If you ask Marc Becker, now is the perfect time to start thinking about visiting New Orleans.

Attractive prices, uncrowded attractions and weather that makes it easy to maintain social distancing are among the reasons why New Orleans is well-positioned for recovery, according to Becker, who serves as the director of sales and marketing at the Higgins Hotel, a Curio Collection by Hilton property that opened at the end of 2019.

“The wonderful thing, from a travel agent’s perspective, is that you’re not fighting the convention traffic right now,” Becker said, noting the fact that most conventions having been delayed or canceled has created a city that’s even more welcoming for leisure travelers. “It is truly the best time for a leisure visit to New Orleans, because everything that’s open is yours entirely. You’re not struggling against tides of conventioneers.”

In addition, Becker noted the allure of attractive hotel rates and cancellation policies. “Even for dates that are usually near-impossible, like Mardi Gras , the French Quarter Festival, Jazz Fest and the Crescent City Classic, where it normally becomes almost impossible to find a booking, those dates are now available.”

In addition to value pricing, New Orleans also aims to lure travelers back with a variety of new attractions, accommodations and activities.

Among the best examples of the city’s new hotel offerings is the Higgins Hotel, an all-new construction that deftly blends décor elements from the 1930s and 1940s with modern amenities and luxuries, including custom-designed décor elements and original artwork. The handsome property features meeting and event space, a fitness center, a lobby bar and a rooftop bar and restaurant with excellent views.

There’s a reason why the décor at the Higgins exudes so much mid-20th century style; the property serves as the official hotel of the National World War II Museum, which sits next door and has continued its $400 million capital campaign with a new Liberation Pavilion as well as new interactive exhibits and a spectacular, 4D movie narrated by Tom Hanks. Together, the museum and the hotel are now able to offer packages that include luxury accommodations, tours and special museum access.

Other new hotels in New Orleans include the One11 Hotel , which is described as the first new hotel to open in the French Quarter in 50 years. Set in a former sugar warehouse, the stylish, 83-room boutique property features a rooftop bar and Batture Bistro + Bar, a Creole-inspired restaurant.

Still to open this year is the 225-room Virgin Hotel New Orleans , located in the trendy Warehouse District near the Higgins Hotel, and the 341-room Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences New Orleans, which is located in a 33-story landmark building designed by Edward Durell Stone. Set along the banks of the Mississippi River in the Central Business District, the property will have two restaurants, 22,500 square feet of meeting and event space, a spa, a rooftop pool and a 34th-floor observation deck.

Existing hotels, meanwhile, continue to up their offerings. The W New Orleans - French Quarter, for example, recently reopened its SoBou restaurant with a new chef and a relaunch of its popular Legs and Eggs “burlesque brunch” on Sundays.

Harrah’s New Orleans has especially big news to share, as it prepares to be reborn as Caesars New Orleans in 2024. Parent company Caesars Entertainment is pumping $325 million into the project, which includes massive renovations as well as the construction of a new, 340-room hotel tower above the existing casino building.

New Attractions

New Orleans offers myriad activities to please a variety of tastes, and this year, visitors will find several new and noteworthy things to do in the Big Easy.

Among the top new attractions is JAMNOLA, which stands for “Joy-Art-Music New Orleans” and is billed as the city’s “first experiential pop-up.” Open since August 2020 in the artsy Faubourg Marigny neighborhood, the interactive museum features the works of more than 20 local artists set among some 5,400 square feet of vibrant exhibit space. Exhibits are designed to be selfie-friendly, with lots of unique photo opportunities that capture the art, music and culture of New Orleans in memorable ways (think: posing in a pot next to a human-sized sculpture of a crawfish that just might be ready to cook you).

Offering similarly colorful photo opportunities is the ARTmazing Selfie Gallery, which has more than 6,000 square feet of pop-art-inspired selfie opportunities in the French Quarter, curated by local artist Giselle Monteiro. Nearby, the New Orleans Vampire Café opened in January, with an appropriately vampiric-themed menu of spirits and cuisine. Also due to open this year is the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, which will have 9,000 square feet of exhibit space documenting the history of Jewish people in the southern United States; the facility is located a few blocks from the National World War II Museum.

Just outside the city, various historic plantations have tailored their offerings to address pandemic safety protocols. Laura, the plantation that offers a fascinating overview of the lives of four generations of Creole women, both free and enslaved, now requires advance reservations via its website, and tour group sizes are operating at limited capacity. A temperature check and hand sanitizer are available upon arrival, and masks are required for all visitors and staff.

Nearby, the Whitney Plantation has — for the time being — discontinued guided tours and access to the interiors of some buildings. But the facility’s well-crafted audio tour provides a powerful narrative for the property, which is billed as the only museum in Louisiana with an exclusive focus on the lives of enslaved people. Even as they address the realities of the present day, both the Whitney and Laura plantations continue to educate visitors about the diverse people who helped to build southern Louisiana.