Le Pavillon

Top choice in New Orleans


Le Pavillon exudes an old-school joie de vivre that’s easy to love. Fluted columns support the porte cochere off the alabaster facade, and the doorman wears white gloves and a top hat (and somehow doesn’t look ridiculous). Both private and public spaces are redolent with historic portraits, magnificent chandeliers, marble floors and heavy drapery.

At the same time, Le Pavilion has a sense of fun, best exemplified by the nightly serving of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches in the lobby at 10pm. It's worth noting that during slow periods, Le Pavillon offers some astounding deals. The breakfast buffet is famously good.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby New Orleans attractions

1. United Fruit Company

0.14 MILES

A cornucopia of tropical produce graces the entrance to this building. The United Fruit Company, infamous for neocolonial practices in Central America,…

2. New Orleans Cotton Exchange

0.15 MILES

For much of its history, the economy of New Orleans was built on cotton and slavery. The former industry was largely brokered out of this building, where…

3. Gallier Hall

0.16 MILES

Architect James Gallier Sr designed this Greek-Revival structure, dedicated in 1853. It served as New Orleans’ city hall until the 1950s and far…

4. Upper Bourbon Street

0.3 MILES

Like Vegas and Cancun, the main stretch of Bourbon St is where the great id of the repressed American psyche is let loose into a seething mass of karaoke,…

5. Royal Street

0.31 MILES

Royal Street, with its rows of high-end antique shops, galleries and potted ferns hanging from cast-iron balconies, is the elegant yin to well known…

6. George Schmidt Gallery

0.33 MILES

New Orleans artist George Schmidt describes himself as a ‘historical’ painter. Indeed, his canvases evoke the city’s past, awash in a warm, romantic light…

7. Insectarium

0.4 MILES

We'll be honest: if you're not a fan of bugs and creepy-crawlies, you may be happier elsewhere, because at this lively museum, you'll do more than stare…

8. Museum of Death

0.42 MILES

If death is your thing, or you have an interest in serial killers, the Museum of Death will not disappoint. Starting with skulls (both animal and human)…