Where to Stay in New Orleans and All that JazzBy Madelyn Miller, the TravelLadyCHATEAU SONESTA HOTEL OPENS NEW BOURBON STREET SUITE Suite Named in Honor of Legendary Jazz Musician Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong has been gone now for over 30 years, but his memory and his music lives on in a corner suite at The Chateau Sonesta Hotel. Located in the historic French Quarter, the hotel recently unveiled the renovation of a suite dedicated to noted musician Louis Armstrong.
The Chateau Sonesta is known for having the most spacious guest rooms in the French Quarter. The historic property features 251 guest rooms and suites with grand, 12-foot ceilings. The award-winning Ralph Brennan’s Red Fish is connected to the hotel. For more information or reservations, call the hotel direct at (504) 586-0800 or visit the website at http://www.chateausonesta.com. For More InformationHELPFUL WEBSITE What I Wish I Had Known Before I Went to New OrleansThere are two kinds of people who go to New Orleans, those who want to party and those who don’t. If you don’t plan to stay up all night, be sure to express that preference when you check in and request a quiet room, perhaps on a courtyard. Or consider staying outside the quarter if you value a good night’s sleep. I stayed at a to-be-nameless hotel (not in the hotel named above) in the quarter and called down to the front desk because of all the noise. They were prepared. They sent up earplugs. That was not enough. Two sleeping pills and six hours later, I learned there was a long list of people who wanted to change rooms. I waited (and slept) all day in my room waiting for another room, wanting to be sure not to loose my place on that special list. The helpful front desk person told me that more people than usual had called down to complain the night before. Best Places To EatRestaurant August (I had to put this at the top of the list, even though officially the name starts with R because it was my very favorite. The rest of my top pick restaurants are listed alphabetically) Bacco Cobalt Galatoire’s Herbsaint La Côte Brasserie Muriel’s Ralph’s on the Park Rene Bistrot Red Fish Grill Upperline Best Place To Get Online For Free201 St. Charles in the food court Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm Great GuidebooksFeet On The Street Insight Guides New Orleans Access New Orleans New Orleans Eating New Orleans 2005 New Orleans Restaurants Stories In Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography Helpful MapMAPQUEST NEW ORLEANS City Map . This large scale detailed street map folds up to 2”x3” I’ll DRINK TO THAT BEST WALKING TOUR Great Tour If you are not familiar with the Segway HT, it is the first self-balancing, electric-powered transporter designed to enhance the productivity of people by increasing the distance they travel and the amount they can carry. The Segway HT uses a breakthrough technology called dynamic stabilization, enabling it to work seamlessly with the body's movements. It operates in any pedestrian environment and is perfect for City Segway Tour purposes. |
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Born in New Orleans in 1901, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong is said to be among the greatest of all Jazz musicians, by displaying an amazing technical ability, along with joy and spontaneity in his work. He came from a very poor New Orleans family and at the age of 12, was sent to a reform school for firing a gun in the air on New Year's Eve. The punishment for Louis was actually a blessing as he learned to play cornet at school, and the rest shall we say, is history. 
The $95,000 renovation of the Bourbon Balcony Suite is the brainchild of interior designer Monika Cliborne, who researched the life and style of Armstrong for the suite renovation. Included in the renovation is the addition of a fabulous full-service bar with granite counter tops, stained and etched concrete floors, and new furnishing, window treatments and lighting. The theme of the suite – music – is heavily reflected along the walls that are now covered with vinyl and matching border depicting an array of musical instruments. An adjacent bedroom also underwent a makeover with new carpeting and a completed renovated bathroom. 
“The Chateau Sonesta continues to pay tribute to New Orleans’ rich musical tradition with the dedication of the Louis Armstrong suite,” said Alfred Groos, Vice President and General Manager. “Many of our visitors receive their first impression of New Orleans from Armstrong’s works, and the indelible images he created undoubtedly attract people to our city year after year. We are extremely grateful for his enormous talent and ability to communicate the unique character of New Orleans.”
This is the third suite at the hotel dedicated to a famous resident of New Orleans; the other suites are the luxurious John Kennedy Toole suite, named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Confederacy of Dunces,” and the Tennessee Williams Suite, in memory of one of the greatest Southern playwrights.