Brilliant

The Drifter

New Orleans, Louisiana

3.0

Average 5 Reviews

Jetsetter Approved

This Hotel meets our standards

What We Love

The varied selection of reasonably priced craft beers
The food pop-ups and food truck rotations are always interesting
Clearing away the cobwebs with Sunday morning poolside yoga

What To Know

Be prepared for "top-tional" swimming at the pool
Free WiFi
Free bikes on loan
Rooms are arranged, California-style, around the pool, which is a weekend party spot

Availability

The Drifter Hotel New Orleans, Louisiana Boutique Hotels Hotels Luxury Travel living room home house interior designer chair

Overview

Stylish homage to mid-century America, with a serious pool scene and an appealing, nostalgia-heavy design

The Lowdown

The 1950s motel vibe of the exterior belies the room interiors, which are cool and crisp. Tiled floors and concrete walls, polished wooden desks and soft pastels are calming and you get your modern needs met, too - protein bars, seaweed snacks, wifi and Aesop toiletries. You'll mostly be headed off-site for food, as there's no real restaurant, though the bar has all the fruity cocktails you could want and a choice of instant noodle bowls. Weekends see food trucks setting up shop, which is a good way to soak up all those poolside drinks. Mid-week, things can be quiet and you can chill in a lounge chair in peace, but don't book over a weekend if you're not up for topless swimming, DJs and a raucous atmosphere. Alternately, if those things are up your alley, definitely book over a weekend.

In the Area

You don't stay at The Drifter if you're planning to spend your time hitting up the established New Orleans tourist draws like Bourbon Street and the French Quarter. Although these are just a streetcar ride away, The Drifter is in Mid-City, a neighborhood where gentrification is happening at light speed, with cool new hotels opening and some of the best restaurants in the city walking distance away. (There's a Bitcoin ATM around the corner if you need further proof.) Trèo is a must-visit, with its clever cocktails, menu of fried catfish and jambalaya, and frequent art events; it's just three blocks from the hotel. Twelve Mile Limit is a five-minute stroll and has fab cocktails in a dive bar-ish atmosphere. Right across the street is Boswell's, a casual Jamaican spot dishing up good jerk chicken and calaloo.