Good Morning Darlings!

You would think that spending time at the Ritz-Carlton would sate my hunger for luxury.

Not so.

It only makes me crave more.

 

I pretty much crave a trip to New Orleans almost all the time. Even in August. Heck, it’s hot everywhere, why not be hot in the coolest place in the nation? There’s always something going on, and it’s always in fashion. Remember when I took you there? Oh my gosholly, it was in 2010? I have to get back. You can read about that trip here and here.  The spa has gone unreviewed and Chef Vinny is now at the helm. And I miss my friend, Concierge Rudy. A trip really is in order.

But my ever-glamorous friend, Char, has all the details on everything that’s going on in the foodiest city in the USA. Char, details please?

DON’T LET RISING GAS PRICES PUT YOUR VACATION ON HOLD. ENJOY AN EASY TRIP TO THE BIG EASY!
(AND THERE’S AN APP, AND A CONCIERGE, FOR THAT)

Temperatures are rising along with gas prices, so book a trip to New Orleans and enjoy an easy, cost-effective, walkable, jazzy, spa, culinary, luggageless and app-friendly vacation.

New Orleans is a quick flight or a short drive for regional travelers, so getting to the city is easy. Most visitors don’t book rental cars simply because New Orleans is a walk able city. The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans is situated on the edge of the French Quarter, one block from Bourbon Street and in walking distance to the best that the Crescent City has to offer. Summer rates start at $199, a savings of 55% off of the hotel’s rack rates.

 

New Orleans is renowned as the “home of the cocktail,” the “birthplace of jazz” and it is considered a culinary destination. The best of the Big Easy lies within and just outside the hotel’s doors. Every weekend, visitors to the hotel’s Davenport Lounge enjoy the jazz stylings of the hotel’s headline entertainer, Grammy-nominated artist Jeremy Davenport. Davenport will perform at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, both in May. Patrons can sample classics like the Ramos Gin Fizz, Brandy Milk Punch, Sazerac and Mint Julep from the lounge’s cocktail menu. M bistro restaurant, adjacent to the lounge, now boasts a list of breakfast cocktails and mocktails (Sunrise, Bellini, Chocolate and Reno Mocktail). For those who imbibe too much, the hotel’s Recovery Concierge offers his services and “cures” free of charge. This unique concierge assists Club Level guests’ recovery with his homemade Bite the Hair of the Dog Bloody Mary, a fancy Cure Royal (Kir Royal) or bottled water. During the summer and fall, the Crawfish Concierge, Snowball Sommelier and Oyster Butler offer their services to visitors in the hotel’s stunning French Quarter style courtyard.

 

Feeling guilty after eating the chocolates on your pillow? Guests of The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans are treated to complimentary chilled bottled water in a silver punch bowl along with jogging maps and towels as they exit for their morning run. Hotel guests also have free access to the hotel’s fitness center if the heat is too much to bear and the center’s indoor resistance pool provides the perfect spot to cool off post-workout. Reserving a Mimosa Champagne Massage at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, New Orleans will also provide relief from the heat. Ranked as the #1 Hotel Spa in the U.S. and Canada, the spa is oasis for visitors.

August, the hottest month of the year, just got a little cooler thanks to the COOLinary New Orleans promotion sponsored by the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (NOMCVB). New Orleans finest restaurants, big and small, opt-in to offer a two-course lunch for $20 and a three-course dinner for $35 for patrons. M bistro restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans participates in this annual citywide promotion. Executive Chef Vinny Russo is working on the COOLinary menus and tastings are underway to revamp all of the hotel’s menu offerings.

For those who want a one-of-a-kind cultural and culinary experience, they can reserve the Sportsman’s Paradise package ($21,000 USD). It includes a charter boat fishing excursion in the Gulf of Mexico along with a sea plane, helicopter and limo ride. Most importantly, Chef Russo will prepare your fresh catch at the Chef’s Table in the kitchen of The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans.

Last, but not least, when it’s time to go home after a cost-effective excursion to the Big Easy, choose the hotel’s luggageless travel service. For roughly the same amount that it now costs to check your baggage, you can ship it to your home or office. Avoid check-in lines and ease your travel woes. The hotel does not charge a handling fee, so the only cost is that associated with the actual shipping.

TOP 10 THINGS YOU MUST DO IN NEW ORLEANS

APPS
CityGuide New Orleans Guidepal (free; highlights attractions and offers local recommendations)
French Quarter Finder (free; current events, news and hotspots in the French Quarter)
Garden District Historic Mobile Tour ($4.99; tour garden district homes and enjoy podcasts)
Gay New Orleans (.99; perfect companion for the gay or lesbian traveler)
Historic New Orleans (free; determines your location and shares photos from the 1920s through 1950s taken in the same spot)
New Orleans Bar Caddy (free; guide to 200+ bars, clubs and music venues)
New Orleans Official Visitors Guide (free; full of ideas to help you plan an unforgettable vacation)
New Orleans Best Bars ($2.99; well known, and not so well known, bars around the city)
Paranormal Guide ($6.99; enables you to investigate ghosts and paranormal activities in the haunted city of New Orleans)
Streetcar (free; interactive guide to New Orleans streetcars)

So hop in the car and drive on down to New Orleans. Every moment is a total delight.

And be sure and say Hi to Rudy and Char for me.  Tell them I send hugs.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Klymaxx – I Miss You