Avenue Plaza Resort

Avenue Plaza Resort is a condo-style hotel at 2111 St. Charles Avenue in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans, Louisiana, on the historic avenue served by the St. Charles streetcar. The streetcar stop outside gives a direct ride downtown to Canal Street and the French Quarter, and in the other direction toward the Garden District mansions, Audubon Park and the Uptown neighborhood. Magazine Street, with its boutiques, cafes and restaurants, is a few blocks away, and the area is known for oak-lined streets and historic homes. The property offers Studios and One-bedroom Suites that are set up more like apartments than standard hotel rooms, which suits longer stays and families. Rates generally fall between about US$100 and US$250 per night, placing the hotel in the budget category. Amenities include a pool, a restaurant and a fitness center, so guests have a place to cool off in the humid summer and to eat on site. Because of the residential, apartment-style format, the suites commonly include kitchen facilities, though visitors should confirm what is provided in their particular suite. The service is lower-key than a large downtown hotel, with a straightforward front desk and a relaxed atmosphere. The hotel suits visitors who prefer a neighborhood setting to the Quarter's nightlife, including families, extended-stay guests and travelers visiting the Garden District. The streetcar ride to the French Quarter takes roughly twenty to thirty minutes depending on traffic, so it is less convenient for late-night returns than a Quarter hotel, but it offers calmer evenings and good value. Visitors can combine a stay here with walking tours of the Garden District and lunch on Magazine Street. Compared with downtown hotels, parking is typically easier to find in this neighborhood, which suits guests renting a car for day trips to the plantation country or the Gulf Coast.