I love a good outfit post and clothing review more than anybody. I am a fashion blogger after all. But you know what I love just as much? A good hotel review & travel diary read! It’s one thing to see a styled outfit on someone’s blog, but to see that same outfit out & about in the “real world” is another thing entirely. (And makes for a more enjoyable post to read.) And of course I’m referring to other blogs I read, but I do hope you all enjoy this one too! Today I’m chatting about this outfit, my recent Mother/Daughter trip to New Orleans & our stay at the W French Quarter. This hotel was trendy, quirky, unexpected and amazing all at the same time. More New Orleans eye candy below!
Dressing for our trip to NOLA was quite the challenge. Keeping in mind the heat, the number of activities that were on our agenda and the fact that I was toting around a 3-month old on all of our adventures, planning ahead was key! I love this gingham off the shoulder dress from Anthropologie oh-so-much! It’s extremely well made, flattering & slips off in a pinch when the baby is hungry. (Gotta keep that in mind when dressing for the day! I had no idea how much of game-changer breastfeeding would be to my wardrobe.) But for a day of sightseeing and strolling, this dress was just the ticket!
On almost all of our family vacations growing up, we would hotel hop at least once or twice during our trips. It was our way of experiencing a different part of the city and making the vacation last a little bit longer. During our recent visit to New Orleans, my mom, Annie & I spent half the week at the Royal Sonesta on Bourbon Street and the other half at the W French Quarter. The W stands out because it’s a modern oasis tucked into the heart of the historic French Quarter. Both destinations were absolutely amazing while also being completely different from one another, which is exactly what we were looking for!
This funky jazz-themed hotel is tucked away in just about the best possible spot you could pick in the French Quarter, just a few blocks south of Bourbon Street. The iconic bar & restaurant adjacent to the hotel lobby plays off of its location by calling itself SoBou. We grabbed ourselves colorful cocktails from SoBou to sip on in the courtyard upon check-in.
While the streets of the French Quarter were calling our name, it was hard to whisk ourselves away from the fabulous courtyard above! The weather was perfect and the lounge chairs were all too comfortable. One drink from SoBou turned into two and we decided to utilize the 24-hour concierge service to arrange dinner delivery from a nearby restaurant so we wouldn’t have to leave our oasis.
Let me just tell you, nothing beats munching on fried shrimp po-boys with a precious baby in your arms all the while lounging in a courtyard as chic as the W French Quarter’s!
Annie was just as big of a fan of the bedrooms as we were. (As you can see above!) As soon as you walk in you’re greeted with bold & bright colors and contemporary furniture & touches that you wouldn’t see anywhere else. It’s definitely a fun juxtaposition to the historical streets of the French Quarter and the traditional antique elements you see on the exterior of the building.
The bathrooms were just as wild & colorful too. After a day of playing tourist, the complimentary soaps & suds along with the rain shower was spa-like indeed!
In a city with as much going on as New Orleans, there is SO much to see and do beyond your hotel. And I’ll definitely be chatting more about that in another post. But what we loved most about our stay at the W was the fact that we didn’t want to leave!
I could have sat on our patio with my pink cocktail in hand the entire trip, staring out to the eclectic courtyard below.
Don’t you just want to run down those stairs and take a dip in the bright blue pool too!?
Once we were finalllllly finished soaking in everything the W French Quarter had to offer, we strolled under the bright blue lights & trumpet chandeliers at the W’s entrance and made our way into the quarter.
I’ll be chatting all about what we did in the city, my recommendations on a few activities and places to eat plus there’s a whole big post in the works all about traveling with a baby. Several of y’all have requested this post and I can not wait to share the many tips we picked up along the way. A whole lot of dos and don’ts for sure! Stay tuned!
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xo, alice
