© 2010 The Cornstalk Hotel

We pick the best B&Bs in the Big Easy, just in time for Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras is just around the corner, and while you’ll probably spend more time acquiring beads on Bourbon Street than in your hotel room, we think it’s worth pointing out some of the chic little bed and breakfasts of the Crescent City. Let the beer-swilling frat boys camp out in fleabag motels; The Showt guys deserve better!

The thing to keep in mind when choosing a B&B is that there’s a fine line between “quaint” and crotchety. Cornstalk Hotel, located in the heart of the French Quarter,  is exactly what you think of when you think New Orleans: wrought iron fence, canopy beds, vaulted ceilings, fireplaces in every room. It’s an Anne Rice wet dream, minus the vampires.

Just two blocks from Bourbon Street, Hotel St. Pierre has a similar feel, plus two swimming pools. The “hotel” is actually a cluster of historic townhouses and cottages, decked out with period furniture and situated around a tropical courtyard. This is quite the spot during Southern Decadence.

Who doesn’t love a clothing optional garden?! The Green House Inn, a Greek Revival townhouse turned bed and breakfast, has just that plus a heated salt water pool. It’s located in the lower Garden District, a mere twelve blocks from the heart of it all.

The Marigny Manor House is within walking distance of Bourbon Street, but provides an oasis away from the Fat Tuesday chaos. And it’s got plenty of French Quarter charm, despite not technically being in the French Quarter.

And if you can’t make it to New Orleans in time for Fat Tuesday, don’t sweat. Rates will probably be dropping in the next few months after Mardi Gras!