Few accommodations in New Orleans can top the historic splendor of the Hotel Maison de Ville. Each guest room is completely unique; the centuries-old main building houses rooms that overlook either the brick-paved courtyard or lively Toulouse Street. French Quarter rooms are decorated in shades from powdery blue to rich red and feature elegant four poster beds. Guests of the hotel’s private Audubon Cottages and Suites have included such notables as Elizabeth Taylor. The lobby gleams with polished hardwood floors and has the atmosphere of a stately 19th-century parlor. Lined in classic brick and surrounded by lush foliage, the hotel’s pool has the distinction of being the oldest in the French Quarter. For a spicy taste of Creole cuisine, try the Hotel Maison de Ville’s Bistro Restaurant, which Zagat distinguished as a Haute Restaurant. Dine amid gold-framed Impressionist works and elegant mirrors, which give this French standout a certain je ne sais quoi.