in hotels in the French Quarter, too. The smaller parades begin on February 1st, but most travelers will get to the New Orleans area around March 1st and stay until after the big parades that run through March 4th.

Mardi Gras New Orleans recommends the Royal Sonesta, a luxury hotel that is also labeled a AAA four diamond hotel. Last year, in 2013, TripAdvisor awarded the hotel a Certificate of Excellence. The Royal Sonesta has wrought iron balconies, an on-site restaurant — Restaurant R’evolution, an oyster bar and a jazz playhouse. The Bourbon Balcony Entertainment suite has balconies that overlook Bourbon Street and other streets. Because the suite is designed for groups for 50 to 150 guests, it’s probably best to book this suite with a lot of friends or relatives.

The Four Points by Sheraton in the French Quarter on Bourbon Street is another hotel with a balcony that you might wish to consider. The hotel has double rooms with balconies that overlook Toulouse Street, but you could ask if there are any rooms that face Bourbon street that are available. Check the parade schedule for the parade routes, of course. You can view the Mardi Gras 2014 parade routes and find out when you would like to come time and where you should go when you get to the city.

The Intercontinental New Orleans is right on the St. Charles Parade Route. It’s also a four Diamond hotel, so it will provide guests with luxurious accommodations during Mardi Gras. The hotel does have balconies. Call ahead to see if the hotel has balcony rooms that would allow you to see the parade route.

The LaFayette Hotel is on St. Charles Avenue and has balcony rooms that face out onto the street. An elegant luxury hotel for watching Mardi Gras, this historic hotel has 44 rooms and suites. This charming hotel has marble floors, French doors, and luxurious furnishings. The craziest time to go to Mardi Gras is usually the weekend before Fat Tuesday up until Fat Tuesday itself. For the best hotels to see Mardi Gras you are better off reserving a room a year before the dates that you wish to attend. This might be disappointing news for people who are just now making arrangements to attend the festivities this year, but you might must luck up if money is not a concern.