The Garden District Hotel New Orleans Opening

New Orleans, which Travel+Leisure readers recently voted the second-best city in the U.S.has a chic new stay.

The Garden District Hotel officially opened its doors in June, bringing contemporary luxury to one of NOLA’s most picturesque neighborhoods. Sitting among towering oak trees in the historic Garden District, the boutique hotel offers elevated Southern hospitality and a host of inviting gathering spaces, including a pool with The Big Easy’s only swim-up bar.

Managed by the Dallas-based Dreamscape Hospitality, the hotel features 47 guest rooms, each decked in plush furnishings, herringbone wood floors, and marble bathrooms. Select accommodations, like the Deluxe Loft Queen, have private balconies with views of the charming neighborhood’s tree-canopied streets, while the two-level District Suite is complete with vaulted ceilings, a loft living room, and two full bathrooms.

However, the jewel of the hotel is its shimmering heated saltwater pool. Guests can sip tropical cocktails on the pool deck—on loungers under striped umbrellas, or from a seat at the swim-up bar. The hotel encourages socializing with lawn games, a calendar of events, and scheduled poolside yoga sessions. (Day passes are available for non-hotel guests.)

Another distinct social hub, set just off the lobby, the Garden Bar serves handcrafted cocktails—such as the Adult Swim, a fruity and herbaceous gin sour—amid bold tropical murals, exposed brick walls, tiled floors, and warm leather seating.

“Our vision for The Garden District Hotel was to create a space that feels like a natural extension of the neighborhood—elegant, inviting, and full of character,” Ceptember Evans, Dreamscape Hospitality’s area general manager, tells T+L. “It (the hotel) is a destination in itself with experiences for both locals and guestsfrom sipping botanical-inspired cocktails in the Garden Bar’s natural setting to lounging in one of New Orleans’ largest pools. Guests can relax and explore here, discovering the best of New Orleans from an inspired retreat.”

In November 2024, Dreamscape Hospitality also launched The Blackbird Hotel (standard rooms from $400/night), a 13-room boutique stay just a block away from its sibling property. Housed in a centuries-old former children’s home, it features an open-air courtyard, its own pool surrounded by greenery, a lobby bar, and the Blackbird Café, serving local Cherry Coffee Roasters drinks.

Nightly rates at The Garden District Hotel start from $300, and you can book your stay at gdhnola.com.