Royal Frenchmen Hotel and Bar

A Creole Townhouse on New Orleans' Real Music Street

Royal Frenchmen occupies an 1860s Creole townhouse at 700 Frenchmen Street, restored into a 16-room boutique hotel in 2017, directly across from Washington Square Park in Faubourg Marigny. Frenchmen Street itself is the detail that matters: it's the few-block stretch of clubs and bars where working New Orleans musicians play, the corridor locals point visitors to when they're tired of Bourbon Street. The hotel's own courtyard, built around a fountain and shaded by old growth, gives guests somewhere quiet to retreat to between sets.

Why It Works

We were drawn to Royal Frenchmen because it puts guests inside the music scene rather than a shuttle ride away from it — the hotel's own bar runs free live music nightly, and three or four more clubs are a two-minute walk in either direction. It's small enough to stay personal, restored carefully enough that the 1860s building still reads as itself rather than a themed reproduction, and positioned close enough to the French Quarter to use as a base for both.

Why This Location

Frenchmen Street sits just downriver from the French Quarter, close enough to reach Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, and Bourbon Street on foot, but far enough to avoid most of the daytime tourist crowd until the evening music starts. Washington Square Park sits directly across the street for anyone who wants grass and shade between venues. The Old French Market and Louis Armstrong Park are both within an easy walk, and Preservation Hall is a reasonable one for a jazz pilgrimage before or after a Frenchmen Street set.

Fast Facts

• Price: $$ (moderate, boutique pricing)

• Vibe: Restored Creole townhouse on New Orleans' live-music street

• Rooms: 16 total, small and traditionally furnished

• Best For: Music lovers, couples, a Frenchmen Street home base

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: Free live music nightly at the on-site bar

• Dining: On-site bar with craft cocktails and local beer; daily happy hour

• Amenities: Courtyard with fountain, concierge, meeting space, pet-friendly

• Attractions: Frenchmen Street clubs, Washington Square Park, French Quarter, Preservation Hall

Rooms Built for a Short Stay, Not a Desk

The 16 rooms lean into the building's age rather than disguising it: exposed brick, French doors, and period-appropriate furnishings replace the generic business-hotel look, and several rooms open directly onto the courtyard or a private balcony with ironwork. What they don't offer is much workspace — this isn't the hotel for a remote-work week, and guests who need a proper desk should look elsewhere. It's built for people who will spend most of their waking hours a block away at a club, and want a quiet, characterful room to come back to afterward.

The Bar and the Street Outside

The hotel's own bar pours craft cocktails and local beer with a daily happy hour, and its free live music every night means guests don't have to leave the property to hear a set — though almost everyone does, since Frenchmen Street's clubs are what brought them here in the first place. That proximity cuts both ways: rooms closest to the street or the courtyard pick up noise from the music scene late into the night, which regular guests treat as part of the deal rather than a flaw to fix.

Practical Details

Check-in starts at 3pm and check-out is 11am, children are welcome, and pets are allowed, which is unusual for a townhouse this size. The hotel runs concierge service, luggage storage, and daily housekeeping, and has limited meeting and banquet space for a small wedding or event in the courtyard. Parking is tight in the Marigny generally, so guests driving in should confirm options directly with the hotel before arrival rather than assume a lot is available on site.