10 Best New Orleans Hotels with a Pool

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Want a pool in New Orleans? Pick your side of Canal Street first. In the French Quarter, most pools sit in courtyards a short walk from Jackson Square. Downtown, many pools go up onto rooftops and decks, so courtyards suit a dip between walks and roof decks suit an evening. Here’s where I’d book.

French Quarter Hotels with a Pool

Downtown Hotels with a Pool

Courtyard Pool or Rooftop Pool

Most French Quarter pools sit in ground-level courtyards, and many downtown pools sit on roof decks.

• Ground-Level Courtyards: Place d’Armes Hotel, French Market Inn, Bourbon Orleans Hotel and Hotel St. Marie keep the pool at ground level in a courtyard. Each pool sits inside its hotel’s own walls, away from the street.
• Roof Decks: Hotel Monteleone, The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel and NOPSI Hotel New Orleans put the pool on a roof, so the view is the city instead of a courtyard wall. Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans and Virgin Hotels New Orleans do the same. Two of these decks face the downtown skyline.

Pool Weather by Season

Heat, rain and storms all shape a pool trip.

• Summer Heat: July and August average a 92F high and a 76F low. That makes them the hottest months of the year.
• Spring Rain Days: April and May each average four rain days. A shower ends a rooftop afternoon fast, so the dry stretch suits roof decks.
• Winter Chill: January averages a 64F high and a 45F low, so only a heated pool works that month. Hotel Monteleone and Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans both heat theirs and keep them open all year.
• Hurricane Season: The Atlantic season runs from June through November and peaks in early September. Choose a flexible rate if you travel in those months.

Getting Between Downtown and the Quarter

Canal Street divides the French Quarter from downtown.

• Canal Street Lines: Two streetcar lines run along Canal Street, the Canal/Cemeteries and Canal/City Park lines. Canal Street is the edge of the French Quarter.
• The Riverfront Line: Riverfront streetcars run from the French Market to the Convention Center. Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans sits at the foot of Canal Street on the Mississippi riverfront.
• St. Charles Line: St. Charles streetcars start at Canal Street and run out along St. Charles Avenue. Board at Canal Street for a ride away from the Quarter.

Poolside Bars and Food

A drink beside the water saves a trip back through the lobby. Two rooftop decks spell out their bar and food service.

• Seasonal Bar: Hotel Monteleone runs a seasonal poolside bar. The bar closes out of season, while the heated pool stays open all year.
• Poolside Dining: Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans has a poolside bar. It serves drinks and small plates on the rooftop pool deck every day.

FAQs

1. Are New Orleans hotel pools heated?

Some are. Hotel Monteleone and Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans heat their rooftop pools and keep them open all year, and Drury Plaza Hotel New Orleans lists a heated outdoor pool with a whirlpool. January highs average 64F, so heating matters most in winter. Check the hotel’s own page for the pool before a winter booking.

2. Is it too hot for a hotel pool in New Orleans in summer?

No, the heat is the reason to book one. July and August average a 92F high and a 76F low. Spend mornings and evenings walking the Quarter and the afternoons in the water. Summer also falls inside hurricane season, so keep your booking flexible and watch the forecast before you fly.

3. What is the best month for a hotel pool in New Orleans?

April and May suit a rooftop pool, since each averages only four rain days. July and August are hotter, with a 92F average high, and a courtyard pool works well between sightseeing walks. January averages a 64F high, so only a heated pool is worth packing swimwear for. Check the forecast a few days out if you plan a rooftop afternoon.

4. Does hurricane season affect a pool trip to New Orleans?

Yes, if you travel from June through November. The Atlantic season peaks in early September, so the middle of that stretch carries the most risk. Choose a rate that allows changes and watch the forecast in the week before you fly. Between December and February, cold matters more than storms, so a heated pool is the one to book.

5. Can you walk from a downtown pool hotel to Bourbon Street?

Bourbon Street starts at Canal Street, the edge of the French Quarter, so a hotel on Canal Street is a short walk away. Hotels farther into downtown add a short drive or a streetcar ride to Canal Street. Cross Canal Street on foot to reach the first blocks of Bourbon Street.

6. Which side of Canal Street is better for a hotel with a pool?

Choose the Quarter to walk to Jackson Square and Bourbon Street, and downtown for a roof deck. Most Quarter hotels put a courtyard pool a short walk from Jackson Square. Downtown hotels sit a walk or a short drive from the Quarter, depending on the hotel. The pool matters less than the walk if your evenings belong to Bourbon Street.

7. Which New Orleans hotel pools have a view?

Rooftop pools do. The pool at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans looks over the river and the city skyline. NOPSI Hotel New Orleans and The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel both face the downtown skyline from the roof. Courtyard pools in the Quarter look onto the hotel’s own walls instead.