New Orleans with a Baby – Where We Stayed

When friends told us that they were going to New Orleans for New Years and suggested that we come along, I was a tiny bit hesitant at first. The hesitation didn’t last. . . I remembered the lead up to our last New Orleans trip when a colleague told me how kid-friendly the city was. Once we decided we were going,  we cashed in on JetBlue points and then set out on finding a place to stay that would suit our little family.

Royal Sonesta New Orleans, where we stayed last time, was my first choice, but due to the holiday and bowl game, it was sold out. We knew we wanted some extra space, and when we came across the suites at Rathbone Mansions, we were instantly in love. I was a little nervous that the property wouldn’t live up to the gorgeousness of the website, but when we were arrived, we were blown away but just how amazing it was.

We booked the Louis Armstrong Suite, which offered two bedrooms (one with a pack and play) and the most incredible balcony, which stretched the entire length of the suite and overlooked Esplanade Avenue.

When in NOLA, you have to have a balcony, and this one was perfect for congregating with our friends and for baby’s naptime! It was warm and humid out, and walking him up and down the balcony put him to sleep late morning every day. It was blissful!

Speaking of blissful, the hot tub at Rathbone Mansions was perfect. After breakfast every morning, we had a glass of bubbly in the hot tub before heading back to our suite for showers and nap time. Having this amenity on site made our trip feel like a real getaway.

Rathbone Mansions offered a delicious free breakfast that included fresh croissants, which our entire family loved. The breakfast area was beautiful and had lots of New Orleans touches, high ceilings, beautiful furnishings, and on occasion, a cute little dog running around. Rathbone Mansions was an easy walk to the heart of the French Quarter, and it was super convenient to get to almost everywhere.

We only took Ubers to get to the newer part of New Orleans, including the Louisiana Children’s Museum, which we visited on New Years Eve. The museum is a must visit for families traveling to New Orleans. Our little guy loved it so much, and it tuckered him out so that we could have a leisurely New Year’s Eve lunch. I have a whole post planned on all of the things we ate in New Orleans, so stay tuned!

Our son loved the music, the lights, the parades, and the energy in New Orleans, and I can’t wait to bring him back when he’s a bit bigger to experience more of this amazing city.