It’s undeniable—New Orleans offers the best eats and drinks in the South with hospitality that can’t be beat. In the summer, long days bring leisure and escape through dinner and drinks with friends, weekend stays at top-rated hotels, and unforgettable entertainment. Plan your summer stay and schedule some rest and relaxation with help from the following distinctive destinations.
Ace Hotel New Orleans
This summer, the Ace Hotel New Orleans and its restaurants, lounges, and music venue—Josephine Estelle, Seaworthy, Alto and Three Keys—offer the best in cuisine, cocktails, and culture for locals and visitors seeking fun out of the sun. From Southern- and Italian-inspired Josephine Estelle to seafood-centric Seaworthy and Alto, Ace’s rooftop poolside hangout, relaxing with good company and great ambiance over an unforgettable meal is a summer must.
On Sunday evenings, DJs keep the weekend and the beat going poolside, and Monday sunsets are just as welcoming with drink specials and DJs giving service industry workers a well-deserved “weekend.” Meanwhile, Three Keys, the Ace Hotel New Orleans’ premier onsite music venue, brings weekly entertainment featuring the defining sounds of the South—jazz, the blues, bounce and rock ‘n’ roll.
Plan your summer nights and book your dinner or room reservations at acehotel.com/new-orleans.
Park View Historic Hotel
Located on the edge of beautiful Audubon Park under the shade of the city’s magnificent oaks, the Park View Historic Hotel offers visitors an authentic New Orleans experience complemented by The Gilded Perch, the hotel’s one-year-old upscale neighborhood cocktail lounge. The charming hotel is adorned by New Orleans-made antiques and historic Carnival ephemera, nodding to its unique past and adding to the allure of its unmistakable Uptown identity. Locally owned and managed by a 10th-generation New Orleanian, this 22-room boutique hotel is said to have been built in 1884 ahead of the World’s Fair.
Guests can expect well-appointed rooms with complimentary breakfast and modern conveniences. The hotel is conveniently located near Tulane and Loyola Universities as well as the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line. Throughout June, the Gilded Perch will celebrate its one-year anniversary with a variety of drink specials, allowing patrons the opportunity to enjoy refreshing summer cocktails under the watchful eye of the bar’s resident peacock.
For reservations and information, visit parkviewguesthouse.com.
Parkway Bakery & Tavern
Parkway can now take your orders over the phone or through the official Parkway Bakery App. Order online for a seamless poorboy pick up. Parkway is open from 10am to 6pm Wednesday through Sunday for dine in and parking lot pick up. Visit online at ParkwayPoorBoys.com or call 504-482-3047.
Red River Balloon Rally
This July, gather the entire family and experience the magical balloon glow at the CenterPoint Energy Red River Balloon Rally presented by the Louisiana Office of Tourism. Newly located at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, two full evenings of entertainment take place July 14-15. Events include the Team Logic IT and Stuarts Integrated Services balloon glow, AEP SWEPCO Kids Zone, and 50+ onsite vendors and food purveyors. Live music Friday night features Barksdale Bubble and Flight Delay while Jimmy Wooten and Pat Mason & Bayou Boogie perform on Saturday night. Gates open at 5 p.m. Guests can expect 20+ magnificent hot air balloons to light up the sky with a variety of colors, patterns, and characters.
Tickets are only $5—find them at area Brookshire’s/Super 1 Foods or get them online at redriverballoonrally.com. Kids under five years old attend free. For additional information and a full schedule of events, visit redriverballoonrally.com. Go to visitshreveportbossier.org for more area events and places in Northwest Louisiana to explore this summer.
The Historic New Orleans Collection
A free museum, publisher, and research center in the heart of the French Quarter,
The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) features permanent and changing exhibitions exploring the history and culture of the Gulf South, a courtyard café, and a nationally heralded gift store at 520 Royal Street.
On view June 17 through October 8, 2023, American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith, from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, examines the continuing evolution of America’s experiment in a government “of, by, and for the people.” A THNOC companion exhibition, “Yet She Is Advancing”: New Orleans Women and the Right to Vote, 1878–1970, on view through November 5, 2023, tells a decades-long story through objects, images, documents, and interactive displays—and through the words of the New Orleans women who for nearly 100 years persisted in their struggle to obtain the vote.
Plan your visit at hnoc.org.
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It’s undeniable—New Orleans offers the best eats and drinks in the South with hospitality that can’t be beat. In the summer, long days bring leisure and escape through dinner and drinks with friends, weekend stays at top-rated hotels, and unforgettable entertainment. Plan your summer stay and schedule some rest and relaxation with help from the following distinctive destinations.