PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

If you want to stay in a rural and romantic plantation setting but still be near the French Quarter, try The House on Bayou Road, quite probably the most smashing guesthouse in town. Just off Esplanade Avenue, this intimate Creole plantation home, built in the late 1700s for a colonial Spanish diplomat, has been restored by owner Cynthia Reeves, who oversees an operation of virtual perfection. It is one of the most distinctive accommodations in a city full of curious places to stay, romantic and peaceful, yet only a few minutes away by car from all the excitement of the Quarter. Each room has its own charm and is individually decorated to a fare-thee-well -- slightly cluttered, not quite fussy but still lovingly done aesthetic. The Bayou St. John Room (the old library) holds a queen-size four-poster bed and has a working fireplace; the Bayou Delacroix has the same kind of bed and a wonderfully large bathtub. The large cottage has four rooms that can be rented separately or together (perfect for a large family). The private cottage has been rebuilt post-Katrina, and is even larger and better than before. The unusually extensive grounds are beautifully manicured, despite losing about 22 trees to Katrina (mostly small ones, though), and there's an outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, patio, and screened-in porch. Expect a hearty plantation-style breakfast, and during the day and in the evening there's access to a minifridge filled with beverages.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's New Orleans 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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